EFI’s Reggiani subsidiary has introduced a new inkjet textile printer, the Reggiani Extra, which builds on the existing Colors machine but with double the number of printheads to expand EFI’s overall portfolio.
The Reggiani Extra can print directly to most types of fabric, including cotton, silk, viscose, polyamide, and wool, as well as to transfer paper and handle media weights from 30 to 450gsm. It can be used with a wide choice of inks, which includes reactive, disperse direct, acid, pigment, and disperse sublimation. That makes it suitable for a number of applications, including apparel, home textiles, and sportswear.
As with the Colors printer, the new Extra can be configured with up to 12 colors or two sets of six for higher productivity. There’s a choice of three configurations in total: up to 12 colors for better printing uniformity and color depth; 6+6 colors for higher productivity; or 11 colors + chemistry for improved ink penetration into the fabrics and better fastness.
There is no option to run two sets of six colors from different inksets though I would not be surprised to find that this is something that EFI is working on since such flexibility would allow customers to handle a wide range of different fabrics from just the one printer.
There are two models available, offering a choice of 1.8 and 3.4m widths. As with most Reggiani printers, these are multi-pass machines with the number of passes determining the speed and resolution, starting from 810sqm/hr across 1.5m in one pass at 600 x 300 dpi with 12 colors. The production speed is closer to 443 sqm/hr at 600 x 600 dpi with two passes. This rises to 458 sqm/hr with two sets of six inks. It can produce 795 sqm/hr across a 3m width with 6+6 inks in two passes.
There are four heads per color, meaning a total of 48 heads. Reggiani tends to favor Kyocera printheads and this new model has benefited from the latest Kyocera heads, using a variant of the KJ4B EX600 RC that’s specifically for Reggiani.
These latest printheads, which have been designed around Kyocera’s large monolithic actuator, feature full recirculation right down to the nozzle plate. This in turn should reduce the risk of blockages to the nozzle and ensure longer life for the heads. These are greyscale heads with Reggiani using 4, 7, 12, and 18pl drop sizes.
Micol Gamba, EFI Reggiani’s product marketing director, says that Reggiani opted for the 600 dpi heads rather than 1200 dpi, explaining, “We have tested 1200 dpi print heads in the past, and our experience is that the benefit we can get on fabrics is not so evident for the characteristics of the substrate. That’s why we stayed with the 600 dpi version. We’d see a big difference instead if we should print on a different substrate like paper.”
The print carriage is mounted on a steel bridge and uses linear motors and magnetic encoders which should allow it to move quickly and precisely. The printheads are protected against crashes while the fabric is moved through the system on a longitudinal belt. The ink tanks can be refilled without stopping the printer and the ink system includes continuous degassing and filtering inline. There’s a choice of drying systems, including single or double-section dryers with options for different energy sources.
The Reggiani Extra is available now, with the first three already sold, all with the same 6+6 configuration, using pigment ink with a binder. Gamba adds, “We do expect good traction for both pigment and reactive.”
The new printer was shown at the recent ITM fair in Turkey. (EFI opted to show its existing EcoTerra Gold at drupa). Reggiani also showed a new end-to-end digital textile workflow based on software from Inèdit, which Reggiani acquired back in 2022. It’s said to improve productivity and includes encryption to protect customers’ files.
You can find further details from efi.com
