An architecture of stainless steel nozzles inside Xerox's Direct-to-Object Inkjet Printer has created an on-demand, label-less method of personalizing three-dimensional objects.

The nozzles are contained in print heads—about the size of a deck of cards—that spray ink on objects as small as bottle caps and as large as football helmets. The printer can print on plastic, metals, ceramics, and glass.

The inkjet can print on smooth, rough, slightly curved, or stepped surfaces. Image credit: Xerox.“This innovation opens up a path for creating customized products instantly at a time when the consumer’s appetite is all about personalization,” says Brendan Casey, vice president of Xerox Engineering Services.

Xerox says that by spraying ink at a distance of one-quarter inch, the inkjet is able to print on smooth, rough, slightly curved, or stepped surfaces at resolutions ranging from 300 to 1,200 dots per inch. The printer can handle up to 30 objects an hour, with the ability to scale for production.

Xerox says the ink jets are compatible with virtually any type of ink chemistry, including solvent, aqueous, and ultraviolet inks, and can be operated at temperatures as high as 140° Celsius.