Konica Minolta Inc. will launch at the end of 2015, its Nassenger SP-1, a high-productivity, high-resolution inkjet textile printer that employs a single pass system, in response to the increasing use of digital printing in the textile printing industry. Prior to the launch of this new model, the company will give demonstrations of Nassenger SP-1 to customers at its sales subsidiary in Italy, starting from September 2015 and then showcase this model’s technology at ITMA 2015.
Nassenger SP-1 is characterized by advanced features such as ultra-high speed, high productivity and high resolution, which are made possible by Konica Minolta’s expertise in developing and producing all printheads, printing mechanisms and inks for inkjet textile printers.
Main features
Nassenger SP-1 employs a single pass system that prints on a fabric (or other print medium) as it is fed under a fixed print unit. This model boasts a much higher print speed than a scan-type printer that prints by moving a printhead carriage back and forth, and thus can meet the needs of the market for a printer with the speed of a screen printing machine.
The highly precise ink ejection control capability of this model enables high-resolution images to be reproduced at an ultra-high speed.
The model incorporates newly developed printheads that can eject smaller ink droplets than conventional printers and Konica Minolta’s proprietary ink ejection control technology, which enables the ink droplet size to be adjusted (large, medium, and small), thus achieving higher-quality reproduction of fine patterns and color gradients.
The model employs the following mechanisms that help to reduce downtime that can directly affect productivity:
– Konica Minolta’s proprietary image processing technology minimizes the problems of streaking and uneven density on a printed image and reduces defective prints.
– The modular printhead and the capability of automatic adjustment of ink droplet ejection positions enable far faster exchanging of printheads.
Reactive dye ink (most suitable for fabrics made of plant fibers such as cotton and rayon) and disperse ink (most suitable for fabrics made of artificial fibers such as polyester) developed specifically for the single-pass system can be used. The reactive ink meets the criteria of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Background to the development
In the global textile market, there has been increasing demands for low-volume high-mix production, shorter lead time, improved print quality, resource saving and environmental preservation. Against this backdrop, inkjet textile printing is gaining popularity among customers for the unique capabilities of digital printing that can cater to all these demands, namely on-demand printing, plateless printing and greater environment friendliness resulting from the reduction of effluent and use of fuels.
While screen printing machines with print speeds of 2000-3000 m2/hour are used for high-volume printing in most cases, users of these machines are now calling for inkjet textile printers with the print speed of screen printing machines. Nassenger SP-1 was developed to meet the needs of these users.