That’s as a result of Brother’s answer makes use of dry toner as an alternative of inkjet. The corporate has tailored an current workplace laser printer, including an adhesive unit to it. For now this only a prototype and it’ll solely take A4 paper.
It depends on utilizing a coated switch paper, which differs from current switch papers and for now could be solely obtainable via Brother. So it’s maybe extra correct to name it a Direct-to-paper method.
This paper is fed into the printer, which prints the picture to it, utilizing the prevailing CMYK toners, after which via the fusing unit. From there, the printer applies a glue layer to the print, which is then dried. After that the picture could be utilized to a cloth through a warmth press, as with every different DtF system.
It’s fairly quick, producing seven A4 pages per minute, which is so much faster than most DtF machines as there’s no want to use and remedy any powder. It’s additionally a extra compact unit, once more as a result of there’s no powder shaker.
The primary disadvantage for now could be that there’s no white as Brother doesn’t have any white toner, which implies that the outcomes aren’t pretty much as good on darkish supplies. Nevertheless, there’s no technical motive for this, simply that there’s no want for white in an workplace printer that’s going for use solely for printing to white paper. So Brother can both develop its personal white toner or license this from one other vendor.
Oki, for instance, additionally has an analogous answer, full with white toner, however with the printing and gluing in separate gadgets. Brother’s built-in method is neater, and naturally, Brother has a a lot larger footprint within the DtG/ F market
Masahiro Haruki from Brother’s enterprise growth group, says, “The suggestions up to now is that the A4 dimension is simply too small and that we have to implement the white toner for the black shirts.”
Haruki says that Brother has not but selected the value, however that it is going to be less expensive “as a result of we’re simply utilizing an current laser printer.” He says that it needs to be commercially obtainable sooner or later subsequent 12 months, including, “We’ll resolve the specification after the present.”
Brother’s automated manufacturing unit line is constructed round 4 GTX600 DtG printers at Fespa Amsterdam Photograph Nessan Cleary
Elsewhere on the Brother stand I got here throughout a mannequin of an automatic manufacturing unit. Nijika Hayashi, product planning specialist inside Brother’s Industrial Printing Enterprise, says that the primary benefit is that it solely wants one operator and may produce as much as 180 gadgets per hour.
The system is about up as a 20 meter lengthy manufacturing line with the operator at one finish loading the clothes, that are then transported routinely via the varied levels. Step one is to use pretreatment, which is by adopted by a drying station. Then the clothes transfer to the printing the place there’s a line of as much as 4 of Brother’s confirmed GTX600 DtG printers. From this the clothes loop again, via a ultimate drying station and again to the start line for the operator to unload them.
Hayashi says that having a number of printers offers a bonus over some automated machines as a result of prospects can nonetheless produce orders if one machine is down for upkeep. There’s an choice to have both two or 4 printers however no extra as one operator wouldn’t have the ability to deal with any extra output.
For now, Brother is simply promoting this method within the US however has already put in 19 since launching it final Spring. Hayashi says that the system prices lower than US$ 1 million, including, “We’re nonetheless deciding whether or not or to not convey it to Europe.”
Within the meantime, you’ll find additional data on Brother’s garment printing options from garmentprinter.world.brother.
First printed by Printing and Manufacturing Journal on 20 March 2024. Republished by permission.
