New Product Interview! Comprehensive Analysis of Homer + Jilong = GeeHong "The New Generation Single Pass Multi-Digital Printing Machine"
Homer Digital and Jilong Machine Technologies have joined forces to create ROCKET, a brand new Hybrid Single Pass multi-craft digital printing machine. This marks a significant milestone in Homer's pursuit of intelligent manufacturing advancements within the digital textile printing field. Through in-depth interviews with Homer's senior research and development engineers and product managers, we delve into a detailed analysis of this innovative high-speed textile printing machine.
Main Design and Advantages of ROCKET
The ROCKET machine line boasts a comprehensive production system, encompassing the entire process from fabric feeding to collection. This includes the fabric feeding unit, belt guiding unit, fabric sizing unit, inkjet printing unit, drying unit, and fabric collecting unit.
ROCKET eliminates the need for plate making, enabling on-demand printing with high flexibility. This caters to both large-scale production runs and small-batch quick response needs. Users can choose from multiple options, with ROCKET K achieving a production speed of 75 meters per minute (m/min) and ROCKET X reaching an even higher capacity of 80 m/min. Both models deliver high precision of up to 2400 DPI and support up to 8-color mode printing. There are no limitations on repeat patterns or color matching, allowing for precise control over every detail.
This innovative machine not only streamlines the production process but also achieves a balance between the speed and cost of rotary screen printing and the superior quality and precision of flat screen printing. By simplifying pattern development, ROCKET empowers printing factories to work faster and easier. Additionally, it facilitates cost-effective production of a wider variety of customized and personalized printing patterns.
Breakthrough Composite Printing Solution
The philosophy behind ROCKET is not to replace traditional printing methods, but to create a powerful alliance. Traditional rotary screen technology excels in high quality and diverse processes, while digital printing technology shines in flexibility, variability, personalization, and intelligence. By combining these strengths, ROCKET reduces production costs, offers increased process versatility, caters to a wider range of demands, and ultimately enhances market competitiveness.
ROCKET introduces a groundbreaking composite printing solution, a first in the industry, by merging "digital + traditional" printing techniques. This allows for online sizing followed by rotary screen digital overprinting, seamlessly integrating the advantages of both methods. By incorporating two rotary screen flower positions, users gain the flexibility of digital printing for creating various fine patterns, while simultaneously expanding their capabilities with diverse processes that digital printing cannot achieve, such as gold foil, silver foil, pearl paste, color-changing effects, and glue paste applications.
领英推荐
Unique Technologies and Efficiency Improvements
Beyond the industry-first combination of multiple printing crafts, ROCKET boasts unique patented technologies. For large order quantities, ROCKET ensures precise synchronization between rotary screen and digital printing, meeting the demands of industrial long-term printing operations, even for intricate 3D patterns and black full-base patterns, while maintaining a production speed of 70 m/min.
Efficiency improvements are a key focus for ROCKET. The innovative online sizing and wet printing solutions eliminate the need for separate sizing equipment and processes, resulting in cost savings. This approach also avoids repeated setting and edge cutting, and resolves the issue of using multiple sizing solutions for various color patterns. Additionally, online sizing achieves better printing penetration effects and delivers brighter colors. For instance, with single-sided sizing, a single barrel of sizing material can produce roughly 2500 meters of fabric traditionally. However, ROCKET's online sizing solution can nearly double that output, reaching approximately 5000 meters. This translates to a significant reduction in paste costs (nearly halved) and total nitrogen emissions (almost 50% decrease). Wet printing sizing further enhances ink color by about 15%, leading to 10-15% savings on ink usage. These advancements comprehensively contribute to reduced costs, increased efficiency, and sustainable printing practices.
The ROCKET drying unit is another testament to its efficiency. It ensures proper fixation of printing pigments for long-lasting color vibrancy. Furthermore, it treats printed fabrics to remove odors and ensure disinfection, upholding quality and hygiene standards. The inclusion of a low-temperature oven allows for effective control of the printing temperature, ultimately reducing fabric energy consumption and associated costs.
Industry Collaboration
On July 1, 2024, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed between HanGlory Group, Jilong Machine Technologies, and leaders from the China Textile Machinery Association, China Dyeing and Printing Industry Association, and China Textile Machinery Association. Witnessed by over a hundred guests, this collaboration established GeeHong Digital Textile Technology Co., Ltd., and marked the launch of the brand new ROCKET - Hybrid Single Pass multi-craft digital printing machine.
By combining the strengths of HanGlory Group's robust digital printing technology, Homer's deep expertise in digital textile printing applications, and Jilong Machine Technologies' comprehensive capabilities in textile printing and dyeing machinery R&D and manufacturing, this collaboration between two industry leaders (HanGlory & Jilong) has established GeeHong Digital Textile Technology Co., Ltd. This new venture has garnered significant attention within the textile printing and dyeing machinery industry.