Posted on 09 May 2016
POSCO developed a high-resolution inkjet printed steel
- The newly developed steel can be printed in full color with 1200dpi-plus resolution
- POSCO expects the inkjet printed steel will be used for various commercial materials
Using its own technology, POSCO has developed a high-resolution inkjet printed steel, by integrating the inkjet printing technology with steel materials.
This new steel can be printed in full-color and its resolution is more than 1200 dots per inch (dpi) which is four times higher than that of the existing one. It allows repeating the same patterns or splitting up the image of a massive work of art, delivering meticulous design.
Making the best of these improvements, the newly developed steel is expected to replace the existing product in the market of household appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, interior materials and furniture materials.
The existing steel is used with roll printing or silk-screen printing with lower resolution and can only be printed with a maximum of five colors. Its vulnerability to air and humidity makes it easy to discolor and its poor adhesion causes coating to peel and flake prematurely.
This has led POSCO to develop the new steel sheet that can be printed with inkjet using the ink solution that has high corrosion resistance and workability. This steel sheet presents more vivid colors compared to the previous one and the shortened working process largely reduces the production cost.
POSCO expects the inkjet printed steel will be used for various commercial materials
Recently, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), a researching affiliate of POSCO, has applied the inkjet printed steel to the outer wall of its parking garage, which now offers a genuine marbleized effect in color and texture. It has replaced the real marble wall that was corroding from wind and rain, giving the building a beautiful, elegant look.
POSCO expects the inkjet printing technology will be widely used in the market of household appliances and construction materials, both domestically and internationally, and the sales of company's World Premium (WP) products will be increased.
[Picture] In the circle in the upper photo is inkjet printed steel applied to the outer wall of the parking garage of RIST office. The color and texture of marble has been perfectly reproduced to the point that it is hard to differentiate the sheet from real marble. It also completely resolves the corrosion of marble caused by wind and rain.
