Performance of the AirBox Convertible:

99% of all after the refilling process occurring streaky printouts are eliminated. Streaky printouts can generally be traced back to air bubbles located at the print head. Even if the cartridges are refilled under vacuum, air bubbles can appear at the nozzles. Except, of course, you refill your cartridges under high vacuum (99,5% absolute).

Background information:

Standard vacuum tools of leading manufacturers are normally generating a vacuum of 80% maximum, that means a negative pressure of –800mbar. Furthermore it can be assumed, that the vacuum holding time of the system prior to the refilling process is not sufficient to create the same vacuum inside the cartridge as it is existing within the vacuum chamber. The design and diameter of the ink feed lines as well as the density of the foam is different with each type of cartridge. According to that, each cartridge needs a variable amount of time to reach the same vacuum as created inside the vacuum chamber.
Available refilling machines to refill cartridges under vacuum are designed to work efficiently in terms of time, cost and space. A cartridge is to be refilled in the shortest possible time to its maximum weight. Despite of the high acquisition costs for these machines, most of the designed components are technically not constructed to obtain an ideal environment for the refilling process in order to refill cartridges without air bubbles. To reach this aim, bigger pumps, more energy and, first of all, more time is required.
Considering the mentioned facts it can be assumed that each -even carefully- refilled cartridge contains air bubbles.
By using the AirBox Convertible air bubbles at the print heads can be removed and thus streak-free printouts are achieved.

Which are the most frequent problems after refilling printer cartridges?

We have all been there: A lot of time, effort and money is invested in your business in order to offer an excellent product to your customer. You clean your cartridges thoroughly, refill under vacuum, do a test print – which seems to be excellent at the time – and sell a perfectly working cartridge to your customer.
Unfortunately, the customer enters your premises two days later complaining about streaky printouts.

What is the reason?

With the available standard refilling tools it is absolutely not possible to refill cartridges free of air bubbles. Additionally, the design of the ink lines of today´s cartridges is extremely angled so that air bubbles settle within the cartridge or at the ink lines.
Even if the first test print delivers an accurate result it is more than likely that the existing air bubbles will move and will block the ink flow at the print head.
Please keep in mind: the cartridge is moved with each single step: into the printer after refilling, into the transport clip, into the shelf or into the bag of your customer, and so on.
Each move offers a new chance for the air bubbles to block the print head – you may rest assured that this will happen. Streaky printouts are the result.

What does „Convertible“ mean?

The new AirBox Convertible offers you innovative advantages and is an investment for the future at the same time. The AirBox consists of a basic equipment including respective feed lines and can individually be equipped with inserts for different kind of cartridges.
That provides flexibility and savings in both cost and space.

What else is new?

The bearing surface of the AirBox Basis guarantees – due to the unique construction - an optimal loosing of the air bubbles. Tests in our laboratory have proven that the specifically designed angle of the AirBox ensures a perfect result regarding the latest cartridges as e.g. HP 300 und 901.

Using the AirBox

The AirBox Convertible is easy to use. After each refilling process the cartridge is pressed into the elastomer insert (print head at the top). A slight pressure is created within each color-tank by feeding compressed air through the AirBox using a pump (e.g. fish tank pump,  pump capacity at 1 Bar / 10 psi, additionally purchasable).
The slight pressure makes sure that the existing air bubbles at the print head are pressed out of the print head together with a small amount of ink ( <1/100g )
This leaking ink has to be removed using a lintless cloth. Each single color chamber can be selected by using the respective valve. The air bubbles can easily be removed out of the chambers - one after the other.

Visible Results:

Minimal leakage of ink – The loss of ink is minimal when the AirBox is used properly.
The visual appearance of the leaking ink at the print head enables you to evaluate the quality of the cartridge – the more evenly ink is leaking, the more perfect the printout will be.

Perfect final result

In order to achieve streak-free printouts and to obtain a cartridge without air bubbles the AirBox has to be
used repeatedly. It is recommended to move the cartridge between each single use of the AirBox to
guarantee a perfect result.


Scope of delivery:
1x AirBox Convertible Basis
1x feed line to a pump
1x pressure reducer