The world market for fabric printing is rapidly becoming digital and is also receiving a great deal of attention in China. This is due to the growing demand for digital printing, which allows for the production of fine patterns in high quality and in a wide variety of formats and in small quantities that were not possible in the past. In addition, digital printing can significantly reduce water consumption, so many companies are also introducing digital printing technology in order to become environmentally friendly factories.
As interest in digital printers heats up in China, Japanese inkjet printers are also focusing on the Chinese market and are accelerating their investment in new models there. Against the backdrop of strong investment in equipment by Chinese companies, many inkjet printers saw significant sales growth in mid-2014 and this trend is set to continue for some time.
In particular, the presence of Japanese manufacturers such as MIMAKI ENGINEERING, the mainstay of inkjet printing machines for fabric sublimation transfer printing, is increasing. This is due to the superiority of Japanese inkjet printers in terms of print quality and durability of the printers. In direct inkjet printers, Chinese manufacturers and Italian manufacturers such as Reggiani Group are competing fiercely, while Japanese companies such as Toshin Kogyo and Konica Minolta are also gaining ground.
One of the reasons for the expansion of the inkjet printing market is the strengthening of environmental regulations for dyeing plants. This year, Zhejiang province, as well as Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces, have issued regulations to prevent water pollution, and from 1 January 2015 the strictest ever drainage regulations will be implemented for dyeing plants nationwide. In this context, many dyeing factories are introducing inkjet printing machines with less waste water in order to survive. In addition, the entry of new inkjet fabric companies has led to an increase in the size of the market. These new entrants range from existing sewing factories offering inkjet printing as an additional service, to other industries such as the advertising and printing industry, which have joined the market.
The number of inkjet printers introduced is expected to grow steadily as environmental regulations are expected to be further strengthened and competition between sewing factories intensifies. On the other hand, there are also problems, with some inkjet printers stating that “the companies that have introduced them have not yet been able to take advantage of the small batch sizes and short lead times of inkjet printers”. If they don’t take advantage of inkjet printing, it’s only a matter of time before the volume of prints peaks and stops growing. This concern has led companies such as Konica Minolta to help users exploit the advantages of inkjet printing by offering advice and support for their business models.
The Chinese market is set to expand even more, so Japanese manufacturers are launching new products. Roland DG, for example, will be launching new products next year that will enhance its ability to cope with small batches and short lead times. From next year, Nagase Océ Coloured Chemicals will officially sell its digital printing system “DENATEX-EST” in Japan, and in the future it will also be available in the Chinese market. “The DENATEX-EST is the only digital printing machine on the market that uses electrostatic (electrophotographic) technology.
Konica Minolta Corporation Launch of high efficiency and high quality eco-friendly printing machines
Figure ：the photo of Nassenger PRO 1000
In August this year, Konica Minolta established a new Digital Printing Sales Division within Konica Minolta (China) Investment Company to officially sell inkjet printers for textile applications in China. Until then, in addition to the existing standard model ■’Nassenger PRO 120′, there were also the Nassenger PRO 1000 is the new high efficiency, high quality and environmentally friendly flagship model for mass production.According to the division’s sales manager, Hiroki Inada, “We hope that customers will first adopt the 120 as a sample printing machine and then introduce The 1000 model was launched in mass production.”
“The Nassenger PRO 120 is equipped with a high density inkjet printhead for high speed printing of up to 120 square metres per hour. It also features a laser ink outage detector and an automatic nozzle maintenance system for stable production over a long period of time.
“The Nassenger PRO 1000 is equipped with a high-speed drive and a high-density inkjet printhead, enabling the world’s highest level of high-speed printing at 1,000 square metres per hour, as well as a fabric transport design that prevents problems before they occur. In addition, an automatic inkjet printhead maintenance system with regular nozzle checks enables continuous production with consistent print quality.
The company is unique in that it develops everything from printing machines to inkjet printheads, inks and software in-house. The company is a world-renowned manufacturer of inkjet printheads and has an overwhelming market share in China. In addition, the company has developed high quality fabric printing inks with high colour fastness, based on the technology developed in the camera business. The company uses 9-colour inks with industry-leading black consistency and vibrant colours, and also guarantees high productivity in continuous printing with large-capacity ink drums/boxes. In addition, great attention has been paid to environmental performance.
In addition to sales agents throughout China, the company will soon be selling directly in the Yangtze River Delta region to provide excellent service to its customers. In addition to the sale of printing machines, the company will also be supporting the development of the fabric printing industry in China by offering small batch sizes and short lead times to enable customers to take advantage of digital inkjet printing.
MIMAKI ENGINEERING ：Sublimation printers with stable and long-lasting colours
Figure ：Production of inkjet printing machines by mimaki engineering
MIMAKI ENGINEERING’s Chinese subsidiary, Shanghai Gomoku Trading, started selling the new sublimation transfer inkjet printer models “JV150” series and “JV300” series in July this year.
Both models use Waveform Control Technology to control the waveform of the inkjet, allowing ink of any colour to be sprayed in a straight, nearly circular pattern. In addition, ink drops ranging from a minimum of 4pl for high precision printing to a maximum of 35pl for high speed printing can be accurately applied. The most suitable prints can be made.According to Shiyuki Sakaguchi, General Manager of Shanghai Gomoku Trading Company, “Our sales of textiles using sublimation printers have grown by more than 20%.” The company’s products are now used by sewing factories as well as print shops, and customers give high marks to the consistency of the colours printed and the durability of the printers. There are many inexpensive sublimation printers on the market, but many suffer from colour and image quality instability within six months to a year. The company’s printers are more expensive, but even after five years of use, they are still producing consistently and can be sold at a premium as second-hand machines. In terms of overall cost, the company’s printers offer better value for money than cheaper printers.
The company’s printers advantage do not stop there, as the solid after-sales service is also very popular with customers. In order to increase the competitiveness of its customers, the company offers advice on colour production, introducing 6 and 8 colour printing in addition to the mainstream 4 colour printing.
As the number of companies engaged in sublimation printing continues to grow, competition will become more intense in the future and it will be necessary to improve our competitiveness. This is where the products and services of Shanghai Yumu Trading Company can become a reliable partner.
Roland DG attract customers with color fastness and excellent service
Sales of Roland DG’s inkjet printers for textile applications were very strong, with sales up 30% in 2014
The main products are the Hi-Fi JET FH-740, developed for the Chinese market, and the SOLJET PR04 XF-640, which is designed for the world market. “The Hi-Fi JET FH-740 has a print width of up to 74 inches and can print in 6 colours, giving a more natural and intense look than 4-colour prints with no graininess on the skin of people. It is also equipped with two new inkjet heads with excellent colour performance and fine image quality, and can be used with a variety of inks to meet the needs of the Chinese market.
“The SOLJET PR04 XF-640 is equipped with two new inkjet heads that can print seven different drop sizes depending on the print media and print quality settings. A control technology has been developed to control the inkjet heads with high precision, combining high speed with high image quality. In addition, a maximum print speed of 102 square metres per hour has been achieved, making it approximately 2.5 times more productive than previous models.
A special feature of the company’s printing machines is their high fastness. The ‘FJ740K’, which was launched in the early 2000s, is still widely used throughout China, and second-hand machines can be sold at high prices.”
Logline Digital Trading (Shanghai) has been in business since January 2013, providing support and after-sales service to the company’s exclusive national distributor of inkjet printers, Lianqiang International (Hong Kong). The close cooperation with Lianqiang International (Hong Kong) and the excellent service have also contributed to the expansion of customers.
Next year, we will strengthen our response to small lots and multiple varieties and prepare to sell new models that achieve higher quality printing. “We will actively explore new markets for further growth while expanding our existing market customers and working hard to provide services.” Zhou Xianqi is confident about the future.
Komatsu Refinement Combination of digital printing technology and high sub-processing
Komatsu Seiki produces and sells USTAMOK-ML, a digital printing fabric featuring a rich colour palette of up to 16.7 million colours and fine, high-precision colour control technology. It is highly regarded in the Japanese and international markets as a fabric that exceeds the limits of vibrancy and colour variety. The combination of this digital printing technology and Komatsu Seiki’s unique high level post-processing technology has enabled the development of a fabric with further expanded expressive capabilities.
The “USTAMOK-ML” has also been well received in Europe
We have a strong track record of selling to luxury brands. The interest in digital printing in China is also on the rise, and we will be working to develop the Chinese domestic market. In addition, we are using our digital archive of thousands of patterns to develop a quick response to customers’ needs.
At the same time, efforts are being made to develop more value-added fabrics by combining digital printing technology with unique, high-touch processing technology. For example, digital printing with embossing to enhance the realism of fabrics, and digital printing on both sides of double-sided Raschel fabrics to achieve a transparent 3D effect.
Figure ：Show 3D with inkjet printing
