Epson print heads are well-known in the digital printing industry due to their excellent performance in terms of printing accuracy, output speed, as well as energy conservation, and environmental protection. However, it is also the dismantling of Epson print heads. For the disassembled head, In addition to possible intellectual property risks, its technical support, print head service life, production efficiency, and quality assurance can not be compared with Epson-authorized print heads. So let’s have a deep insight into the difference between the Epson-authorized I3200 print head and the disassembled head 4720 or 3200.
Appearance and Parameter
Take Espon S3200 A1, Epson I3200 A1, and Epson 4720 print heads as examples to explain their differences. First, let’s look at the pictures below, we can clearly see that there are almost no differences between the Epson I3200 and 4720 print heads in appearance and there are obvious differences between the S3200 print head and the I3200 print head.
Advantages of Epson I3200 and Epson S3200
Advantages of Epson I3200 Print Head
1. PrecisionCore Technology
The ALL MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) manufacturing process and the use of thin-film piezoelectric components enable high-precision nozzle arrangement (600npi/2 rows), making the print head compact, fast, high quality, and durable.
The precision nozzles and ink paths made by Epson’s unique MEMS technology enable the ejected ink droplets to be close to a perfect circle and accurately positioned at the same time.
2. Support for Multiple GrayScale Output
Epson’s unique VSDT (Variable-Sized Droplet Technology) can freely control the size of the ejected ink droplets, thereby reducing the graininess of the picture, presenting more picture details, smooth color transitions, and high saturation.
3. High Resolution
High resolution (600dpi/color) can achieve up to 4 color outputs
4. High Durability
The PrecisionCore print head has excellent durability due to its high-precision processing technology. It has been optimized for use in many commercial and industrial printing areas, achieving high-speed output and high-quality printing.
Advantages of Epson S3200 print head
1. PrecisionCore Technology
The ALL MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) manufacturing process and the use of thin-film piezoelectric components enable high-precision nozzle arrangement (600npi/2 rows), making the print head compact, fast, high quality, and durable.
The precision nozzles and ink paths made by Epson’s unique MEMS technology enable the ejected ink droplets to be close to a perfect circle and accurately positioned at the same time.
2. Support for Multiple Ggray-Scale Output
Epson’s unique VSDT (Variable-Sized Droplet Technology) can freely control the size of the ejected ink droplets, thereby reducing the graininess of the picture, presenting more picture details, smooth color transitions, and high saturation.
3. High Productivity
The effective printing width of 120.2mm (4.73 inches) is conducive to achieving high-efficiency production. The nozzles are highly consistent, enabling efficient printing in a short time.
4. Scalability
The S-shaped design saves space, and the wide-format multi-color printing occupies a smaller area.
5. Easy to Maintain
High-precision positioning holes make replacement and installation easier without requiring more adjustments.
6. High Durability
The PrecisionCore print head has excellent durability due to its high-precision processing technology. It has been optimized for use in many commercial and industrial printing areas, achieving high-speed output and high-quality printing.
Compare 1: Epson I3200 and 4720
In terms of appearance, it is difficult to break down the difference between the two. The only difference that can be seen on the market now may be that the I3200-A1 has an anti-counterfeiting label under the data cable interface as shown below, while the disassembly head is a cushioning foam. Epson I3200 and 4720 are not only very similar in appearance but also in performance. The 4720 nozzle is not officially on sale. the disassembled head is designed for household printers, while the authorized head is designed for industrial printers. The internal structure and manufacturing process of the print head are constantly updated.
1.1 From product parameters
(1)In January 2020, Epson introduced the I3200-A1 print head, which is the Epson-authorized 3200 print head. For the control board, the design of electrical control signals such as the power-on and off timing sequence of the machine head can only be based on the designer’s experience. Because there is no original support, the matching with the print head cannot be guaranteed. At the same time, the decryption card is required to disassemble the machine head. It can be used only with cooperation, and the regular head control board can be designed based on the Epson print head specifications and does not require a decryption card.
(2) At the ink level, the design of the ink when disassembling the print head is to “cross the river by feeling for the stones”, and the matching with the print head cannot be guaranteed. As for the regular head, the genuine Epson I3200-E1 print head is specially designed for eco-solvent ink. While designing, we also cooperated with ink manufacturers to conduct matching experiments to greatly improve the service life of the print head. Epson-authorized I3200-E1 printhead has higher production efficiency.
(3)In terms of printing speed, the disassembled print heads on the market can generally only reach about 17KHz, while the regular print heads can achieve 21.6KHz, which can increase production efficiency by 25%.
(4) In terms of printing stability, the disassembly waveform of the Epson home printer is used to disassemble the print head, and the print head drive voltage setting is based solely on experience. The regular head can have regular waveforms and print more stably. At the same time, it can also provide matching driving voltage for the print head (chip), so that the color difference between the print heads is small and the image quality is better.
(5) In terms of ink correspondence, debugging the matching of the ink and waveform of the disassembled machine head relies on experience, which is not only time-consuming but also has poor matching. In regular print heads, Epson will provide basic waveforms to control board partners and provide technical support together with control board partners to greatly improve production efficiency.
(6) The ink dot of the I3200 print head is more delicate than the disassembled print head 4720. The frequency that can be reached is also faster, and the actual printing speed is faster than that of 4720. And i3200 printhead life is 20-30% higher than the previous 4720 printhead.
(7) The Epson-authorized i3200 eco-solvent print head has 3200 nozzles with precise nozzle spacing. The ink droplets ejected at the same time are close to perfect circles, accurately positioning the picture, making the picture details richer and clearer, allowing the digital printer to achieve high speed and high image quality. High-quality printing coexists.
1.2 Application
I3200 print head in durability and stability due to the targeted board matching and strict quality control. The 4720 is not a great option for printing with oil-based printer ink.
So when you buy a 4720 print head or a machine with a 4720 head, please pay attention to the print head equipped, with the old 4720 head or the I3200-A1 head.
Compare2: Epson I3200 and S3200
S3200 and i3200 are both from EPSON, and use the same technology- PercisionCore, and it is the same jetting module as well, The only difference is the physical sharpness, combining 4 piezo elements in a staggered line. Another advantage of the S3200 is the S shape, which contributes to minimizing the printer. Also, the ink circulation helps the printhead run heavier ink and faster jetting.
For the printing performance, 4 color, 4 heads S3200 in one line configuration is equal to 4 heads i3200 in staggered.
| Print Head | Epson I3200/4720 | Epson S3200 |
| Print Head Model | I3200-A1 | S3200-A1 |
| Head Type | Micro Piezo | Precision Core Tech |
| Ink Type | Aqueous ink (Water-based ink) | Aqueous ink (Water-based ink) |
| Dimension | 69.1 x 59.4 x 35.6mm | 150.4 x 30 x 52.0mm |
| Weight | 82 | 235 |
| Nozzle Numbers | 3200 | 3200(Net 2840) |
| Nozzle Spacing (inch) | 1/300 | 1/300 |
| Nozzle Rows | 8 | 2 |
| Max.Supported Colors | 4 | 2(300dpi) |
| Resolution | 300npi/1 row 600npi/2 row | 300npi/1 row 600npi/2 row |
| Print Width | 33.8 | 120.2 |
| Print Speed(m2/H) | 8-10 | 8-12 |
| Printing Accuracy | 20%-40% higher than Epson 4720 | Similar to Epson I3200 |
| Drop Volume | 6 pl; 6.3,12.3 pl; 3.8,6.1,9.4 pl | 3.3-7-13pl |
| Jetting Frequency | 21.6kHz(single dot) 43.2kHz(multi dot) | 48kHz(single dot) 24KHz(multi dot) |
| Ink Viscosity | 3-4（mPa·s） | 3-4（mPa·s） |
Note:
The above data comes from Epson laboratory tests.
2.1 Product Parameters
Although the two print heads are positioned as industrial print heads, the Epson i3200 printhead specification is obviously larger in size.
The S3200 Print head is 4 inches and the I3200 nozzle is 1 inch.
This means, 1 unit S3200=3.6 unit I3200
In terms of colors, the S3200 print head supports two colors and the I3200 print head supports four colors. The frequency of S3200 is also faster, and the smallest droplet volume is smaller. The S3200 features 2 nozzle rows and the I3200 features 8 nozzle rows.
2.2: Basic Cost
1 unit S3200=10 unit I3200
Epson S3200 print heads are more effective than I3200 in terms of size, printing speed, and printing accuracy. However, more new machines are equipped with the official I3200 print head because of its cost, durability, and stability.
From the product positioning point of view, the S3200 print head is positioned in the high-end customer group. I3200 is positioned in the middle and low-end customer groups, and the price difference between the two is also very large. If it can combine durability, stability, and printing speed in a better cost-effective way. It should be the future trend for the high-end market.
If you want to know more information, please contact us. JOHOPE Technology will provide professional answers.
