Timbermark launches new product range
Timbermark is launching a new range of handheld thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers.
We have developed a partnership with Chinese manufacturer Zhuhai Bentsai Printing Technology Co. Ltd and have been impressed by their handheld TIJ printers.
left to right: the Bentsai B3, B35 and B85 handheld printers
The B3, B35 and B85 printers each offer some exciting new features, including larger printing size, a refillable ink cartridge system, and highly competitive equipment pricing. These are all now available to our customers in the UK and Europe.
One of the most interesting features of the new range is the size of the print head. The standard cartridge in the B35 and B85 printers is 2.54cm (1 inch) high, which is twice the height of the classic HP ½” product. With the new larger print capability, designs have far greater impact, and visibility from a greater distance.
Additionally, the 1” cartridges are available in aqueous and solvent variants, so the printer can work on porous substrates such as paper, timber and fabric, and non-porous substrates such as metal, plastic or glass.
Here’s a short video from the manufacturer to show the B35 handheld printer at work printing up to 1” high on a variety of different materials.
We think there is great potential for these new products across many industries, particularly from pallet and case making businesses.
Pallet manufacturers can use the 1”, B35 model to print stacks of assembled pallets, using the hand printer and guide rail. The ISPM HT mark is produced particularly effectively using this technique, and results in a mark that is super-sharp, sized 25mm high by 50-60 mm long, and can be applied in around 1 second.
Here is one of our customers, Pallet Recovery Services in Northern Ireland, using the B35 printer to print a Heat Treatment Stamp onto pallet bearers and blocks:
Additionally, there is a “group print” feature, which allows the user to select multiple designs. The job is configured by the operator from the touch screen, and the printer cycles through the designs in the order selected. In this way, a pallet with a different stamp on each block can be marked without changing the printer setup, making the job as quick and as easy as stencilling, but with the quality of a desktop printer.
Packing case manufacturers can use the largest of the three new printers: the B85 model, which has a market-leading, 100mm high print effect. This is achieved by stacking 4 of the 1” heads and synchronising the printing through a contact encoder wheel to keep the print heads in registration.
A guide rail for this printer is available in a customisable length, up to 1.8m long, to suit a variety of applications. The rails are inexpensive and are available separately, so that a series of rails can be used to produce a jig suitable for each printing job.
The B85 can print perfect shipping logos onto plywood and OSB. Customer logos can be printed to exact specifications, often for designs that would be impossible to achieve with a stencil or rubber stamp. The system is so precise that, on most substrates, it can print a machine-readable bar code or matrix code. This opens new possibilities for accessing online documentation such as data sheets or hazardous goods info, by scanning a QR code from a smartphone.
Again, using the solvent-based inks, the B85, can print large designs onto glass, plastic, metal or ceramic surfaces. Here are some examples: