SPGPrints announces the sale of a six-colour PIKE® digital textile printer to the Dongheng Group, in Changzhou, Jiangsu province (near Shanghai), China. DHG wanted to expand its digital capabilities for a variety of reasons. First, it needed to offer greater service flexibility, meeting customer demands for both high-quality, short runs and faster lead-times.
Waste and environmental factors also influenced the decision to install the PIKE: with no need for screen preparation, minimal substrate waste, and lower water and energy usage, the PIKE met DHG’s requirements. Print quality was the third major consideration, and PIKE’s Archer® technology delivers sharp, variable drop sizes (2pL – 10pL) at resolutions of up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi. This enables the production of sharp geometric designs, vibrant blotches, fine lines and smooth gradations. These capabilities are ideal for DHG’s plan to use the PIKE to print cotton-based fabrics with reactive inks.
Next, high productivity with lower running costs were among DHG’s priorities. With a print width of 1,850 mm, and an annual output of up to 13 mm, the PIKE also offered a lower cost per square metre, offering benefits to the group and its customers. Finally, as an existing customer, DHG valued SPGPrints’ global support, knowledge of the textile market and experience of both conventional and digital textile printing. The PIKE printer is scheduled for installation in Jiangsu in Q4 2016 with production beginning in Q1 2017. The Dongheng Group (DHG) is a commission (contract) textile printing and dyeing company supplying the fashion industry.