Plateless printing technology is already advancing rapidly. In addition to the research conducted by Kyoto Municipal Textile Research Institute, Ricoh Co., Ltd., Toshin Kogyo Co., Ltd., and Gougasha,
Inc., a high-speed inkjet printing machine (with a maximum speed of 150m2/h) has also been developed by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Reggiani and Aprion, as reported in Senshoku Keizai Shimbun.
Toshin Kogyo is also endeavouring to increase the output speed of its machinery. Inkjet printing for textiles has clearly entered its second phase of development.
DReAM, the high speed inkjet printing machine developed by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Reggiani and Aprion. |
Toshin Kogyo's Ichinose Inkjet Printer 2020 will provide the bridge to the second phase in the development of inkjet printing technology, having a maximum production speed of 60m2/h.
The Ichinose 2020 features a maximum print width of 1.8m, DOD piezo printing heads, 2 axes with a total of 16 heads, 720 dpi (600 dpi, 360 dpi) resolution and can utilize reactive dyestuff, disperse
dyestuff, pigment, and acid dye inks. It has a production speed of 60m2/h in high-speed mode and 30m2/h in high-resolution mode, and uses either pigment-based or dyestuff-based
DuPont Inkjet inks.
DuPont Inkjet has installed its ink tank in the Ichinose 2020 and has entered on a global campaign, this machine to be exhibited at a an exhibition in Europe in January, 2003.
In the future, facing off against Toshin Kogyo's Ichinose 2020 will be the inkjet printing machine of Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Reggiani and Aprion, which has a planned speed of 150m2/h.
Many involved in the industry are now paying close attention to how high the output speed for complex patterns will go.
With the pending appearance of the inkjet printing machine developed by Ciba et al as outlined above, the second generation of inkjet printing technology for textiles has now undeniably started to
enter the realm of practical use.
Looking back on the process of development of inkjet printing technology, originally, the scope of application of inkjet printing belonged to the first phase as shown in Fig. 1. In this first phase,
inkjet printing could only be used for supplementary purposes in the preprocessing for traditional auto-flat and rotary screen printing.
In this, a design prepared through CAD is output through inkjet printing to produce a sample for a client, and if the go-ahead is received, the CAD data is passed on to the engraving department
for engraving. Furthermore, the color department must also be provided with the CAD data in order to produce the required color paste. Using the finished engraving and color paste, a sample printing
is produced with rotary, auto-flat or hand printing and compared with the sample produced by inkjet printing. If there are no problems, the process culminates in the printing for commercial production.
An elevated view of the high-speed inkjet printer DReAM. |
Thus in the phase illustrated by Fig. 1, the role of inkjet printing is limited to creating a sample of the design.
Fig.1 Traditional application of inkjet printing
However, this changes in Fig. 2. An idea for a design is still realized through CAD, and while the role of CAD finishes here, in the process shown in Fig. 2, the CAD data itself can be used in the
small-lot production of diverse designs.
Fig. 2 Latest application of inkjet printing
Viscotecs of Seiren, Co., Ltd., makes mass production possible by transmitting design data to a large number of inkjet printing machines which can then all produce output at the same time.
While Seiren still closely guards the details, this system without doubt represents the realization of production under a new paradigm.
The price of a single high-quality inkjet printing machine for use with textiles is very high, and so to make them economical, individual machines must have a high print speed. Groups taking up this
challenge include those of Kyoto Municipal Textile Research Institute et al, of Toshin Kogyo and DuPont, and of Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Reggiani and Aprion, and with this, the application of inkjet
printing will become like that shown in Fig. 2.
An important feature of the process as shown in Fig. 2 is that the following sequence of operations has become a direct line.
image design →CAD→ inkjet printing operations and production
To survive in the Japanese textile industry in the future, Super QR (Quick Response) will be necessary, and in the apparel business, from receipt of an order through production to delivery, three
days may be the norm.
Textile printing in three days with roller, rotary or flat-screen printing is inconceivable; it is simply not humanly possible. There is no way to work this miracle other than through the use of
high-speed inkjet printing (according to an industry source).
In meeting these expectations, the introduction of 2nd generation inkjet machinery cannot be overemphasized.
The maturation of 2nd generation inkjet technology will cause the transformation of the traditional printing industry
According to an industry source, any functional improvements in 2nd generation textile printing machines in the future will cause "a major transformation of the printing industry which
to date has relied on traditional printing technology."
High-speed inkjet printing machines will be especially formidable adversaries in the field of hand printing, and can also be expected to gain a share of the territory currently belonging to auto-flat
screen printing.
"If this technology is integrated well with SCM (Supply Chain Management), it could possibly start to pose a threat to those involved in auto-flat screen printing in the very near future." These
words, coming from an individual in the apparel industry, cannot be easily ignored.
Let's examine the evidence to see if these things will really come to pass. Management specialists agree that the Japanese textile industry "will not be able to survive in the future unless it introduces
a SCM system."
If the apparel industry expects three days to be the shortest time for QR, according to case studies concerning supply-chain structure, increased inventory turnover will be unavoidable. According
to SCM researchers, increased effectiveness arising from factors such as reduced lead time will make the establishment of three major principles essential:
| 1) |
Differentiation for the creation of new value and for enhanced competiveness; |
| 2) |
A structured mechanism for the generation of profit; |
| 3) |
Improved productivity for the entire business process. |
To achieve 1) and 2), it must be possible to provide clients with designs rapidly, and the systemization of this will be inevitable.
CAD-generated designs must be made available to the client rapidly, and information regarding the colors (eg. dyestuff costs) provided, allowing an evaluation of costs. According to experts, details
regarding different materials should also be provided at this point, and a structured mechanism for the generation of profit be realized in a database which integrates all of the above information.
Item 3) involves enhancing the ability to acquire and present designs that meet the requirements of each client. To facilitate these activities, a method of display linked to the database that takes
advantage of IT capabilities is necessary.
Even if the goals outlined above can be realized, no advantages will be gained if the distance to the customer is great or the relationship complicated. If manufacturing retailers do not take advantage
of the possibility of being directly linked to clients, then the potential of inkjet printing machines will be wasted.
Ichinose 2020, developed by Toshin Kogyo and DuPont |
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