On June 1, 2020, Ricoh launched a new industrial inkjet print head, Ricoh TH5241, which is the first Ricoh print head to use thin film piezoelectric actuator (PZT). Ricoh said that the launch of RICOH TH5241 is to meet the demand for running size and delivery time of logo graphics and textile printing. It is said that the print head is compatible with UV ink, solvent ink, and water-based ink and can be used in a variety of industrial applications such as sign graphics, textiles, and labels.
Ricoh TH5421 Printhead Specifications
Ricoh G5i is one of the best-selling printheads of Ricoh. Its main advantages are strong spraying force, high printing accuracy, fine ink dots, and affordable price. It is widely used in toys, crafts, signs, etc., which require high printing accuracy, moderate production capacity, and product surface differences. Let's take a look at the detailed parameters of this printhead.
| Method | Thin-film piezoelectric transducer with bend mode |
| Print Width | 27.1 mm (1.06″) |
| Number of nozzles | 1280 (320 nozzles/row x4 rows, staggered) |
| Nozzle Resolution | 600 npi (2 colors, 1 color) 300 npi (4 colors) |
| Nozzle spacing (Row to row distance) | A: 2.286mm B: 6.095mm |
| Max. number of color inks | 4 colors |
| Drop volume | 3pl (Single drop) 3～12pl (max 21pl) (Multi-drop) |
| Jetting frequency | 40kHz (2 levels), 24kHz (4 levels) |
| Compatible ink | UV, Solvent, Aqueous, Others. |
| Viscosity range | 7ｍPa・s |
The Ricoh TH5241 print head belongs to the RICOH TH industrial inkjet print head series. By using MEMS technology and Ricoh's unique high-integration design, this print head has become a compact print head with 320×4 rows of 1280 nozzles, a firing frequency of 50KHz, and a printing accuracy of 3.5PL.
Ricoh TH5241 can achieve high-definition printing up to 1200 dpi. Because the ink channel of each nozzle row is isolated, a single printhead can eject up to four colors of ink. In addition, because the print head is compact and has both durability and stable jetting characteristics, it can be easily used in various printing systems and help customers easily develop their own printing systems.
Differences between Ricoh Gen5 and Ricoh Gen5i (TH5421)
Ricoh Gen5/7PL, 1280 nozzles, 8 gray levels, ignition frequency: 60KHZ, suitable for water-based, solvent, oil-based, UV inks, it is the most widely used printhead in recent years. It not only has a long service life, but also the color and fineness of the print are very good, the clarity is close to the effect of Epson printhead. The color is rich and colorful, and the ratio is about 85% close to the original image, suitable for the current market use of painting, relief, varnish process. The speed is 4-5 times that of Epson.
Ricoh Gen5i/3PL, 1280 nozzles, supports multi-drop technology, which controls the ink drop size by merging multiple droplets in the drip before reaching the surface of the medium. It supports grayscale printing. Suitable for more cylindrical and high-drop products on the market, such as lipstick tubes, wine bottles, suitcases, etc., but the speed is much slower than Gen5/Gen6, so it is more suitable as a proofing machine, and it is more difficult to increase the volume.
