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Digital printing

Italian manufacturer of digital printers, Durst Group, has purchased its compatriot and developer of machinery for the printing of textiles with water-based inks, Aleph SrL. 

A fabric with a camouflage design that helps to prevent it from being seen in low light through night optical/observation devices (NODs) is to be demonstrated by Pincroft of Chorley, UK, at DSE

Aurora Specialty Textiles successfully navigates supply-chain challenges

Established in 1883, Aurora Specialty Textiles specialises in applying coatings and finishes to textiles. In an interview with John McCurry, Aurora’s President, Marcia Ayala, describes the company’s business philosophy, the challenges posed by the human coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic and her plans for the future. 

To meet demand for its consumables over the next decade, Kornit Digital has opened a US$25-million ink-manufacturing facility in Kiryat Gat, Israel.

A high-throughput scanning digital printer for knitted and woven fabrics has been launched by Electronics For Imaging (EFI) Inc of Bergamo, Italy. 

A printer that enables businesses to print designs directly on garments has been launched by Ricoh Europe of London, UK. 

A range of fabric wall coverings is easy to print on and offers a unique combination of aesthetics, durability and ease of installation, according to its developer, Aurora Specialty Textiles Group

A pair of 1.62-m (64 inch) dye-sublimation printers, one of which is capable of processing genuine florescent inks (yellow and pink), are to be launched by Epson of Suwa, Japan.

Learning how to print sensors onto stretchable substrates

Spanish researchers have been investigating how to select the best substrates, inks and deposition methods, as well as optimal designs in order to exploit the printing of sensors onto textiles. They report their preliminary findings for Technical Textiles International.

Print-on-demand apparel and e-commerce specialist Spreadshirt Group of Greensburg, Philadelphia, USA, plans to invest US$10 million in digital printing technology over the next two years.

Digital innovation stimulates good business for print machinery

Exhibitors of digital printing technology at the latest ITMA (which was held in Barcelona, Spain, on 20–26 June 2019) did brisk business and showed plenty of innovations, according to Adrian Wilson.

Digital printing specialist Electronics For Imaging (EFI) Inc has been bought by an affiliate of Siris Capital Group for approximately US$1.7 billion.

Innovations in digital printing continue at a rapid pace

With both Heimtextil (8–11 January 2019, in Frankfurt, Germany)(1) and FESPA (14–17 May 2019, in Munich, Germany) having taken place recently, one would be forgiven for thinking that manufacturers of digital printing machinery might be running short of new products to launch at ITMA (20–26 June 2019, in Barcelona, Spain). However, this is an innovative and fast-moving sector, and there will be a number of interesting exhibits at the show. James Bakewell previews.

Digital printing continues to drive innovation among manufacturers

A dedicated hall for digital printing at Heimtextil in January 2019 provided pointers as to where this technology is headed in the lead-up to two other significant exhibitions in this sector later in the year. Adrian Wilson reveals what readers should now be looking for at FESPA Global Print Expo and ITMA.

Gerber Technology has added modular laser cutting technology to its portfolio through its acquisition of large-format cutting specialist MCT Digital.

Digital printing technology moves into high-volume markets

Mass customization, direct-to-consumer sales models, drastically reduced delivery times and the strong influence of social media on buying decisions are all contributing to the continued rise of digital textile printing, according to Adrian Wilson.

An eight-colour, multi-pass digital textile printer that can print designs of up to 2000- dots per inch (dpi) in resolution has been launched by Mouvent and will be on show at ITM 2018 in

A range of reactive inks that are said to deliver outstanding light- and weather-fastness has been launched by Huntsman Textile Effects of Singapore for the digital printing of polyester fibres. 

SPGPrints has started to build a 700-m2 demonstration and training facility for its digital textile customers at its headquarters in Boxmeer, The Netherlands.

Textiles and nonwovens—drivers of the digital print revolution

A sea-change is taking place, writes Adrian Wilson, reporting from Heimtextil 2017 in Frankfurt. Polyester, cellulosics and glass-based substrates can all provide advantages in the digital printing revolution.

Keeping pace with rapid developments in digital finishing

Industrialists joined with researchers at a two-day event to discuss the latest technologies and issues relating to the digital printing and finishing of textiles. Ian Holme joined them to report for Technical Textiles International.

Mimaki of Nagano, Japan, says its European subsidiary, Mimaki Europe BV of Dieman, The Netherlands, has acquired La Meccanica Costruzione Tessili SpA, a builder of digital printers for the textile

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 preview: digital printing and inks

ITMA Asia + CITME 2016 will be held in Shanghai, China, on 21–25 October 2016 and Nick Butler shares his highlights of the exhibits relevant to manufacturers of technical textiles. He starts with technology for digital printing where the rapid pace of development will be evident as visitors discover just how much has changed in the scant few months since the last ITMA was held in November 2015 in Milan.

Mimaki Engineering of Tomi, Japan, has launched its latest belt-driven digital printer (Tx300P-1800B) for textiles. 

The developer of a new range of high-density inks for digital inkjet printers promises they will produce increased colour depth and offer better processing compared with existing products.

Epson Italia Spa has agreed to buy the Robustelli family’s 100% stake in Fratelli Robustelli Srl, a specialist in the manufacture of textile printers based in Villa Guardia, Italy.

Electronics for Imaging (EFI) Inc has acquired Optitex, a software developer specializing in three-dimensional (3D) apparel simulation integrated with two-dimensional (2D) pattern-making programs.

The PIKE digital textile printer manufactured by The Netherlands-based SPGPrints has won the European Digital Press (EDP) Award for Best Industrial Textile Solution.

Digital revolution

In 2015, the ITMA textile machinery show, which has been held every four years around European cities since 1951, went fully digital. In Milan on 12–18 November at ITMA 2015, complete automation of manufacturing lines based on the latest advanced drives was a given, with apps introduced by many companies for full control of manufacturing technologies at any time and from anywhere.

The employment of silk inks containing enzymes, antibiotics, antibodies, nanoparticles and growth factors could turn inkjet printing into an effective tool for therapeutics, regenerative medicine a

DuPont Displays (DuPont) and leading inkjet equipment manufacturer Kateeva are joining forces to develop optimized inks, equipment, and processes to further advance inkjet printing technology for o

Technology is enabling the market for digitally printed textiles

On 18–22 May 2015, Cologne, Germany, hosted the largest FESPA Global Expo to date with exhibitors displaying the latest printers and technologies in order to attract a record-breaking number of visitors from around the world. Niki Tait reviews highlights from among the exhibits relevant to technical textiles.

JK Group of Novedrate, Italy, says its acquisition of Sawgrass Industrial, a manufacturer of sublimation and pigment inks for industrial applications, has created the largest group of companies ope

Two models of dye-sublimation printer capable of the high-quality reproduction of photographic images for transfer to textiles have been revealed by Epson Europe BV.

Electronics for Imaging (EFI) Inc of Fremont, California, USA, has acquired a leading developer and supplier of printing equipment for textiles, Reggiani Macchine of Bergamo, Italy.

Epson Italia SpA of Cinisello Balsamo, Italy, has become the sole owner of For.Tex, a specialist in auxiliary products for textile printing.

Royal Ten Cate of Almelo, The Netherlands, has agreed to sell the assets of its digital ink specialist, Xennia Technology Ltd, to Sensient Technologies Corp of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Freudenberg Nonwovens of Colmar, France, says it has developed variants of its hydroentangled microfilament nonwovens (Evolon) that are suitable as substrates for printing with latex inks.

A range of sublimation inks for digital printing of polyester (PES) fabrics has been launched by Xennia Technology of Letchworth, UK.

A range of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-free plastisol inks for the digital printing of textiles is now available from Kiian Specialty Inks of Luisago, Italy.

Digital media show their potential and now look for mass markets

The growing markets for soft signage and one-off special installations reveal the full potential of digital printed textiles, but their impact on the mass markets for textiles has been limited to date, according to  Adrian Wilson.

Durst Textile/Durst Phototechnik AG is an Austrian/Italian company with its headquarters in Brixen, Italy, which specializes in industrial applications for inkjet technology.
Xennia Technology of Letchworth, UK, will exhibit its high-speed inkjet printers and inks for digital textile decoration at ITMA 2011.
EFI of Zaventem, Belgium, and Klieverik of Oldenzaal, The Netherlands, have jointly developed a digital transfer and direct printing technology.
Xennia Technology, a subsidiary of Royal Ten Cate, has introduced a process demonstrator for the continuous printing and finishing of textiles, describing the nanoscale technology behind it as a break
Jakob Muller AG has developed a digital printer - MDP2 Muprint2 - for direct printing on narrow, maximum width of 400 mm, polyester textiles with inkjet technologies.
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