Modeling height profile for Drop-on-demand print of UV curable ink

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simplified height profile model for UV curable ink drop-on-demand printing that balances accuracy and computational efficiency, validated by experiments and outperforming existing models.

Contribution

The proposed model uses volume and area propagation matrices to accurately predict height profiles without complex physics, improving over previous models.

Findings

Achieves 6.6% RMS error along center row

Achieves 7.4% overall RMS error

Validated with experiments on multiple drop configurations

Abstract

This paper proposes a height profile model for drop-on-demand printing of UV curable ink. Existing models includesuperposition of single drops, numerical models, and graphic-based model. They are either too complicated or over simplified.Graphic model intends to find a sweet spot in between, however, accuracy is marginally improved from superposition modelwhile it demands more computation. The proposed model aimsto achieve the same as graphic model by introducing volumeand area propagation matrices to reflect the localized ink flowfrom higher location to the lower, while avoiding the detailedphysics behind it. This model assumes a constant volume andarea propagation of subsequent drop due to height profile difference. It is validated with experiments on single drop, 2-drop and 3-drop line printing. Stability of this model is analyzed.. Usingroot mean square (RMS) error as benchmark, proposed modelachieves 6.6% along the center row and 7.4% overall, better thanexisting models.