ASTM Meeting to be held in Dallas in January; Inkjet Committee seeks members
Even if no more new printers were sold as of today, inkjet would remain a
$25 billion industry for many years to come as users continue to consume ink
and media, industry experts have determined.
"Applications that are currently being served by inkjet technology include
computer-aided design (CAD), commercial/industrial, consumer markets, graphics,
medical imaging, office printing, textiles, and signage," said Kodak's
Chuck Romano, and the chairman of the ASTM subcommittee chairman on inkjet imaging
products.
This ASTM committee will be meeting on Jan. 24 and 25 in Dallas to consider
new inkjet test methods, and Romano is actively seeking new members and participation
in this important selection process.
"Standards activities for inkjet have not kept pace with the technological
advances in the inkjet marketplace," he said.
"There is a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers, suppliers, and users
to contribute to the writing, editing, and approval of new standards. We hope
that interested inkjet industry members will consider this inviting."
Some of the test methods that under scrutiny at the Dallas meeting include:
- Determining the Ink Yield of Cartridge Ink Using Inkjet Printers
- Determining the Waterfastness of Images Produced from Inkjet Printers
- Determining the Drying Time of Images Produced from Inkjet Printers Using
the Offset Method
- Determining the Adhesion of Laminates to Inkjet Media
According to IT Strategies, the world wide revenues from wide format inkjet
and narrow format inkjet hardware, media, and chemistry will grow from $27 billion
in 2000 to more than $40 billion by year 2005, an annual growth rate of 8 percent.
Of this, the largest segment is and will continue to be ink, with revenues rising
from $12.5 billion in 2000 to more than $22 billion in 2005.
Over the five-year forecast period, the largest share of the revenue is attributed
to the narrow format inkjet market, which is projected to have total revenues
of more than $23 billion in 2000, with growth approaching $33 billion by 2005.
Wide format is anticipated to grow at an even greater rate.
The F.05 Business Imaging Products committee and other subcommittees, including
electrostatic imaging products and nomenclature and definitions, will meet in
Dallas in January as well.
Members interested in learning more about ASTM membership can visit www.astm.org
or call the F.05 Business Imaging Products Chairman Dr. John Wyhof at Static
Control Components (800) 488-2426.
This article originally appeared in the January 2002 issue of Recharger.