Rotary Printing Options?

[jfiscus]

I have a friend looking into different options for printing very small diameter cylindrical items. (carbon fiber arrow shafts) Currently they are being printed in a very odd way (to me) using extremely hot oil to transfer the image to the product, but that is causing warping/product loss, and these items are VERY important not to be warped.

What type of printing equipment/capabilities should he be looking for as an alternative solution? Rotary Screen printing? Some sort of Direct Printer (like DTG)?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Pad/sponge print

 

[FrankW]

Inkcups Helix UV-Printer www.inkcups.com

There are add-ons for some flatbed-Printers available too, for example Mimaki Kebab, but this units print very slow. The Inkcups Printers are specialized rotary printers.

 

[Superior_Adam]

It would be worth a chat with Inkcups although that small of a diameter may not work well with it as far as getting them to make a jig to be able to hold it. Their machines are more meant for drinkware. The Helix would be overkill as that is probably a $250,000 machine. They used to have a x360 machine that woudl have been around $75,000 but is not on their website any longer.

 

[VizualVoice]

How about hydrographics? Not sure how easy it is to get them custom printed, supposedly hp latex will print on a film that'll work, though for something so small I'd find a printer to sub it out to.

Among other things, I also do hydrographic printing. If the OP is trying to put a pattern on the entire surface it may be an option (though painting carbon fiber kinda sucks and getting a consistent coating so as to not vary the weight of the arrows would be a challenge). If he's trying to add a logo or specific graphic to a specific spot on the shaft, then it is definitely NOT the way to go and he should look into some form of pad printing or the like.

jfiscus if your friend wants more info on hydrographics I'd be more than happy to bend his ear for a few minutes to see if the technology might be a fit or not.