THE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED FOR DIGITAL TRANSFER PRINTING
Mar 23, 2022
INKJET PRINTING MACHINES
By spraying ink droplets onto paper, plastic, or other surfaces, inkjet printing is a kind of computer printing that replicates a digital picture. The most popular kind of printers are inkjet ones, which come in a variety of prices and sizes, from low-cost consumer versions to high-end business models. Although the idea of inkjet printing dates back to the 19th century, the technology wasn't fully perfected until the early 1950s.
Inkjet printers that could replicate digital pictures created by computers were first developed in the late 1970s, primarily by Epson, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Canon. Four manufacturers dominate the global consumer market for inkjet printers: Canon, HP, Epson, and Lexmark, an IBM spin-off from 1991.
The emerging inkjet material deposition market also uses inkjet technologies, typically printheads using piezoelectric crystals, to deposit materials directly on substrates. There are two main technologies in use in contemporary inkjet printers: continuous (CIJ) and Drop-on-de- mand (DOD). Another emerging printing technology is pyroelectrohydrodynamics by which liquids can be printed at nanoscale volumes.
HEAT PRESS
A heat press is a device designed to imprint a pattern or image on a material, such a t-shirt, by applying pressure and heat for a certain amount of time. Heat presses may be used to imprint graphics on mugs, plates, jigsaw puzzles, and other objects in addition to applying designs to textiles. Heat presses that are both automated and manual are often found. A new semi-automatic press design has also hit the market, enabling an automated opening and manual closing procedure.
Digital technology in newer machines enables precise control of heat and pressure levels and timing. The most common types of heat press employ a flat platen to apply heat and pressure to the substrate. In the “clamshell” design, the upper heat element in the press opens like a clamshell, while in the “swing-away” design, the heat platen swings away from the lower platen. Another design type a “draw style press” allows for the bottom platen to be pulled out like a drawer away from the heat for preparation of the graphic. Vacuum presses utilize air pressure to provide the necessary force and can achieve high psi ratings.
A heat rod that is cast into the metal or a heating wire that is connected to the element is used in the majority of heat presses that are now on the market. Automatic shuttle transfer presses are utilized in high-volume applications where products must be continuously imprinted. Continuous loading of the substrates to be imprinted onto the lower platen is followed by a shuttle beneath the heat platen, which generates the required pressure and heat. The design is transferable since it is produced using sublimating ink on sublimating paper. This method yields some really powerful patterns and impressive effects.
