Ink jet printing of textiles
description
Transcript of Ink jet printing of textiles
Ink Jet Printing of Textiles
What you need What you need to know but were to know but were afraid to ask ! afraid to ask !
January 2014 1Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Language has changedLanguage has changed
LIFE WASMUCH EASIER WHEN Apple AND BlackBerryWERE JUST
FRUITS October 2013 2Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
And (Terms you would use in IJP)And (Terms you would use in IJP)
• NIPNIP Sip of Liquor or pinch Sip of Liquor or pinch
• RIPRIP Rest In PeaceRest In Peace
• DODDOD Ball on which no run is scoredBall on which no run is scored
• PZTPZT Brother of R2D2, K9 of Star warsBrother of R2D2, K9 of Star wars
• pLpL Privilege LeavePrivilege Leave
October 2013 3Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
The Digital AdvantageThe Digital Advantage
• Advantages• No minimums• On demand
manufacturing• Efficient sampling• No repeat size• No limit on colors• No color kitchen• No screen engraving• No screen warehousing• No limit on design size• Flexible design
possibilities• Reduced waste• Reduced manpower• Environmentally Friendly
• Disappearing Disadvantages• Speed• Cost• Replication of screen prints
January 2014 4Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Historical TimelineHistorical Timeline
1749First research on ink jet in FranceFirst research on ink jet in France
1878Rayleigh-Mechanism of liquid stream in dropletsRayleigh-Mechanism of liquid stream in droplets
1930Ink jet for e recording deviceInk jet for e recording device
1951Siemens “Elema” first commercial ink jet m/cSiemens “Elema” first commercial ink jet m/c
1967Stork produces high colour images by ink jetStork produces high colour images by ink jet
1970Piezo and thermal DOD, Printing of carpets, Milliken/ZimmerPiezo and thermal DOD, Printing of carpets, Milliken/Zimmer
1991first commercial system at ITMA Hanoverfirst commercial system at ITMA Hanover
2000 Cannon developed high resolution Printer
Encad Introduced Textile Printer/Iris
Modified Mimaki’s Introduced
Stork/Dupont /Yuhan Kimberly, Reggiani and Robustelli Machine
2010Osiris Machine
2011Kyocera Print Head Machines
2013MS Lario
January 2014 5Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
The Essential ElementsThe Essential Elements
• Print headPrint head
• Fabric Feed System/ PrinterFabric Feed System/ Printer
• InkInk
• FabricFabric
•SoftwareSoftware
•Pre/post treatmentPre/post treatmentJanuary 2014 6Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Understanding the technology involvedUnderstanding the technology involved
Courtesy: Dr John Provost
January 2014 7Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Thermal Drop on Demand(DOD)
•Piezo Drop on Demand
•Binary Continuous inkjet heads
•Multi-deflection continuous heads
•Air jet deflection
Printhead TechnologyPrinthead Technology
January 2014 8Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 9Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLInk jet Technologies- A Summary•Continuous (CIJ) = continuous flow of ink –Method to produce drops –Method to select drops –Method to recover and control the ink •High speed capability •Typically low resolution, but high resolution capable •Drop On Demand (DOD) = drop of ink only generated when needed –No drop selection or deflection required –Each nozzle fires only as required – nozzles can be inactive •Nozzle maintenance and good ink formulation required –Actuation mechanism required with enough energy to generate drop at required velocity to eject and reach substrate successfully •Actuation methods – most common are thermal and piezo –Piezo dominant technology in textile printers
• Most common is lead zirconium titanate(PZT) ceramic
• Electrical pulse causes the material to “Push” “Bend” “Shear”
•
Piezo Print headPiezo Print head
January 2014 10Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 11Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL• Piezoelectric ceramic material deforms when voltage is applied
•Distortion creates a pressure pulse in the ink chamber
•Causes a drop to be ejected from the nozzle
•Many different modes – shear, bend, push, edge = different configurations of the piezo material and the nozzle
Piezo functioning
January 2014 12Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLWhy Piezo drop on demand
•Robust technology for broad range of industrial applications
–Proven in production •Adaptable configurations to provide higher speeds and print quality •Consistent drop velocity and drop volume •Wide range of ink capability
–Enables wide range of applications •High accuracy jetting •Long life printheads
–Capable of high duty production –High reliability (subject to correct use)
January 2014 13Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Binary –One drop size –On or off •Multi-pulse binary –Special mode offered by some printheads –Ability to create larger drops (all same size) •Greyscale –Variable number of drops •Drops coalesce in flight or at nozzle plate –Directly vary drop volume •Vary waveform according to drop size required •Apply different waveforms to each bank of piezo
January 2014 14Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLGreyscale Printing
January 2014 15Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLResolutionIn digital photography it is the number of dots per inch(pixels). Higher resolution gives higher quality.
In digital printing, printhead resolution is fixed value, given by the number of nozzles per inch. Higher number of nozzles per inch gives higher quality
January 2014 16Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
• Quality is driven by the printing head native resolution (The higher ,the better)
• Quality depends on the drop-size (The smaller the better.)
• Quality is strictly related to the landing precision (Accuracy angle in landing)
Resolution and Quality
January 2014 17Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLResolution and Firing Frequency
Frequency is the number of drops ejected per second
A Firing frequency is 20.000 Hertz means that each nozzle can jet 20,000 drops per second
Higher the space between drops in the scan direction gives less ink per inch, which means more speed.
January 2014 18Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLInk Flow• End shooter/single ended
•Ink flows into the channel and exits only through the nozzle
•Recirculating/through flow •Ink flows continuously through the channel and exits the nozzle only when required
•Output speed
•Fabric penetration, image resolution
•Ink Chemistry
•Replacement cost and ink costs
•Reliability and Consistency
Printhead Selection based onPrinthead Selection based on
January 2014 19Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Printhead TechnologyPrinthead Technology
Kyocera KJ4 2656 nozzles
Epson DX 7 1440 nozzles
Konica Minolta 1024
Ricoh
Epson
Xaar
Kyocera
Spectra
Konica Minolta
Fuji Diamatix
HP Scitex
Sieco Printek
January 2014 20Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 21Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•The technology is breathtaking-The drops and the nozzles are tiny! A Kyocera KJ4B 30kHz printhead has 2,656 nozzles –Each nozzle can jet up to 30,000 drops/sec–That is potentially a total of 79,680,000 drops per second –On a printer with 8 heads (one per colour) that’s 637,440,000 drops/sec
Taking care of your Printhead
January 2014 22Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Nozzle maintenance is essential – features built into your printer as standard –Manual/automatic maintenance cycles –Spitting –Purging –Capping –Wiping (dry and wet) •Drop formation is very sensitive to ink properties and nozzle condition •Discuss maintenance with your system provider –Comprehensive maintenance systems can have a huge effect on printhead life and replacement costs
Nozzle Maintenance
PrintersPrinters
Printer Classification
Class 14-12 metres per hour
Class 218-90 metres per hour
Class 390-730 metres per hour
Class 465-75 metres per minute
Key FeaturesKey Features
Ability to transport wide variety of fabrics through printer
Able to deliver variety of textile ink chemistries through print head
Either open or closed system for ink and software
Mutoh
Zimmer
Mimaki
D-Gen
Roland
HP /Agfa
Konica Minolta
MS
La Meccanica
Reggiani
Digitex
Osiris
Ichinose
Kornit
January 2014 23Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Print methodsPrint methods
January 2014 24Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 25Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLScannnig XY•One pass printing –High productivity •Multipass printing –Passing two or more times over the same line of image data –Typically 2 different nozzles print on the same line Global
January 2014 26Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Fixed array of printheads –High productivity –Established in many other industrial applications (ceramics, labelling etc) –Emerging in textile –Reliability critical
Single Pass Printing
Printing MachinesPrinting Machines
ReggianiIchinose
Digitex
January 2014 27Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Printing MachinesPrinting Machines
MS-LARIOIndustrial print head 4-8 colorsFixed array configurationSticky-Belt fabric transportPrint speeds up to 75 SM per minute
January 2014 28Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
Regianni has now a machine at 120mt/min
KITL
Kornit Avalanche T shirt printingKornit Avalanche T shirt printing
300 T shirts per hour size XXL 60x90 cm, CMYKW
January 2014 29Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Ink Color Gamut (CMYK)Ink Color Gamut (CMYK)
Black• Lemon Yellow(Y)• Golden Yellow• Bright Orange• Mid Red• Neutral Magenta(M)• Neutral cyan(C)• Bright Reddish Blue• Black(K)
January 2014 30Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
October 2013 31Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLLimitations of Colour Space
InksInks
• Fabric dependent inks
• Acid dye• Reactive Dye
• Dispersed Dye
• Sublimation $
• Fabric independent ink
• Pigment
• Eco-solvent• Latex• UV Cure
Huntsman
Dystar
Jaysynth
Fuji Sericol
DuPont
Solaris/ Jay Chemicals
Sawgrass
Nazdar
January 2014 32Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
• High Purity
• High Solubility
• Rheology properties of solution
• Particle size and distribution
• Conductivity
• Surface charge and polarity
• Foaming properties
• pH
Requirements of ColorantsRequirements of Colorants
January 2014 33Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Typical Ink FormulationTypical Ink Formulation
• 3-6% dye• 70-80% water• 20-25% Humectant(DEG/2-Pyrrolidone)• Surfactant (perflouro based)• Penetrating agent (Hexane-1,6 diol)• Preservative (methyl-isothiazolones)• Corrosion Inhibitors (Benzothiazoles)• Electrically conducting Lithium salts
Viscosity ~1-3 centipoiseSurface Tension ~ 35 dynes per cm
Januray 2014 34Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 35Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Printhead analysis –Materials compatibility
•Dye purification
•Formulation development
•Drop analysis
•Accelerated shelf life tests
Ink Development
January 2014 36Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Dye synthesis and purification •Raw materials - high precision weight scale
•Purified powder dye mixing in glove box
•Ink mixing – different batch volumes
•High precision filtering
•Degassing (cartridges)
Ink Production
Digital Textile Ink Characteristics
Ink Fabric Type Pre-treatment Post Treatment
Acid Dye Nylon, Silk, Wool
Yes Steam Heat
Reactive Dye Cotton, Rayon, Silk
Yes Steam Heat
Dispersed Dye Polyester Yes (usually) Steam or Dry Heat
Dispersed Sublimation
Polyester No Dry Heat Transfer
Pigment Most Types No (usually) Dry Heat
January 2014 37Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
FabricsFabrics
• Most fabrics can be printed digitally with proper pre-treatment and fixation
Cotton
Polyester
Rayon
Nylon
Wool
Viscose
Linen
Acrylic
Nonwovens
January 2014 38Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Raster Image Processor (RIP)Raster Image Processor (RIP)
In computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a dot matrix data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium. Raster images are stored in image files with varying formatsJanuary 2014 39Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Software - Software - All RIPS are not created equalAll RIPS are not created equal
• Features of a textile RIP1. Color management
2. Workflow
3. Cost analysis
4. Optimum resolution
5. Drop size management
Wasatch
Ergosoft
DP innovations
Caldera
DGS
Inedit
Cheran Digital
January 2014 40Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 41Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
• Takes the digital image and converting the image data, to a sequence of codes that control the printer firing the nozzles and moving the head and media.• Includes printer driver(s) technology which is responsible for ensuring the correct code sequence is sent to the printer.• Requires color management technology. Color management technology typically requires a profile.
What exactly is RIP
January 2014 42Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Basically a colour matching program• Each piece of data is a printer ink formula with a measured color value•The printer ink formula is a percentage mixture of the inks in the printer•The RIP sends an image color value to a color management engine, which uses the profile, to obtain what printer ink formula should be used to print that color
What is a Profiler
Overview of segmentsOverview of segments
Colorant Ink Type
Ink Types Fibre Market Applications
Pre / Post treatments
Reactive Aqueous Cellulose, wool, silk Apparel Fixation + wash
Acid Aqueous Wool,silk,nylon Apparel, swim wear
Fixation + Wash
Disperse Sublimation(LS)
Dispersion Polyester Paper for Flag banner, sports wear, signage,
Heat Transfer
Disperse Sublimation, specific types(MS)
Dispersion Polyester Signage Pre Treatment and heat Fixation
Disperse direct(HS)
Dispersion Polyester Apparel, Automotive
Pre treatment, heat Fixation, wash
Pigment Dispersion Cellulosic+ all possible
T shirts, Home furnishing, bed linen, flags, drapes, banners, children wear
Heat Fixation – with DTG also Pre Treatment
January 2014 43Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
• Constant dot size and formConstant dot size and form
• Better levelnessBetter levelness
• Good colour yieldGood colour yield
• Better image qualityBetter image quality
Pretreatment of textiles to ensure
January 2014 44Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Typical Pretreatment recipe ReactiveTypical Pretreatment recipe Reactive
Pad (80-90% Expression) Sodium Alginate solution 100-150gmUrea 50-100gOxidising Agent 10gSodium Bicarbonate 25gWater 1000g(For Viscose increase Urea to 200g)
Dry Temperature below 120deg.C
Inkjet print Reactive
Fixation Atmospheric steaming 8min at 102 deg.CBake Fixation 6-8min at130 deg.CFor heat fixation(not for viscose) use 25 g/kg sodium carbonate
Was off Cold water rinse(overflow)Rinse in boiling water.Soap at boil,cold water rinse
Dry
January 2014 45Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Typical Pretreatment recipe DisperseTypical Pretreatment recipe Disperse
Pad (80-90% Expression) Sodium Alginate solution 100-150gCitric Acid 2gDefoamer 0.2gWater 1000g
Drying not to exceed 100 deg.C
Inkjet Print Inkjet print with disperse dye inkjet ink
Fixation(temp/duration depends on disperse-dye inkjet used)
HT steam(180 deg. C for 6-8min)
Wash off Rinse with cold water, reduction clear, hot soap, rinse hot water, cold water rinse
Dry
January 2014 46Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
FinishingFinishing
• Finishing Characteristics• Dry heat fixation for pigment, latex,
dispersed and sublimation• Moist heat (steam) for acid and
reactive• Atmospheric or pressurized steaming• Washing after fixation• Drying after washing
Practix
Setema
Kleverik
AIT
MS
Monti Antonio
January 2014 47Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Heat Press – Steamer -- WashersHeat Press – Steamer -- Washers
What do these machines look like?
January 2014 48Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 49Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLProblems due to•Bubbles –Caused by leaks in ink supply system –Inks not properly degassed –Ingestion through the nozzle –Can be averted by; •Good degassing •Ink supply that avoids bubble traps •Jetting –Satellites, microspray during jetting –Drops with low velocity will move with airflow –Jets can generate air currents •No Jetting –Idle (non-firing) nozzles can collect debris •Vibration –Can cause ink to weep onto nozzle plate
January 2014 50Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
• Low humidity reduces ink flow performance.
• Low temperature(<15 deg. C) affects stability of Acid inks.
• High temperature (>30 deg. C) supports hydrolysis of Reactive inks.
• Dust and high temperature lead to print head blockage
Issues related to Inks
January 2014 51Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
•Substrate –Dust, fibres, debris
•Blocks nozzles •Semi-blocking nozzles causing drop deviation •Can cause scratches during maintenance and
so cause drop deviation •Misplaced or missing jets
•Flooding –Can be caused by dust on the nozzle plate, dried
ink and/or poor ink pressure –Excess ink spreads sideways to neighboring nozzles –Excessive ink causes drops to slow down
Issues related to Inks
January 2014 52Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Analogue vs Ink Jet printingAnalogue vs Ink Jet printing
January 2014 53Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Comparison of the Print ProcessComparison of the Print Process
January 2014 54Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
How Green is the processHow Green is the process
January 2014 55Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Where is it used today ?Where is it used today ?
• Digital Signage decoration dominated by sublimation onto polyester
• Industrial/ Architecture utilizes mainly synthetic wovens and nonwovens with some nylon and cotton. Carpets, technical textiles, industrial graphics (truck covers,hoardings)
• Flags utilizes nylon and polyester with acid dyes or dispersed
• Apparel utilizes a wide range of fabrics from nylon, wool and silk with acid dyes to polyesters with dispersed, to natural fibers with reactive dyes and pigments
• Home Furnishing utilizes cotton , linen and polyester
Sales
Signage IndustrialFlag ApparelHomefurnishing
January 2014 56Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Printed Textile MarketPrinted Textile Market
ProductionCurrent production of printed textiles in
range of 27B yards growing at 3%/year
Digital ProductionPortion that is currently digitally printed
around 200M yards
MarketsApparel accounts for 55% of total, Home
Furnishings about 25%, remaining 20% sold into markets such as signage and industrial/architectural.
AdoptionCertain regions and markets have
adopted digital printing more significantly such as Europe, Brazil, and India.
Less than 1% is digital, but headed to 3%. By 2014 it is expected to be 14%
January 2014 57Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Kothari Info Tech LimitedKothari Info Tech Limited
January 2014 58Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
Since 2001, from Surat, India to provide Solutions for Digital Printing on various substrates
Inks Division: Inks Division: Water based high density Charu™Charu™ inks and Disha™Disha™ pre-coatings for Textile substrates(Cotton ,Viscose, Linen, Silk, Wool, Nylon and Polyester)
Textile Machinery Division: Textile Machinery Division: Sales and after sales service for “Ichinose” “Ichinose” printing machines““Rimslow” Rimslow” Loopager for Inkjet textile printing. “DTG Digital” “DTG Digital” for garment printing. “DigiEye” “DigiEye” for non contact colour measurement and QC
Software: Software: Print Pro™, Print Pro™, world class software, for Colour Separation, Colour Correction, Device calibration, Half-toning, Large image data handling, Digital Imaging, Textile coloration, Image composing and Printing. These applications are targeted towards , label printing as well as Wide/Large format digital printing for graphic arts, photography, and Textiles(fabric and garments).
I hope I was able to address your fears and make you comfortable with Ink Jet Printing of Textiles?
January 2014 59Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITL
January 2014 60Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLCotton Art-Transfer printing of Natural fabrics- German Dutch
January 2014 61Dr. Sanjiv Kamat
KITLAcknowledgments for some of the visuals
Numerous web sources for diagrams and images like
www.wtin.com,www.pivotal.co.uk, www.imieurope.com www.spgprints.com, www.imaging.org, www.fujifilm.com, www.epson.co.jp, www.konicaminolta.com,www.global.kyocera.com, www.rpsa.ricoh.com, www.siiprintek.co.jp, www.msitaly.com, Ink Jet Forum India