Belt Conveying System Digital Textile Inkjet Printer
＝High speed and quality digital printing for cotton, silk, hemp and rayon＝
Nagano, Japan, October 21, 2013
Mimaki Engineering Co.,Ltd, a global leading company of wide format inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announced today that new launch of “Tx500-1800B” begins in October 2013. The Tx500-1800B features the belt conveying system to ensure stable feeding of materials especially for elastic fabric. The concept of this product is “High-speed printing” that is also shared with current models of “TS500-1800” and “Tx500-1800DS”.
The large lot production printing by rotary screen printing and other methods has been a mainstream in the textile printing market. However, digital textile inkjet printing is getting popular and attention in the market along with the growing demands of high-mix low-volume production and short life-cycle products. Digital textile inkjet printing meets small lot production because no screen is needed. The amount of ink / water usage is low and thus drainage water quantity is low. The Tx500-1800B is highly expected to reduce the effects on the environment and recognized as an eco-friendly printer that enables to fulfill needs of recent years.
Meanwhile, digital printing had issues on productivity and running cost. “Tx500-1800B” has greatly increased its practicality by realizing high speed print, continuous unattended operation and low cost ink.
In addition, this machine can print on elastic material by using a belt conveying system and can print vibrant color on the cloth of various materials, such as cotton, silk, hemp and rayon, by providing a wide ink variation (*1) of reactive dye, acid dye, disperse dye, sublimation dye and pigments.
Furthermore, optional textile software RIP “TxLinkPro” enables “Tx500-1800D” to print image data for analog printing by combining color separation (*2). This supports a smooth shift from analog method to digital textile print method.
We offer digital textile inkjet printer "Tx500-1800B" that meets our customers' needs, high speed / quality, low cost, small lot & quick delivery and ecology-consciousness, in the market and support our customers in strengthening profitability through digital on-demand production.
*1 Acid dye ink and pigment ink will be soon launched.
*2 Image data that is separated each color.
◎Overview
- This product can apply cloth on the belt and convey it without tension, enabling printing on elastic material. With the reduction compensation of banding (stripes in the direction of head scan) to automatically correct uneven cloth feed, prolonged unattended operation is assured.
- Practical print speed of 60.0 m2/h (600x450 dpi, 6-pass, 8 colors) (*3) is 1.6 times faster than our conventional products. Plate-less on-demand printing achieves a quicker delivery in small lot production.
- MIMAKI’s proprietary head control technology enables rich gradation expression and fine thin line expression unique to digital print. Added value to the final product in fashion design.
- A wide ink variation which supports various materials with low costs. It meets many requests in textile & apparel products.
*3 When the banding reduction compensation is not used
◎Sales start
October 2013
◎Sales goal
100units / year (In and outside the country)
◎Main features
1. 60.0 m2/h high speed print & prolonged unmanned operation greatly improve productivity.
Print unit with 6-head & 3-row staggered
By using a staggered layout with six 2-inch heads alternately arranged in three rows, the high speed of 60.0 m2/h which is 1.6 times faster than for our conventional products is realized with practical image quality.
Two functions which strongly support the prolonged unattended operation
[Banding reduction compensation]
Banding caused by the joint level difference (0.1 - 0.2 mm) of conveyor belt or by uneven cloth feed is automatically reduced and compensated.
[Automatic belt washing]
Stained conveyor belt is automatically washed with cold water (*4) and then automatically dried with air blade. By keeping the conveyor belt clean, the media is protected from getting dirty or wet.
*4 Piping for feed water & drainage is necessary.
2. Fine and high image quality print realized by MIMAKI’s proprietary head control technology
“MAPS” (Mimaki Advanced Pass System) reduces banding
High image quality print is realized with “MAPS” which makes banding less conspicuous by scattering the pass boundaries.
* Normal pattern can be selected. Print speed depends on the setting of MAPS.
Variable dot function realizes high image quality print
Variable dot function provides two dot sizes at once. Ungranular fine and high image quality is obtained.
3. A wide range of ink types deliver high-quality printing according to materials
Four ink types for each material
| Ink type | Color setting | Material |
| Reactive dye ink Rc300 |
8colors  CMYK+ Orange, Blue, Red, Light Black |
- Plant-based fiber: cotton and hemp - Rayon |
| Sublimation dye ink Sb300 |
6 colors  BMYK+ Light Blue, Light Magenta |
- Polyester etc. |
| Acid dye ink *5 |
8colors  CMYK+ Orange, Blue, Red, Light Black |
- Animal-based fibers: Silk etc. - Nylon |
| Pigment ink *5 |
8colors  CMYK+ Orange, Green, Red, Gray |
- Plant-based fiber: cotton and hemp * Dry printing system: No pre-treatment is needed. Only baking is needed after printing. |
*5 Pigment ink and Acid dye will be launched in the near future.
4. Bottled ink contributes cost reduction
Degassing module “MDM-20” allows bottled ink use.
Thanks to built-in degassing module “MDM-20”, undegassed large 2L ink bottle can be used. In addition, low-priced ink can be delivered by eliminating degassing process.
◎Main specifications
| Item | Tx500-1800B Specification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Print head | On-demand piezo head (6-head / 3-row staggered layout) | ||
| Max. print width | 1,820 mm | ||
| Print speed | Color | 8colors | 4colors |
| Draft mode | 85.0 ㎡/h 300x 300 (HQ), 4 pass | 140.0㎡/h 300x 300 (HQ), 2 pass | |
| Fast mode | 60.0 ㎡/h 600x 450 dpi, 6 pass | 107.0 ㎡/h 600x 450 dpi, 3 pass | |
| Standard mode | 45.0 ㎡/h 600x 600 dpi, 8 pass | 60.0 ㎡/h 600x 900 dpi, 6 pass | |
| High-quality mode | 22.0 ㎡/h 600x 1200 dpi, 16 pass | 45.0 ㎡/h 600x 1,200 dpi, 8 pass | |
| Ink | Type | Reactive dye ink : Rc300 (CMYK+ Orange, Blue, Red, Light Black) | |
| Sublimation dye ink : Sb300 (BMYK+ Light Blue, Light Magenta) | |||
| Acid dye ink : Ac300 (CMYK+ Orange, Blue, Red, Light Black) *6 | |||
| Printing pigment ink : Tp300 (CMYK+ Orange, Green, Red, Gray) *6 | |||
| Feeding strategy | Feed through ink station (capable of setting 8 bottles) for 2L of each color | ||
| Ink degassing | MDM (Mimaki Degassing Module) Degassing process by | ||
| Media | Type | Pre-processed material | |
| Size | Max. width: 1,830 mm, Min. width: 210 mm | ||
| Thickness | 5 mm or less | ||
| Weight | 60kg or less | ||
| Roll outer diameter | φ400 mm or less | ||
| Paper tube inner diameter | 2 inches or 3 inches | ||
| Drier | Recommended external heater (Option) | ||
| Take-up device | Automatic take-up device (Pre-attached) | ||
| Print gap | 1.5 - 7.0 mm Nonstep user setting | ||
| Interface | USB2.0 | ||
| Software RIP | RasterLink6 (Option) | ||
| Tx Link Pro(Standard edition: /, Professional edition: ) (Option) | |||
| Power specification | Single phase AC380- 420V 50/60Hz | ||
| Power consumption | 10kVA or less | ||
| Hardware requirement | Operating temperature: 20 - 30 C, Humidity: 35 - 65%Rh (Non condensing) | ||
| Outside dimension (W×D×H) / Weight | 3,830×2,600×1,800 mm (Exc. heater) / 1,840kg | ||
*6 Acid dye ink and printing pigmented ink will be soon launched.
◎Contact info
Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
Global Marketing Department
Zip code: 389-0512
Address: 2182-3, Otsu, Shigeno, Tomi, Nagano
Tel: +81-(0)268-64-2281, Fax: +81 (0)268-64-2285