ITMA 2019 highlights array of digital inkjet textile printers and printing solutions
Held every four years since 1951, ITMA has reinforced its reputation as the world’s leading textile and garment technology exhibition. The 18th edition of the expo, organised from June 20-26 at Fira de Barcelona in Barcelona, witnessed more than 1,500 exhibitors from 45 countries comprising a host of inkjet machine manufacturers such as ColorJet India, Mimaki, EFI, Kornit Digital, Durst and others including Summa, Zund and Caldera.
ColorJet India, which was platinum sponsor at ITMA 2019, introduced Vastrajet- 8164, a direct-to-fabric printer that provides outstanding performance, increased productivity, superior printing accuracy with minimal maintenance needs. The printer is equipped with the latest technological innovation from ColorJet –AiS (Adaptive Ink System), which provides its customers with a flexibility to use ink of their choice to address his various issues of logistics, procurement, colour consistency, etc. ColorJet India also demonstrated its high-speed Metro-8166 that delivers industrial-level production with speeds of up to 294 sq m/hr. At the expo, Metro-8166 operated on reactive ink, whereas the Vastrajet 8164 ran on pigment ink on cotton blended fabrics.
A brand-new TX300P Series printer was a new introduction from Mimaki at ITMA 2019. Uniquely featuring both direct-to-textile and transfer print capabilities, the new printer achieves unparalleled flexibility in ink combinations and substrates – opening new profitable opportunities for businesses. The new printer is an evolution of the Mimaki TX300P-1800, with the added capability of printing onto transfer paper. EFI at its stall showcased the advanced, leading-edge technologies that make EFI Reggiani a textile innovator. The game-changing EFI Reggiani BOLT single-pass inkjet printer is the first digital textile solution capable of high-quality output at record production speeds of up to 90 linear m/min.
ITMA 2019 highlights
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Durst at the expo showcased its proven Alpha comprehensive technology platform, which includes new Alpha Series 5 190 and 330 printing systems with feature improvements in material handling, efficiency and material diversity. The technology platform offers a sustainable, flexible and scalable solution for every application, even enabling waterless one-step production with the new Durst Advanced Digital Pigment ink.
Kornit Digital presented its new Presto printer, which is said to be the world’s only industrial single-step solution for direct-to-fabric printing. The system is perfectly suited for the home décor and fashion markets. It eliminates the need for pre and post treatment of fabric and allows for high-quality printing on an extraordinarily broad variety of fabric types. Kornit Presto uses 100 percent water-free patented NeoPigment process. HP showcased its flagship new HP Stitch S Series, a latest innovation that holds the first user-replaceable printhead, resulting in reduced down-times and service costs.
Finishing solutions
Zünd featured its Over Cutter Camera (OCC) and advanced optical system that cut patterned and digitally printed fabrics. With OCC and its advanced optical system, cutting patterned and digitally printed fabrics is just as precise and easy as cutting non-printed or solid-coloured textiles. The OCC captures all register marks at once. Similarly, Belgian cutting solution company Summa showcased its L1810, a 1.8 m wide highly productive laser cutter, which helps customers stay ahead of the game.
Software major Caldera at the expo released Version 12.1 of its TextilePro, which features a range of new additions that focus on improving processing speeds and providing a more intuitive user experience. The new textile enhancements include RotationBoost, which saves time on the rotation of huge raster files, making the Caldera rotation algorithm 30 percent faster than its competitors and Caldera Snapshots, for backing up the installation folder and restoring previously saved backups.
Other key exhibitors showing their textile printing machines and technologies at ITMA 2019 were d.gen (Korea), A-TEX (Malaysia), Kerajet (Spain), SPG Print (Austria), Mouvent (Switzerland) and others. The next edition of ITMA in 2023 will be held at Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre in Italy from June 8-14.