Ceramic tiles: a strategic sector for Durst and the state of the art

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1 Ceramic tiles: a strategic sector for Durst and the state of the art by Norbert von Aufschnaiter The ceramic industry remains a strategic sector for Durst, which in 2015 has strengthened its leadership role in the international digital tile decoration market with numerous installations of new Gamma XD systems worldwide. High image quality, sharp and well defined details, full, uniform colours and complete absence of banding are just a few of the factors that have contributed to the success of these revolutionary 8-colour modular systems, which in the space of just a few months have helped set new standards in the industry. As Norbert von Aufschnaiter, Segment Manager Ceramics Printing of Durst Phototechnik, pointed out at the 7th Annual Acimac Meeting held in Fiorano on 25 November, Durst Gamma XD is not just the most in- novative ceramic printer on the market but also the one with the highest approval ratings amongst customers the world over. The latest-generation technology developed by Durst s R&D department and implemented on the Gamma XD series sets these machines apart from all other printing systems on the market and marks a step forward compared to the company s previous models. Durst Gamma XD QUALITY Durst Gamma XD customers have been particularly impressed with the system s quality. It delivers better performance than any competitor and ensures defectfree print results even with difficult designs and decorations. This is due to the maximum colour uniformity over the entire printing width, the delicate colour transitions and the natural, well-contrasted details assured by the new geometry of the printing modules. Furthermore, the adaptive drop positioning system is able to compensate electronically for colour differences in patterns with solid backgrounds by creating drops of different sizes directly on the nozzle bar. Quality is also assured by the high-precision tile conveying and centring system together with the new hydraulic and ink filtering system with volumetric filters that do not require continuous replacement of filters or pumps. PRODUCTIVITY 18. Acimac handbooks Edition The high level of quality is matched by equally high production efficiency. The Gamma XD series printers are immediately ready for production and guarantee total stability of the nozzles, even after long periods of inactivity. The exclusive thickness scanner with anticrash sensor allows for automatic printhead adaptation, avoiding line stoppages and minimising the need for adjustments. This unique characteristic means

2 the printer can operate with a very small distance between the printhead assembly and the tile (1 mm), allowing it to reproduce details with an exceptional degree of sharpness (photo 3). Fig. 3. Durst Gamma XD Auto Thickness Scanner RELIABILITY The Gamma XD series is operated and maintained entirely by the machine operator, a task that is facilitated by the minimal need for intervention during 24 hours of production. Manual intervention is not required to guarantee nozzle stability thanks to the new type of head cleaning operation which is performed at long intervals (more than 3 hours) without ink wastage, eliminating annoying leakage of colour onto the conveyor belt. Added to this, the new and efficient ink hydraulic system does not require frequent filter and pump replacement. PRICE/PERFORMANCE One outstanding feature of the system is its excellent price to performance ratio, including extremely low support and maintenance costs (Total Cost of Ownership). The new self-calibrating printheads have a much longer lifetime and can be replaced directly by the operator in just 11 minutes, optimising production efficiency and minimising machine downtime. On restarting, the print quality remains the same without the need for further mechanical adjustments. The new printing module geometry has also enabled the printhead selling price to be lowered significantly (photo 4). Fig. 4. Durst Gamma XD Rapid Head Change Acimac handbooks Edition. 19

3 BEST PRACTICES Fig. 5. Durst Gamma 98 XD installed at a Brazilian ceramic company One practical example of a Gamma 98 XD printing system in operation is the one installed in Brazil on 10 April It has produced more than 2 million sq.m of tiles in just over 6 months, during which time support and maintenance costs totalled just 483 euros without the need to replace nozzles, filters or printheads. FLEXIBILITY Durst Gamma XD is also a market leader in terms of flexibility thanks to the innovative DM Digital Material Printing Technology option, which allows effects to be printed using special materials with a discharge of more than 100 g/m² per bar. This is an essential function for the purposes of creativity and development of highly innovative designs. The innovative conveyor and centring system allows for double-row printing and high productivity even on very small surfaces, assuring excellent results on any kind of tile.. a) Right and left handed versions produce perfectly identical results in terms of both colour and definition, even when changing operation on site. The fact that the sequence of bars and the entire transport system remains unchanged guarantees very rapid inversion times without affecting printing results (photos 6-7). Fig. 6.Durst Gamma XD Left Right hand Operation 20. Acimac handbooks Edition

4 b) Double row printing with rapid system for centring and switching from double to single row operation without the need to make further settings. Double row operation allows for completely independent printing with either different or identical designs (in terms of both size and image) on both rows. This makes it possible to operate two machines in one (photos 8-9). c) Job preparation and the print queue can be handled directly on the machine or in the laboratory by means of the Durst Gamma PrepStation, which is able to manage one or more printers simultaneously and perform status monitoring (photo 10). Fig. 7. Durst Gamma XD Left Right hand Installation Line2 Fig. 8/9. Double row printing Fig. 10. Durst Gamma PrepStation RAPID AND COMPLETE SOFTWARE The simple and intuitive software offers numerous opportunities for selecting operating functions quickly and without wasting time. Examples include colour correction, multiple random functions, remote control of printing and machine parameters during printing phases, extrapolation of printing and statistical data, rapid file loading and image storage on 3 disks in a RAID array. TOTAL SYNCHRONISATION All Durst Gamma XD systems can be perfectly synchronised amongst themselves and with printers from the previous Gamma series, ensuring maximum print quality by separating decorations and special effect printing. Gamma XD systems are also equipped with software for synchronisation with Durst Gamma DG Acimac handbooks Edition. 21

5 (Digital Glaze) for centralised control of the entire glazing and decoration process. This innovation revolutionises tile production by optimising the production process, increasing efficiency and minimising waste (photos 11-12). Fig. 11. Durst Gamma XD Synchronization Fig. 12. Durst Synchronization Gamma HD-Gamma XD NOTE 22. Acimac handbooks Edition

6 Acimac handbooks Edition. 23