Is CIJ the best choice for high-speed beverage lines?

For most high-speed beverage lines, yes – CIJ is the default because it sustains 1000+ m/min, prints on wet or curved bottles and needs no contact. The trade-off is the consumable (ink plus make-up solvent) and a small maintenance routine, which laser avoids but at higher upfront cost.

If the line is also pharma-grade or you want zero consumables, weigh laser; otherwise CIJ is the pragmatic pick.

SHICAI CIJ (continuous inkjet) coders run at 1000+ m/min with a character height of 0.6-20 mm and a throw distance near 1 inch.

They use MEK or pigment inks and run 24/7 on beverage, cable, pipe and cosmetics lines where speed and contrast matter.

The trade-off is running cost: budget for make-up solvent and a small maintenance window, which is why total cost of ownership matters more than sticker price.

Key points:

• CIJ needs make-up solvent to keep the ink viscosity stable, and a simple daily/weekly maintenance routine keeps the nozzle clean.
• Because the stream is continuous, CIJ prints on uneven, curved and recessed surfaces that other technologies struggle with.
• Invisible and UV-readable marks are possible for covert batch or brand-protection coding.

For covert needs, UV-readable CIJ ink gives a mark that is invisible under normal light but verifies under a UV lamp.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: How fast can a CIJ printer run? · When should I choose CIJ over TIJ or laser?

To size a CIJ coder for your speed and substrate, contact our engineers or browse SHICAI continuous-inkjet options on the product page.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.