FESPA Global Expo 2022 Draws to a Close on Upbeat Note

The curtains came down on FESPA 22 wrapping up a successful four-day showcase of innovations across industries spanning apparel, sportswear, home décor, accessories, custom fabrics, and other diverse, high-fashion textiles. A texfash.com wrap-up with some of the notable displays.

Long Story, Cut Short
  • Companies catering to the textiles niche promised fast and integrated production workflows for superior quality and durability with a smaller physical footprint.
  • There is an increasing trend towards on-demand, bespoke textiles for fashion and interiors.
  • There was also the promise to empower all print segments, delivering exceptional print quality, maximum efficiency and increased automation with print-time decisions based on job intelligence.
Europe’s leading print and signage exhibition welcomed thousands of industry professionals to the vibrant city of Berlin from 31 May – 3 June 2022. Networking, business building, face-to-face conversations were back and allowed everyone to see the latest innovations and trends in speciality print.
And face-to-face is back! Europe’s leading print and signage exhibition welcomed thousands of industry professionals to the vibrant city of Berlin from 31 May – 3 June 2022. Networking, business building, face-to-face conversations were back and allowed everyone to see the latest innovations and trends in speciality print. Oliver Wachenfeld / FESPA

Kornit Digital Presents Future of On-Demand, Sustainable Production: Kornit Digital Ltd is making headway by breaking the barriers for fulfillers and brands to realise the full potential of sustainable, digital production. At FESPA Global Print Expo 2022, it presented an integrated showcase of its latest innovations of industry-first solutions which indicate the future of new possibilities for high-quality and productivity of on-demand, sustainable production, including the merging of the physical and virtual worlds. Kornit says these solutions allow fulfillers and brands to enjoy unmatched retail-quality applications, including 3D, vinyl, screen, dye sublimation, and embroidery effects—all in one solution. Integrated with the KornitX Workflow Solutions, customers can now take textile production from pixel-to-parcel to doorstep for a streamlined workflow process. Kornit is also setting the pace across industries spanning apparel, sportswear, home décor, accessories, custom fabrics, and other diverse, high-fashion textile with its end-to-end digitised production workflow and lean, agile and profitable just-in-time fulfillment. Kornit says it enables customers to establish fast and integrated production workflows for superior quality and durability with a smaller physical footprint.

Mimaki Launches New 330 Series: Mimaki has launched its 330 Series, specifically the CJV330-160 and JV330-160, which offer high-end yet cost effective sign graphics application printing. The print-only JV330-160 and the integrated printer and cutter CJV330-160 deliver higher productivity while setting new standards in print quality. The release of TS100-1600 entry-level textile printer greatly contributed to Mimaki’s substantial growth in the textiles market. The trend towards on-demand, bespoke textiles for fashion and interiors has led to many companies investing in the TS100-1600 as their first digital printing solution, the company said. The new TS330-1600 will enable textile printing companies to take their productivity to the next level, with many new and innovative features to improve stability and add-ons for exceptional efficiency, such as a mini jumbo roll unit that can be added to load long transfer paper and further reduce running costs.

EFI Brings New Standard to Sustainable Printing: The EFI Reggiani ecoTERRA printer which made its debut at the exposition is the all-in-one solution for pigment printing that requires no ancillary equipment for pre- and post-treatment. The ecoTERRA solution gives customers competitive advantages by dramatically cutting energy and water consumption in the overall digital textile printing process for a more-sustainable direct-to-fabric production experience. This eco-friendly, water-based offering delivers excellent wet and dry-fastness properties, remarkable sharpness in detail, and extraordinarily high durability, while also yielding longer printhead life with reduced maintenance costs. Thanks to ecoTERRA’s enhanced polymerisation and finishing unit, customers can deliver a softer hand feel to their digitally printed fabrics. EFI Reggiani is also enriching the digital manufacturing process using leading-edge Inèdit raster image processor and software technology for industrial inkjet textile printing, improving customers' experience through a sustainable and connected digital textile workflow that was shown live at FESPA.

From adapting to new ways of working to overcoming the challenges of the past two years, to expanding into new markets to bring relevant and innovative products to the market - the exhibitors were hard at work for the past two years to tailor their offering to the changing needs of customers in the speciality print, signage and visual communications industries.
Exhibiting Resilience From adapting to new ways of working to overcoming the challenges of the past two years, to expanding into new markets to bring relevant and innovative products to the market - the exhibitors were hard at work for the past two years to tailor their offering to the changing needs of customers in the speciality print, signage and visual communications industries. Oliver Wachenfeld / FESPA

VHF Presents Innovative Tablet Control for Milling Machine from X Series: German mechanical engineering specialist vhf camfacture  AG has come up with a solution wherein the demand for user-friendly and future-oriented solutions is in sync with the control of machines—its new milling machine X. The new tablet control makes the operation of the X even more comfortable for users: with the robust tablet, the machine operator can select the numerous functions of the X clearly and smartly via touchscreen. The vhf app sets new standards with its extensive technical possibilities and its modern user experience, no matter whether it is about switching the vacuum table, managing the tool database, controlling the workpiece stops or approaching the workpiece zero point. The clear user interface enables fast and intuitive control. In this way, the tablet can be easily integrated into the demanding work environment and the conditions of a production environment. The machine operator has a full overview at all times in order to be able to produce efficiently.

SAi Launches Flexi 22 Software: SA International (SAi) has launched Flexi 22, a fully-updated and more powerful version of its highly-successful industry-acclaimed signmaking software. The new solution, the only all-in-one design, print and cut software for sign and print providers, is engineered to further increase productivity and workflow efficiencies for users and was demonstrated live for the first time at FESPA Global Print Expo. Users of the new Flexi 22 also benefit from the capability to leverage profitable new application opportunities more easily. For example, Flexi 22’s Direct-to-Film and Direct-to-Garment features simplify the design and production process to provide an easier path for those seeking to add tee shirt and other textile printing applications to their service offering.

Adobe PDF Print Engine 6 Expands Colour Horizon with Powerful New Features: Adobe has announced Adobe PDF Print Engine 6. Version 6 includes new features that will unleash the power of emerging technologies, standards and workflows. While commercial printing continues its recovery from the business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial printing continues its rapid growth with the development of innovative applications that harness the power of inkjet in new ways. The capabilities in PDF Print Engine 6 will empower all print segments, delivering exceptional print quality, maximum efficiency and increased automation with print-time decisions based on job intelligence, the company announced. PDF Print Engine 6 is optimised and updated to take advantage of the latest system hardware and imaging science. The new colour features will accelerate the adoption of spectral colours by brand owners, and increase market traction for single-inkset production workflows, driving both digital and analogue presses. Prepress operators can leverage and precisely control the full colour palette available on press, for vivid and accurate reproduction of corporate brand colours, graphics and images. The reduced switching overhead between jobs will save time and money, especially as average run-lengths continue to decline.

Adelco Launches New Dryers: Adelco has launched its new Pro-Cure SMART conveyor textile dryer, an upgraded version of the flagship dryer the Pro-Cure. This system is full of new ground-breaking features and advantages. The Pro-Cure SMART maintains all of the well-loved and cutting-edge features of the original Procure. The range is fully modular, available in five belt widths, and limitless oven lengths. Adelco has also introduced the new Adelco Dual SMART conveyor textile dryer, an updated version of the earlier high production Dual dryer. This dryer is jam-packed with new innovative features and benefits. This was the last of three products that Adelco has launched this year to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary. Aldeco has taken the highly popular “Dual dryer – two dryers, one footprint” concept, with its separate heat chambers, airflow and exhaust for both the top and bottom belt, added valuable and ingenious features that will increase print quality for all textile ink systems and fabrics including transfers.

The biggest print show of the season witnessed thousands of visitors discovering the latest innovations, exploring pioneering features like the Sustainability Spotlight which was all about useful, informative, and actionable advice to address the needs of people, planet and profit.
People Planet Profit The biggest print show of the season witnessed thousands of visitors discovering the latest innovations, exploring pioneering features like the Sustainability Spotlight which was all about useful, informative, and actionable advice to address the needs of people, planet and profit. Oliver Wachenfeld / FESPA

Felix Schoeller Group Launches Inks for Safe Clothes: The Felix Schoeller Group's first transfer film combines efficiency in production with central sustainability aspects and is, says the company, a first step on the way to a new transfer film portfolio. It comes from joint development with an experienced partner in the industry, Bleher Folientechnik. The optimised product structure of the biaxially oriented PET transfer is free of formaldehyde and chromium and certified according to the OEKO-TEX Standard 100, so it can also be used for sensitive textiles such as children's clothing. The special coating enables both hot and cold peel applications and is optimised against antistatic. The transfer film is suitable for use in all screen-printing processes with plastisol inks and is now available as TRANSFER film from the Felix Schoeller Group and as optimont TRM6 from Bleher.

A New Collaboration Between Inèdit and Transfertex: Inèdit Software and Transfertex have closed a strategic partnership that will allow users to buy designs online through the myTFX platform and pay only for the meters they print using neoStampa Rip Software in Digital Printers. The solution proposed by both companies is, what they claimed, a breakthrough in the process of acquiring designs. For the first time, it would be possible to purchase a design and print as many metres as you want, as many times as you want, and pay only for what you have produced. This collaboration comes at a crucial moment in the industry since the increase of metres printed digitally is closely related to customisation cost reduction and production proximity. Being able to print only what is going to be used is part of the ability of both companies to adapt to the environment, making it easier for customers to control and customise their production.

Sefar Enlarges Screen Printing Mesh Range: Sefar has enlarged its SEFAR PME screen printing mesh range with products featuring a larger open area. These new meshes were shown at FESPA 2022. The new Sefar Open Mesh fabrics are SEFAR PME 59/150-48Y PW and  SEFAR® PME 75/190-40W/Y PW. These mesh types are mainly used with water based ink systems where high ink volume and homogeneous ink coverage are required. The larger open mesh area also reduces ink drying in the meshes of the stencil. It has been reflected by the market that with the new SEFAR PME open mesh, screen printing process gets much more stable over longer runs, i.e. more prints can be made until the stencil needs to be cleaned. These results are achieved thanks to the mesh construction with finer Sefar yarn (less threads, thinner fabric). The outstanding characteristic SEFAR PME properties remain intact. The mesh surface is treated with the latest technologies to achieve good emulsion adhesion and very good ink release, which in turn leads to excellent printing results.

This year’s tagline, like the print industry itself, reflects the ever-changing nature of the industry, whether that’s customers striving for a more streamlined digital workflow or those exploring new revenues.
Experience Print in Motion This year’s tagline, like the print industry itself, reflects the ever-changing nature of the industry, whether that’s customers striving for a more streamlined digital workflow or those exploring new revenues. Oliver Wachenfeld / FESPA
 
 
 
  • Dated posted 3 June 2022
  • Last modified 3 June 2022