#Digital Printing

2019-12-19

RICOH's Digital Micro Factory: Sustainable innovation in the apparel industry

RICOH unveiled its Digital Micro Factory (DMF) concept workflow at the 19h International Textile Industry Exhibition (ShanghaiTex 2019), held November 25-28 in Shanghai Expo Center. RAMP-UP: RICOH Apparel Manufacturer's Partnership by Universal Platform was officially launched at the M2 Conference Hall on Nov 26 with a ceremony and press conference marking the new alliance and its fashion manufacturers.

Tetsuya Morita, Corporate Vice President of Ricoh Co Ltd and General Manager of Industrial Printing, Koji Miyao, Chairman and General Manager of Ricoh China Co Ltd, and others of the Ricoh Group maintained a unified presence throughout the exhibition and conference.

Introducing: RAMP-UP: RICOH Apparel Manufacturer's Partnership by Universal Platform

ShanghaiTex 2019, November 25-28, Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC)

In the opening speech of the ceremony, Koji Miyao said Ricoh aims to expand its China business into a core market, as Europe and the Americas, following impetus from this year's China International Import Expo and 83 years of comprehensive market deployment. The Ricoh Group would continue to develop technologies and experience in Commercial Printing, but incorporating sustainable development and opening greater possibilities in Industrial Printing, with comprehensive and new, innovative technologies.

Tetsuya Morita, GM of Industrial Printing, announced that digital micro factory DMF, a very important concept to the Group, and RAMP-UP the apparel consortium had officially launched, answering to social issues in the future such as environmentalism and safety within the apparel ecosystem. Ricoh would strive to create an open global business environment, so as to push forward social problems such as water pollution, electricity consumption and excess inventory, maintaining a comfortable and safe living environment, a common issue for all human beings.

Koji Miyao, Chairman and General Manager of Ricoh China, said Ricoh aims to expand its China business into a core market, as in Europe and the Americas. (c) 2019 Ricoh

Morita discussed the proof of concept and the positive steps to be taken in testing from the first and second quarter 2020, with details on the company's website. His next remarks were given to the Ricoh Group's unremitting contribution to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocated by the United Nations, and to the role the DMF digital micro factory so vigorously launched will play in solving various social problems and providing new customer value to more and more people in garment and related markets.

Attendees at the ceremony already having joined the consortium were Dong YunLi, Deputy General Manager, Nantong Shenghe Industrial Co Ltd; Li Qun, Chairman, and Long Weiping, General Manager of Hangzhou 1949 Commune Cultural and Creative Co Ltd; and Kimio Uehara, Deputy General Manager, Brother Machinery Shanghai Ltd. Three additional companies including Hangzhou Dianshi Clothing Co Ltd had also confirmed joining the consortium, while many companies were in the process of joining the consortium as well.

Morita, Miyao and others of the Ricoh Group cut a unified presence through out the launch ceremony and conference. (c) 2019 Ricoh

Tetsuya Morita, GM of Industrial Printing, announced that Digital Micro Factory, an important concept to the Group, and RAMP-UP the apparel consortium had officially launched. (c) 2019 Ricoh

Morita then spent an hour with the press, furthering understanding of the DMF concept. He acknowledged the highly developed nature of the Chinese apparel industry, but suggested the DMF concept was for the world market, including China. Ricoh hopes to expand sales of DMF workflow cloud solutions and textile printers, with a goal of JPY10 billion in revenue by the year 2025. DMF will produce significant social benefits using the advantages of industrial inkjet technology, such as diversity, customization, differentiation, multi-type small lot production and leading the industry trend.

Stepping up efforts to deploy the DMF concept itself, Ricoh entered a collaboration with Sweden's Coloreel (March 2019) to develop an on-demand thread dye and inkjet printer. Ricoh also acquired LAC Corporation (2018, renamed Ricoh Digital Painting Company, Ltd.) and ColorGate Digital Output Solutions GmbH, (2018) a leading software provider with strength in color management. The ColorGate acquisition marked an important first step in active capital cooperation, eliminating self-efficiency, and permitting Ricoh to RAMP-UP its partnership programs.

China is the world's garment factory, Tetsuya Morita said in closing. That is to say, China is ahead of other markets in terms of productivity and cost. Of course, the 'digital micro factory' is not suitable for mass production with this design. However, Ricoh was proposing its concept of DMF in today's most efficient market today, aiming to bring China's environmental protection system to bare, thereby achieving real sustainable development. We at the Ricoh Group believe this is huge. China is not only the garment factory of the world, it is the largest consumer and buyer of clothing in the world.

At present, Ricoh brings an environmental protection system and business model that conforms to trends of domestic production and domestic consumption. Ricoh, as the largest manufacturer of industrial print heads, has been providing print head services to garment manufacturers for many, many years. Today, we're here as the manufacturer of print heads, the manufacturer of ink, and the manufacturer of complete systems. Therefore, we can work together with our partners towards providing an environmental protection system.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

EFI and Agfa’s DPS Business to combine andform a global, full-service industrial inkjet company

Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (“EFI”), a leading industrial inkjet business and portfolio company of Siris, and Agfa-Gevaert (“Agfa”) today announced a definitive agreement to combine Agfa’s Digital Printing Solutions business (“Agfa DPS”) with EFI. An affiliate of Siris will hold a 60% interest and Agfa will hold a 40% interest in the jointly held company, which will bring together the operating capabilities of EFI and Agfa DPS under a governance structure whereby Siris and Agfa will act as equal partners.

Leading UK garment decorator expands short-run apparel production and print-on-demand fulfillment with Kornit Digital

Kornit Digital (NASDAQ: KRNT), a global pioneer in sustainable, on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies, announced that leading UK garment decorator Fifth Column has expanded its apparel decoration capabilities with the installation of a Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS system. Based in the United Kingdom, Fifth Column specializes in garment decoration, including screen printing, embroidery, digital printing, garment finishing, and print-on-demand production. Its customer base spans breweries, music merchandise companies, workwear providers, designer brands, and retail businesses.

Mimaki advances DTF productivity and stability with new TxF330-800

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces the TxF330-800, its new direct-to-film (DTF) printer. Designed to support stable, high-quality garment decoration in demanding print environments, the system combines automated maintenance, expanded white ink capacity and advanced production capabilities to streamline workflow.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.

VDMA Textile Machinery with new Executive Board

At the general meeting of VDMA Textile Machinery held in Hanover at the end of September, Dr Janpeter Horn, Managing Director of A. Herzog Maschinenfabrik, was re-elected as Chairman of the trade association. Regina Brückner, managing partner of Brückner Trockentechnik, and Verena Thies, managing partner of Thies Textilmaschinen, will once again serve as vice-chairs for the next four years.

Rieter appoints Daniel Lippuner as new CEO as Thomas Oetterli steps down

Thomas Oetterli has decided to step down from his function as CEO, effective October 31, 2026, and hand over the Chairmanship of the Board of Directors. “After the successful implementation of the Next Level performance program, the structural measures initiated to consolidate the sites and the acquisition of Barmag, the time has come to hand over responsibility to new hands,” explains Thomas Oetterli.