The Javelin multiple-pass digital inkjet printer is for companies printing up to two million metres of textiles annually. Since its launch at ITMA Milan in November of 2015, “the response to this printer has been tremendous and installations are underway at a number of major textile printers,” said OEM SPGPrints. The first of these are six-colour configurations, but its modular design allows for up to nine. The printer’s Nebula Acid HD inks, which can be used with any printer using Kyocera printheads, represent an entire new formulation developed and produced by SPGPrints that offers increased colour depth and improved runability. The new ink range is ideal for Polyamide (PA) Lycra swimwear, luxury silk items (such as fashion scarves and neckties) and wools. The inks meet all industry standards for colour and water-fastness, and the specifications for all major swimwear manufacturers. They’ll be available from September 2016 – initially in CMYK, orange, red, blue and grey.
“The swimwear industry puts high demands on textile printers with requirements for high performance, enduring bright colours and complex designs with increasingly fine detail. Nebula Acid HD inks rise to that challenge, setting a new benchmark for inks for active-wear,” said Jos Notermans, Commercial Manager of Digital Textiles at SPGPrints. “These inks are such a major step forward in their chemistry that SPGPrints will be phasing out its current acid ink range. However, we will support customers making the transition, and help them re-calibrate their colour profiles to run the new high-density inks,” he added.
The Javelin printer features the same Archer printhead technology used in the recently launched, high-volume Pike Printer (which won the 2016 EDP Award for Best Industrial Textile Solution). Pike’s nozzle plates are 4 mm from the substrate, compared with the traditional 1.5 mm nozzle-fabric distance. This means that a wider range of substrates can be run, and the chance of printhead damage is reduced. Using only six colours, Archer technology enables a wider gamut than the HD-gamut of other digital textile printing solutions, said the OEM. Fine line details, smooth gradients, blotches and geometrics can be accurately printed thanks to Javelin’s variable drop-size capability (2 pL – 10 pL) in resolutions up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. The printer uses multi-pass scanning action with an array of Fujifilm Dimatix Samba printheads to cover the 1,850 mm width with sharp image production. Its fixed-array printing bar contains 43 printheads.
SPGPrints added that its Javelin is ideal for companies wanting to take the first step into digital textile printing, or need to supplement their existing capabilities. It complements SPGPrints’ Pike Digital Printer that’s capable of printing up to 13 million metres per year. “The launch of the Javelin printer provides another powerful tool for companies operating in this highly competitive market. With the colour range and print quality combined with digital’s fast-turnaround and fast time-to-market, this technology delivers what brand owners want and what textile printers need for a competitive edge,” Notermans added.
The Netherlands.
