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process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 103 - December 2013 1

NewsKappa 320 home textile printer is a success even before itsmarket launch

InstallationA good tradition

Science & TechnologyDurst UV-curing inks – New SDS and Product Labelling for Inks

Media & HandlingThe automatic feeder mechanism of the Rhotex 322

ApplicationThe brand for brands

processDurst news for the science and application of inkjet printing

103-12-2013

Editorial

Stormy waters

For many companies in the printing trade, 2013 was an uncomfortable year. Although the first shock of the financial crisis had passed, and by the end of the year the Eurozone, like the USA, was slowly struggling clear of the recession, in many places the order intake was not at all satisfactory during the first nine months of the year. Like fishing boats moored to the harbour wall experiencing the swell of a passing far-off supertanker, some of the most successful printing companies have in recent years been suddenly severely shaken without being able to put their finger on exactly the reason for the event. What was new in 2012 and 2013 was that not only the analogue printing companies but also some well known digital printing companies got into difficulties. This did not affect just companies in Southern Europe where, contrary to the European trend, the economies were only slowly getting back on their feet. The problem also afflicted companies throughout the USA, Central Europe and Northern Europe, where the general economic situation was significantly more upbeat.

It must be admitted that in those regions optimism in the printing industry did markedly improve again towards the end of the year. In October 2013, for instance, 82% of the companies surveyed in the monthly competition circular issued by the German Federal Printing and Media Association reported that their business situation was “satisfactory” or even better. The forecasts for 2014 in Europe and also the USA indicate increased growth with some degree of increased consumer spend. Therefore, was 2013 just a „storm in a teacup“?

Despite positive business expectations it is entirely conceivable that the ripples of 2013 could prove to be the harbingers of larger breakers which, within the next five years, could thoroughly disrupt the printing sector, also this time including the digital printing companies. The capacities available in the industrial countries still remain high while competition ensures that the margins on standard applications remain consistently low, not only in local economies, but also often across the Eastern European and Asiatic areas. The moderate increases achievable for prices for printing services in Germany in 2011 and 2012 fell far short of what was needed to compensate for the cost increases for energy and raw materials. Similarly, this was a problem faced by digital printing companies in many countries.


Editorial

Therefore, in October 2013 Dr. Eduard Neufeld, Managing Director of Fogra Forschungsgesellschaft e.V. compared the current situation of the printing sector with that of the German automobile industry at the start of the 1990s, and recommended they adopt a similar consolidation concept. This includes increased efficiency, the development of new brands and a systematic shift towards personalised products and highly focussed short print runs; a recipe tailor made for digital printing.

Consequently, as early as April 2013, Durst introduced new models such as the exceptionally productive Rho 1000 range, the 1030 and the 1012, all of which are highly automated, not only for a „theoretical“ output, but also for constant and reliable high performance. This means that with the Rho 1030 up to 1,000 m² per hour can be achieved without any increase in personnel. These enable digital printers to open up new markets such as printing personalised packaging or regionalised displays, which until, now for reasons of cost, had been barely economic even with analogue printing.

Lucrative niches for companies which can quickly and reliably deliver turnkey exclusive concepts of very high quality exist in fields such as exhibition stands, advertising posters, interior design and shopfitting. Today, museums, premium brands and service providers throughout the world, demand print quality that is as good as offset printing. Therefore, in 2013 Durst systematically expanded the P10 family of printers with 10 picolitre printheads, first introduced in 2012. The Rho P10 160 launched at Fespa in London now represents an entry level model with the latest generation of Quadro Array 10 printheads for resolutions up to 1,000 dpi at a print output up to 100 m² per hour.

Nowadays the claim to represent brands of the highest quality is a requirement not only for Western markets. Instead, international brands have to be seen to be represented in premium quality throughout the world. For Durst, therefore, it was a significant step to enter the Chinese market in 2013 and to exhibit with its partner Shanghai Haisun at the 21st Shanghai International Advertising & Sign Technology & Equipment Exhibition (APPP Expo). All three of the machines displayed at the exhibition (a Rho P10 320R, a Rho P10 250 and a Rho 500R) were sold there from the stand. The People‘s Republic of China, with a glittering growth rate of more than 7.5%, will remain in the future a sales market of increasing importance to Western producers of capital goods such as Durst Phototechnik AG.

Will Europe and the USA, with their printing industries subject to strong competition and pressure on margins, fall hopelessly behind the dynamic growth of the younger industrialised nations, given the trend towards electronic advertising channels and high wage costs and energy costs? The answer to this has remained uncertain for a long time. Since digital printing itself can ensure that industrial capacities, rehabilitated by economists in recent times on the basis of more stable and less crisis afflicted national economies, are returning to the first world. In premium segments of the clothing and home textiles industries the trend is away from production in emerging and developing countries and towards relocation of significant parts of global production into Southern and Eastern Europe. Because cost structures here are relatively higher, very high quality and reliability from capital equipment is even more crucial.

Continual progress by inkjet technology, coupled with significant changes in the wishes and desires of end customers in industrialised countries and, increasingly, the emerging countries, will ensure that by the end of the decade the global printing industry will have once again changed and relocated significantly. In the long term this may be no bad thing. The German auto industry today is in much better shape than in the 1990s, and is surging to ever higher record turnovers throughout the world.


News

Kappa 320 home textile printer is a success even before its market launch

The Kappa 180 high performance inkjet printer for the clothing industry was launched in 2011. Now the Kappa 320, an industrialdigital printer for the home textile market, is about to be introduced.In 2012, 27 billion m² were produced in the traditional textile sector, only 1% of which was made up by digital production. By 2015, this share is estimated to reach 10% of the total volume (Source: SMI, Global Industry Analysis). A necessary requirement to reach this target is the development and availability of high performance, digital production systems that are capable of handling different material specifications. The fact that Durst´s Kappa 320 fulfils these criteria becomes evident when you look at Europe’s leading textile finisher, Mascioni S.p.A.. After conducting a successful field test, the company ordered a second printer, even before the official market launch at the end of 2013. Mascioni has now shifted its production of home textiles for brands such as Basetti, Armani, Missoni, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Zara as well as Hotel collections to the Kappa 320. The Spanish company Colorprint Fashion, has also decided to purchase two Kappa 320s, so that its customers can benefit from the many advantages of inkjet technology compared to traditional rotary screen printing.

The Kappa 320 is not only interesting for the home textiles industry, but also for the growing soft signage sector. The different applications of the Durst Kappa 320 will be showcased at the international trade fair for interior and decorative goods, “Heimtextil 2014”, from 8th to the 11th of January, 2014 in Frankfurt. For the first time, the “Heimtextil” will host the European Digital Textile Conference, which will provide visitors to the show with a current overview of new technologies, marketing opportunities and sustainable production methods. Barry Forrester, Managing Director of Standfast & Barracks, amongst others, will address the audience and provide interesting information. The long established British fabric print manufacturer invested in a Durst Kappa 180 in 2012, to increase production to an industrial level. Now they already have a second Kappa 180 in operation.


Installation

A good tradition

Thamm GmbH took delivery of the new Durst Rhotex 322 in September 2013. The textile printer for rolls up to 3.20 m wide was the first such model to be installed in Germany. It was also a first for the owner Jenny van Boxtel as it was the first new printing machine to be purchased under her aegis after she took over the company on 1st July 2013.

„The decision was spot on,“ enthused Jenny van Boxtel, whilst commenting on her first experiences just two months after installation during our interview with her at Fespa 2013 in London. „We have already performed a wide range of major production jobs using the Durst Rhotex 322 and we are really impressed by the speed and the print quality.“ The printer, which features water based dispersed dye inks, was one of the printers exhibited at Fespa, where it also received much interest.

Thamm is based in Bonn and specialises in printing textiles for exhibitions, events, POS and interior design. Currently they are running their Rhotex 322 at an average production speed of about 110 m², compared to its top speed of 140 m². „We have reserved the Durst Rhotex 322 principally for large production jobs which require high resolution on polyester-210 material,“ explained Michael Bete, who is responsible for Sales and Marketing at Thamm. With grey-scale technology and a droplet size of only 7 to 21 picolitres, the machine achieves up to 1,200 dpi. The standard version of the machine offers four colours, but it can be extended, as is the case for the model delivered to Thamm, to include light cyan and light magenta inks. There is also the option of special colours, if required.

Michael Bete (Sales/Marketing) and Jenny van Boxtel, owner and Managing Director of Thamm GmbH.

The Durst Rhotex 322 is now the sixth Durst printer to be installed at Thamm since the company was founded in 1988. Currently, Thamm employs 65 members of staff. After a long series of somewhat disappointing trials with textile printers from other manufacturers, the company has now resolved to rely exclusively on Durst quality. It ranks highly amongst the specialists who pioneered digital textile printing, and also offers a variety of its own profile systems. The other textile printer in the company is also a Durst Rhotex. „We are planning to use the Rho 320 for quick response business,“ explains van Boxtel. „Digital printing shops can never organise hard and fast production schedules in the way that screen printers are compelled to do with their long set-up times. At the end of the day, particularly when setting up exhibition stands, situations arise where a job must be reprinted or squeezed in at the last minute. We do, however, try to keep changes of material to a minimum, especially for the Durst Rhotex 322, so that we can gain the greatest benefit from the high speed of the printer.”

The new owner is particularly concerned about bringing in efficient and more modern industrial methods in place of the traditional craft based manufacturing methods. Van Boxtel took over from the company founders after whom the company is named. This was a planned succession at the company‘s 25th anniversary at the end of June 2013, and was marked by great celebrations at the Schloss Drachenburg near Bonn.


Installation

Her employment with the company started 18 years ago with a temporary job, since her original ambition was to be a policewoman. What started out as a holiday job developed into a thorough education as a communications specialist. For many years she was the right hand person of Andreas Thamm, and she became thoroughly familiar with managing the company before she decided to become an entrepreneur herself. „Our many years of partnership with companies such as Durst Phototechnik AG have certainly played a major role in achieving such as smooth handover,“ said van Boxtel. She looks to the future with confidence: Although even in Germany the year 2013 was not one of the best for digital printing businesses, Michael Bete reported during our interview that the company is “exceeding budget forecasts”. Even Bonn is not exempt from pressure on margins for standard applications. Therefore the plan for future years is to increase the number of innovative applications in the fields of interior design for shopfitting, corporate and private spaces. Already the company is achieving success with individually printed acoustic barrier elements. Van Boxtel is convinced that: „The high quality of the printing and the odour free, environmentally friendly water-based inks make the Rhotex 322 the ideal production printer specifically for these future markets.“ „The speed and reliability of the Durst printer means we already have the capability to keep to tight deadlines where necessary. The production employees also have a high opinion of the Rhotex 322, they appreciate that big jobs can be printed without supervision and that makes for efficient production without the need for overtime.“

It can also be expected that the Durst Rhotex 322 will not be the last Durst machine to be bought by Thamm. Already the two Durst textile printers share the production shop with a Durst Rho 800, a Rho 500R and also a Rho 320R.

www.thamm.de

The Durst Rhotex 322 wasinstalled at Thamm GmbH in Bonn in September 2013. It is the first such model to be installed in Germany.


Science & Technology

Durst UV-curing inks – New SDS and Product Labelling for Inks

IntroductionDurst have always taken our corporate responsibilities seriously and have ensured that all our inks meet the latest REACH1 regulation requirements. Additionally, we ensure that our SDS and labels reflect the latest legislative requirements and classifications of substances. Following this corporate approach and according to the CLP Regulations (Regulation EC 1272/2008; deadline for implementation: June 2015), Durst will re-label the Rho Ink families and will prepare new Safety Data Sheet (SDS). In view of this we will be beginning deployment of CLP SDS and labels from January 2014. Doing so, Durst customers will be provided in a proactive way with inks, labels and SDS meeting the latest legislative requirements. The new style SDS and labels will carry the red-framed pictograms in place of the old style orange background symbols as described in a previous Durst Process report.

June 2015

Why are labels and SDS changed? Due to the REACH regulations implementation, new classifications are being implemented for some raw materials used in the manufacture of UV-curing inks. This will affect most UV-inkjet inks on the market, among them also Durst inks. Because of the above mentioned regulations implementation, there will be changes to the labels and Safety Data Sheets reflecting these new classifications. Durst will start in January 2014 rolling-out their inks with new labels and SDS.Concerning the labels, two changes will be most apparent, although the precise details will depend on which ink family is being considered. First is the change to the environmental hazard classification and second the appearance of the “body silhouette” pictogram. These are driven by the new classifications of amongst others the following raw materials:

Substance CAS No Hazard Classification Hazard Pictogram

Acrylate Monomers e.g. PHEA 48145-04-6 Skin Sensitizer 1A

Aquatic Chronic 2

N-vinyl caprolactam 2235-00-9 Acute Tox. 4 (Oral)

Eye Dam./Irrit. 2

Skin Sens. 1B

STOT RE (Liver, Respiratory system) 1

1 European Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of Chemicals


Science & Technology

As a result of these re-classifications the Durst UV-curing products will carry

modified labels and an example is shown below for the Rho Rigid ink family:

Ink Hazard Pictogram Signal Word Hazard Statements

Rho Rigid Danger Causes serious eye irritation

Causes skin irritation

May cause an allergic skin reaction

Suspected of damaging fertility

Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure if inhaled.

Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

As stated above, the exact labelling and SDS content will depend on the specific ink. However, it is important to note that the composition of the Durst UV-curing inks remains the same. Because of that, no changes in printing characteristics or performance criteria have to be expected. The same holds true for our recommendations for ink handling, such as wearing gloves and protection goggles during handling of the uncured ink.

Finally, we want to note that these legislative changes only affect the uncured ink and do not influence the classification of the final print products. As a consequence, certificates such as Greenguard®, Nordic Swan, Toy Standard, etc. are still applicable.

Please consult us if you require specific information about the inks you use as the newly labelled inks and Safety Data Sheets are issued during next year.

NORDIC ECOLABEL


Media & Handling

The automatic feeder mechanism of the Rhotex 322

The Rhotex 322 features an automatic material feed which allows the printer to be loaded particularly quickly. The textile is secured with clips to the transport axle and in this way is automatically drawn through the integral dryer. When it reaches the unloading side of the Rhotex 322, the textile can easily be released from the transport axle and drawn forward on to the take-up roller. Once it is secured there, the further take-up is automatic.

Rhotex 322 – Textile material on the transport axle (1)

2

1

The material is placed on the intake side of the Rhotex 322 and gripped by claws (2). The more the material is pulled, the more the claw mechanism closes, because of the position of the axis of rotation. Nine such modules are installed along the transport axle, so that the material is securely gripped, even when fed from narrow rolls down to 1m in width.

The control of the transport function is performed directly by the Rhotex 322 using the touch screen controls, via the menu point „Media Feeding Up/Down“.

Rhotex 322 – Touch Screen User Software – dialogue box „Load Media“


Media & Handling

On the Rhotex 322, the media transport into the dryer consists of several axles and spacer rollers, over which the material must be threaded. Within the dryer the material attains a temperature between 60 and 80°C. The dryer is divided into two halves between which the material forms a loop which increases the time within the dryer. This ensures that the textile will be dry enough to deliver to the take-up roller immediately after being printed.

The automatic feeder mechanism on the Rhotex 322 eliminates waiting times, which purely manual loading requires, otherwise the operator would be exposed to a risk of burns. The overall concept therefore achieves an increase in productivity.

Rhotex 322 – transport axle (1)

1

3

Rhotex 322 – take-up roller (3)

Operation of the transport axleEach end of the transport axle (1) carries a sprocket which engages in a roller chain. This chain is routed via sprockets and tensioning rollers within a gearbox, thereby ensuring that the rods and diverter rollers do not come into collision. A connection shaft ensures that the two chains remain synchronised, so a single drive is sufficient for both ends. Switches at the start position and end position detect the start point and destination point.

After automatic loading, the textile is easily released by the transport axle, pulled through on to the core take-up roller (3) and secured there for rolling up further. The automatic infeed mechanism of the Rhotex 322 allows textiles to be loaded without the laborious process of having to open up the dryer. This reduces to a minimum the unproductive time when changing material.


Application

The brand for brands

Whether in fashion design, entertainment, electronics or premium cars, the digital service provider, Reger Werbearchitektur GmbH, is out in front when it comes to top brands. Durst machines help this traditional Munich company gain a decisive lead over their competitors.

“How long have we been working for BMW? I’ll have to check,” says Manager Sandra Grill and leafs through her documents. She shrugs her shoulders, “Longer than I’ve been here, at least for decades,” admits the young woman. She has been working for Reger Werbearchitektur GmbH since 2009, which is when the Munich company was integrated into the Lang + Lang Group with sites in Linz and Vienna and, since then, has looked after a series of top class projects. These include exhibition stands for Audi in Moscow, Frankfurt and Madrid, also shop designs for international fashion houses such as Escada, Hugo Boss and Strenesse and, of course, the BMW Group. The blue and white luxury brand employs around 106,000 employees worldwide, but the heart of the car giant beats in Munich, where the manufacturer was founded in 1916. At that time is was still known as the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke, (BFW) Bavarian Aircraft Works. The fact that Munich is the BMW city is obvious to travellers as soon as they arrive at the airport. In the Star Alliance Terminal 2 baggage hall, they are greeted immediately by a permanent 4 x 8 m tall advertisement. The “Welcome Wall” is a luxury three dimensional showcase, displaying a BMW radiator grille in its original paint colour. The work of art was dedicated during the summer of 2003, shortly after the terminal opened, at the same time as a second BMW installation in the huge departure lounge. The space object “Take Off” twists high above the heads of travellers as an 87 m long slatted serpent and, with its 1,300 m² digital print, creates such a dynamic effect that you keep looking up to observe it. The structure, designed by Franken Architekten, really is a fixed installation in the light filled lounge. Both special structures were made by Reger, and there has been no lack of activity since then. In addition to advertising spaces and various international appearances by the BMW Group at trade fairs, Reger is also responsible for large parts of the permanent exhibition in the “BMW Welt München” (BMW World, Munich) opened in 2007. Reger received an award in May 2013 from the German Design Council in the “Automotive Brand Contest 2013” together with becc Agency and GMK Brand Consultants with the title “Best of Best” in the Architecture section for the special areas BMW M / BMWi and BMW Individual. The winner was chosen from over 350 entries.

Perfect abroad also, Reger produced the BMW Group trade fair exhibit at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The “Welcome Wall” greets travellers in the Terminal 2 baggage hall at Munich Airport.


Application

The 87 metre long space installation “Take Off” in the departures lounge at Munich airport was created by Reger Werbearchitektur GmbH for the BMW Group.

Shop design at its finest for the Strenesse flagship store in the “Five courtyards” of a Munich Premium shopping arcade.

The Reger company has used Durst machines for decades since its founding in 1947 as a professional photographic laboratory. The company marked the transition from the analogue to the digital world when it installed one of the first Durst Lambdas in the early 1990s. Two of the since discontinued digital lasers are still widely used today and produce around 1,500 m² of large images on photo paper every day. The first Durst digital printer, the Rho 160, was installed as a Beta in Munich at the turn of the millennium. Nowadays Durst printers still form the backbone of production, as they always have. As well as a Durst Rho 351 and an Omega, a Durst Rho P10 with 10 picolitre heads was installed in March of this year. “Today we can print on over 40 different materials,” says Grill with pride, “We offer 120 fully equipped frames and over 50 types of display. We can deliver all of them within three days in ready to display form. The high print quality, particularly the reliability and production speed of the Durst printers, are essential components, enabling us to offer such an unusual range of services,” emphasises the Manager, Werner Lang, the owner of Reger’s parent company, Lang + Lang Werbearchitektur. He continues, “Premium brands such as BMW are intent on presenting themselves worldwide with consistently high quality. They are eager for their customers to be reminded of them in constantly new and unusual ways. To do this they need reliable partners who work with printing machines which really represent the cutting edge of what is possible today. That is why we also need this kind of partner as a printing service provider. With Durst Phototechnik AG, we have found it.”

www.langlang.atwww.reger.de


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Events

Durst PhototechnikAGLarge Format PrintingJulius-Durst-Strasse 439042 Brixen/Bressanone, ItalyP.: +39 0472 81 01 11F.: +39 0472 83 09 [email protected]

08/01/2014 - 11/01/2014HeimtextilFrankfurt, GermanyDurst Phototechnik AGHall: 4.2Booth: G89www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

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