1. Inkjet Printing for Textiles:
an enabling tool for realising
digital workflows & mass customisation.
dr. Pramod Agrawal & Ir. Ger Brinks
RESEARCH CENTER DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Kom verder. Saxion.

2. Saxion as a knowledge institute
switching from…
 education only
……………transfer of know how
to universities of applied science
……………knowledge development and knowledge circulation/dissemination
Kom verder. Saxion.

3. Saxion facts and figures
 One of the biggest private institutes of higher education in
the Netherlands
 24.000 students (Enschede, Deventer & Apeldoorn)
 Education: 60 bachelor, 11 master, 7 associated degree
studies
 13 Academies
 Applied research: 6 knowledge centres and 40 chairs
Kom verder. Saxion.

4. Six coherent chairs at KC-DT/Saxion-Enschede
Media Ambient Fashion Materials
Technology Intelligence Design
Design
Societal Concept- Product-
theme development development
Product Market
€
Industrial Smart Functional Production-
Design Materials and Process innovation
Kom verder. Saxion.

5. Research casting
UTwente
Saxion
Industry
Market
Academic Innovative
Development €
research research
> 4 yrs < 2 yrs 1 yr
 Chair Engineering of Fibrous Smart Materials (EFSM) at University of Twente
 Chair Functional Smart Materials at Saxion, KCDT, Enschede
 New knowledge available for the Industry
Kom verder. Saxion.

6. Chair – Functional smart materials
Key research area
 Functionalisation of textile materials
 Inkjet printing / Digital processes
 Conductive yarns/ 3D prototyping
 Sustainability: from materials to processes
functions
 Recycling
 Application of enzyme technology
material
surface
engineering characteristics
Kom verder. Saxion.

7. What are smart-technical textiles?
Textiles Materials Electronics
Conventional Textiles
Technical Textiles
Smart/Intelligent Textiles
Kom verder. Saxion.

8. Key European projects (FP7) –
Smart functional textiles / Digital workflows
• Leapfrog (www.leapfrog-eu.org)
• Digitex (www.dappoloniaresearch.com/digitex/home.php)
• BIOTEX (www.biotex-eu.com)
• CONTEX (www.context-project.org)
• ProeTEX (www.proetex.org)
• STELLA (www.stella-project.de)
• OFSETH (www.ofseth.org)
• myHeart (www.hitech-projects.com/euprojects/myheart)
• Avalon (www.avalon-eu.org)
• Clevertex (www.clevertex.net)
• Lidwine (http://cordis.europa.eu)
Kom verder. Saxion.

9. Digital workflow
Key components
• Information/ knowledge flow
• Materials flow
The nature of Digital workflows
• Adoptive system: it adapts to changing conditions by target-
oriented responses so that particular function can be performed.
• Anolog-digital control / Hybrid control: when a master
controller operates on an underlying analog cycle sequence to
achieve a high degree of long-term constancy.
Kom verder. Saxion.

10. Why Digital workflow?
• European textile sector: need for bulk production to mass customisation.
• Market positioning of high performance & functional clothing.
• Fundamental redesign of the entire garment industry chain.
• Minimising accidents during the production.
• Improved precision, reducing mistakes.
• Value addition.
• Sustainability.
• Recyclability.
Key
Drivers
Kom verder. Saxion.

11. Technology drivers for Digital workflows
Technology
• Nano
Products
Science • Bio
• Physics • Polymer Production
• Chemistry • electronics Market
• Technical • ICT Systems €
• ……many others • Production
• ..many others “Enablers”
Social trends and themes
Kom verder. Saxion.

12. Digital printing
Decrease in rotary screen printing
(will go slow because of install base)
50
(% of printed textile volume)
In use
25
10
0
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040
Kom verder. Saxion.

13. Mass customisation / Digital workflow
- Inkjet printing as a process enabling technology
Kom verder. Saxion.

14. Inkjet development
Kom verder. Saxion.

15. Application trends
Graphical Printing Functional Printing
Marking/coding
Martin et al.
J. Phys.: Conference Series
(2008) vol. 105 pp. 012001
Kom verder. Saxion.

16. Market demands: Graphical textiles printing
• Productivity: 20 – 30 m2/hours
• High resolution: e.g. fine tie patterns
• Support for various fabric types
• Colour reproduction: better than screen printing
• Strike-through: colour permeability to rear surface
• High colour fastness: equal fastness to screen printing
• Low running cost.
Kom verder. Saxion.

17. Graphical Printing – Industrial printers
• DuPont Artistri TM 2020 textile printing Systems
• DReAM – Reggiani Macchine, Italy
Kom verder. Saxion.

18. DReAM – Reggiani Macchine, Italy
• Roll-to-roll configuration
• Fabric width: 1.6 – 2.2 m
• Speed: up to 190 m2/hr with 600 dpi
resolution
• Allows instant change of design pattern
• DOD technology / piezoelectric Scitex heads
• It utilises 7 printing heads for six colours (42
printing heads on one bridge)
• Substrate: Virtually any flat surface (textiles,
leather) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ItROq-l1aM
• All ink chemistry possible (direct, reactive,
pigment, disperse etc.)
Kom verder. Saxion.

19. Functional digital printing – an overview
Kom verder. Saxion.

20. Our choice: DoD / Piezo Inkjet – PIJ
DoD technology: Deformation of a piezo crystal which leads to a volume alternation in the ink
chamber and finally to a drop ejection. No squeezing!
Fabricators: Epson, Xaar, Spectra, Brother, Mimaki, Tektronik
Kom verder. Saxion.

21. Applications: Functional printing
functional printing
• printed electronics
• chemistry / medicine
• process engineering
• rapid prototyping printing of an
solar cell RFID antenna,
www.solarzelle.net TU Chemnitz
process requirements
• reliable
• variable print pattern
• high resolution and accuracy
• flexible ink and substrate
Silver tracks on
polyimide, Harima
PIJ
Kom verder. Saxion.

22. Applications: Functional Digital finishes
• Cyclodextrins
• Nano Ag (antimicrobial)
• Nano TiO2 (self cleaning).
• Sol-gel (SiO2)
• Bionics (shark skin effect, Lotus
effect)
• Moisture management
Kom verder. Saxion.

23. Digital finishing process
Functional digitaal finishing proces (Realising reliable digital processing in the textiles industries)
Kom verder. Saxion.

24. Grasping opportunities of global trend
Kom verder. Saxion.

25. Saxion – the offer
• Basic theory course on Digital printing/finishing & Digital
Workflow.
• Six month minor program: new product development in the area
of functional smart materials.
• International Masters: The students works on actual R&D
projects sponsored by the industry or having a pure academic
interest.
• Participation in RAAK and EU projects,
• Commercial R&D facilities: Project from textile and related
industries in terms of innovation vouchers or project grant.
Kom verder. Saxion.

26. Saxion other facilities
 User Test lab
 Materials studio
 Materials development lab: FabLab
 Ambient embedded systems lab
Kom verder. Saxion.

27. Dutch network
Nonwovens/3Dstructures
Technical textiles
Materials, textiles
Textile printing
Textile chemicals
Laundry
Textiel branche organisation products
business
Knowledge Insititute
Kom verder. Saxion.

28. Statement & Solution…
“…For its survival the textile industry has to be
transformed from a labour intensive business towards a
knowledge intensive business…”
“…Digital printing of functional materials by specially
designed inkjet-printers is driven by the emerging need for
mass customization feasible through digital workflows...”
Thanks for your attention!!!
Kom verder. Saxion.