Belt-Type Direct-to-Textile Inkjet Printer, Entry Model
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Nagano, Japan (October 12, 2016)
Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagano Prefecture, Japan; President and Representative Director: Kazuaki Ikeda), a leading global manufacturer of wide format inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces that it will launch "Tx300P-1800B" a new 1.8m wide, entry model belt-type direct-to-textile inkjet printer from December 2016 for textile and apparel industry. This new printer product targets mainly various types of textile, especially sheer and elastic textile.
In recent years, textile and apparel industry printing systems have been changing from conventional in the shop sales style to orders placed via the internet business sales style. This trend allows customer to order their favorite design and makes possible high-mix low volume products. Mimaki predicts that the customers will begin to regularly create custom design once they have grown weary of ordinary design options in the market and to accommodate this progressive trend, the "Tx300P-1800B" models offers this option.
With the new "Tx300P-1800B" printer, steaming and washing processes for cotton and hemp base textile is no longer required and relatively simple thermal printer with pigment can be installed(*1). Thus, large space for installation of steaming and washing equipment is substantially reduced and on-demand production can be easily made. Moreover, the belt type transportation equipment makes printing on thick and elastic textile a stable reality. The new “Tx300P-1800B” employs a new printhead, that achieves high-quality and beautiful print in high gap setting on thick or raised fiber surface. Free from head troubles, the new model allows various types of ink such as reactive dye, sublimation dye, acid dye, disperse dye inks and printing on cotton, silk, linen, rayon is also possible. For customers who would like to become familiar for the first time with the digital printing, or pre and after curing processes, our laboratory centers will be happy to help you.
Mimaki Engineering Co.Ltd. has a wide variety of belt-type direct-to-textile inkjet printers, from medium-speed digital textile inkjet printer "Tx500-1800B", and high-speed digital textile inkjet printers "Fox-1800B", "Leopart-1800B," "Tiger-1800B," (maximum printing speed: 800m2/h(*2) ) to high-end digital textile inkjet printer "MM700-1800B." The new model achieves an outstanding stability printing technology for sheer, knit and elastic materials demand in the textile and apparel market. It can cope with a wide variety of materials, has an outstanding stability and is dedicated to high-precision, high-quality printing technology. The "Tx300P-1800B" model will give us a powerful product line-up for the textile and apparel market by delivering sample creation and small-scale on-demand production at manufacturing and near consumption sites.
*1: Pre and after curing processes may be required in some cases.
*2: 800m2/h：draft mode, 300×300dpi 2Pass
Product outline
- Belt-type conveying system supports printing on elastic textile
The new model makes possible stable printing on thick and elastic textiles. - The Printhead allows printing on various types of textile
While maintaining high-quality printing, high gap settings of the printhead allows printing not only on thick textiles but also on various woven patterns or raised fiber surfaces. - Mimaki's print technologies for achieving beautiful printing
- The new model is equipped with a waveform control technique which ensures beautiful print results.
- MAPS4 delivers high-quality printing. Banding and uneven color printing is reduced, while it maintains a stable high-quality printing. - Uninterrupted printing solution
- "NCU" automatically detects and cleans clogged nozzles. NRS uses only good nozzles as substitutes, when the clogged nozzles are not recovered after cleaning. These functions ensure constant printing performance and reduce printing waste due to defective nozzles.
- The standard-feature MBIS3 can utilize large volume ink packs (2 liters) for long-time continuous printing. - A wide range of textile inks
- Mimaki offers five ink types: sublimation, dispersant, pigment, reactive and acid- to meet various application needs.
- For providing affordable ink prices, inks are packed in large volume aluminum packs (2 liters) for long-time continuous printing.
Main features
1. Belt-type conveying system supports printing on elastic textile
1) Belt-Type Direct-to-Textile inkjet Printer, Entry Model
The new model integrates in the rich lineup of belt-type direct-to-textile inkjet printer models, providing to our customers the ideal solutions.
2）Belt convey mechanism ensures stable textile transportation
As the textile is fixed on the belt and transported without pulling, stable and high-quality printing is now possible on elastic and thin textile. In addition to the existing equipment (textile amount to be sent measured, 0.1～0.2mm distance between belt transportation belt, belt correction function to reduce the banding) the new printer is equipped with “Uniform tension roller” and “Pressure roller” which reduce crumpled and bending of textile. Stable and beautiful results are thus realized.
Figure 1: Media transport mechanism image
2. The printhead allows printing on various types of textile
While printing on raised fiber surface textiles, a high head gap setting is required to prevent contact between the printhead and raised fibers. In conventional models, such gap conditions reduce the accuracy of ink droplet placement. The new "Tx300P-1800B" employs a print head with a high head gap to ensure accurate ink droplet placement, thereby enabling beautiful printing on tick and raised fibers.
Figure 2: Printhead image
3. Mimaki's print technologies for achieving beautiful printing
1）Waveform control technique assures beautiful printing
Each ink color has its own specific gravity and viscosity. To achieve precise placement of the ink droplets onto the media, Mimaki designed an optimum waveform that allows the print head to jet each ink color at the appropriate jetting angle without losing excellent ink droplet circularity even at the high head gap. Moreover, various ink droplet size are precisely placed from the minimum size 6pl(*3) to the maximum side 24pl(*3). Small droplets create beautiful high-resolution printing, and large droplets are very useful for high-speed printing. Thus, the "TX300P-1800B" satisfies a wide range of needs including clear, sharp images and beautiful high-quality and productive high-speed printing.
*3: in case of Sb420 ink. Variations may happen with the conventional inks.
2) "MAPS4" delivers stable high-quality printing
Generally, swath boundaries are straight lines. Therefore, a slight misalignment between boundaries causes banding or uneven color printing. MAPS4 reduces banding and uneven color printing with blurred boundaries similar to gradation printing.
Figure 3: Illustration of MAPS4
MAPS4 applied
Banding and uneven color printing are reduced by scattering swath boundaries. Beautiful print image is obtained.
No MAPS4
Bandings appear on swath boundaries. Print quality is remarkably degraded because banding is recognizable on each boundary.
4. Uninterrupted printing solutions
Ink and media shortage, clogged nozzles, and other minor problems influence stable productivity. The "Tx300P-1800B" help users to integrate their idea and fully supports continuous printing with reliable technologies.
1) NCU automatically detects and recovers clogged nozzles
Clogged nozzles are detected automatically by monitoring ink droplets with sensors. When clogged nozzles are located, these are automatically cleaned, reducing waste printing. Nozzles are checked per transfer file.
2) NRS for maintaining productivity
If the clogged nozzles are not recovered after cleaning through the NCU function, the NRS selects substitute nozzles and then restarts printing. This is a significant novelty, since previously, when nozzle cleaning fails, the printhead has to be repaired by a technician, and the printing operation ceases until the printhead is repaired. The NRS allows the printer to continue printing without interruption by using non-defective nozzles as substitutes for defective nozzles until the technician arrives.*4
*4: NRS may not be activated depending on print modes.
Figure 4: Illustration of NCU function
3）MBIS3 for long-time continuous printing
Large volume ink packs (2 liters) can be installed in the MBIS3; this enables long-time continuous printing and reduced operating costs.
5. Wealth of ink types:
Five ink types meet a range of application needs and textile types. *5
| Ink type | Product name | Color | Features | Application | Applicable fabric | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sublimation dye ink | Sb420 | Bl, M, Y, K, Lbl, Lm | Sublimation ink for direct printing. No transfer paper is required. | Soft signage | Polyester | |
| 2 | Disperse dye ink | Dd400 | C, M, Y, K, R, Gr, Violet, Pink | Inks are fixed by heating and have high durability. | Industrial textile, Luxury apparel, Home furnishing | Polyester, nylon, acetate, and other fibers | |
| 3 | Textile pigment ink | TP400 | C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk | Simple post-printing process. No steaming, washing and drying processes are required. Inks are fixed by only heating. *6 | Home furnishing | Cotton, hemp, and other fibers | Bl, R, Or, Lk available from April 2017 |
| 4 | Reactive dye ink | RC400 | C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk | Inks produce vibrant colors, reproduce a wide gamut of colors, and have water resistance, light-fastness, and rub-fastness because of dyestuff molecule bonding with the fibers. | Apparel, Home furnishing | Cotton, hemp, silk, rayon, and other fibers | |
| 5 | Acid dye ink | AC400 | C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk | Inks produce vivid and brilliant colors on animal fibers and synthetic protein fibers such as nylon. | Apparel, Home furnishing | Wool, leather, silk, nylon, and other fabrics | Available from December 2016 |
*5: Please select an ink type depending on your intended use. The ink type cannot be changed after installation.
*6: Steaming and washing processes may be needed depending on the type of print.
Specifications
| Tx300P-1800B | ||
|---|---|---|
| Printhead | On-demand piezo head (4 in-line printheads) | |
| Print resolution | 360 dpi, 540 dpi, 720 dpi, 1,080 dpi, 1,440 dpi | |
| Maximum print width | 1,880 mm (74.0 in) | |
| Maximum media width | 1,900 mm (74.8 in) | |
| Ink | Type/Color | Sublimation dye ink：Sb420 (Bl, M, Y, K, Lbl, Lm) Disperse dye ink：Dd400 (C, M, Y, K, R, Gr, Violet, Pink) Textile pigment ink：TP400 (C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk) *7 Reactive dye ink：RC400 (C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk) Acid dye ink：AC400 (C, M, Y, K, Bl, R, Or, Lk) *7 |
| Package size | 2L Ink pack | |
| Media thickness | 1.0 mm or less | |
| Rolled media weight | 40 kg (88.2 lb) or less Please note that the above maximum weight applies on a printed roll including ink weight. |
|
| Rolled media diameter | φ250 mm (9.8 in) or less | |
| Certifications | VCCI class A, FCC class A, ETL UL 60950-1, CE Marking (EMC, Low voltage, Machinery directive, and RoHS), CB, REACH, and RCM |
|
| Interface | Printing function: USB 2.0 Hi-speed / Ethernet 1000BASE-T E-mail notification function: Ethernet 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX / 1000BASE-T |
|
| Power supply | Single-phase AC100-120V/AC200-240V +/- 10% 50/60Hz +/-1Hz |
|
| Power consumption | (AC100V) 1.44kW / (AC200V) 1.92kW | |
| Operational environment | Temperature: 20 – 30 °C (68 – 86 °F) Humidity: 35 – 65% Rh (Non condensing) |
|
| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 3,197 x 1,798 x 1,845 mm (125.9 x 70.8 x 72.6 in ) | |
| Weight | 627 kg (1382.3 lb) | |
*7:TP400 (textile pigment ink) 8 inks available from April 2017; Ac400 (Acid dye ink) available from December 2016
*Data in the above specifications are subject to change without notice.
Contact
Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.
Sales division
Postal code: 389-0512
Address: 1628-1 Otsu Shigeno Tomi Nagano, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)268-64-2281, Fax: +81-(0)268-80-0041