Producing advanced digital textile printing technologies, Kornit Digital exhibited two new models for direct textile printing (DTG) at the Impression Expo, which they attended at the Long Beach Convention Center in Los Angeles, January 17-19. The new Kornit Vulcan Plus and Storm HD6 Lite systems appeal to several production areas with their new capacities, from polyester sportswear to athletic clothing. Visitors had the chance to see the performance of the machines and examine the printed samples at booth no 2035 during the event.
Omer Kulka, Kornit’s EVP of Marketing and Product Strategy reminded that they spent the past year rolling out innovative product after innovative product. Kulka said; “We have set the pace for a textile decoration industry that demands quality, durability, and social responsibility, manufacturing on demand and without restrictions”. Omer Kulka said that the industry is serving an array of needs and consumer profiles wider than anyone had conceived even a few short years ago, and continued his words as follows; “We’re not letting up anytime soon, as the new Vulcan Plus and Storm HD6 Lite make retail-quality DTG impressions accessible to printers and brands of every size and need”.
new step in mass customization; Kornit Vulcan Plus
A new level has been reached in customized DTG printing with Vulcan Plus. Able to deliver more than 2,000 retail-quality impressions in a 12-hour shift, Vulcan Plus builds on the success and feedback from customers using Kornit Vulcan, a 2017 SGIA Product of the Year. The eco-friendly system, which has undergone beta testing by Kornit customers in both the United States and Europe, represents the highest-capacity DTG print system in Kornit’s product portfolio and the broader marketplace.
The stability and reliability of the Vulcan platform has been improved considerably. This gives the customer improved uptime and utilization from his equipment, and thus lower overall cost of ownership. Vulcan Plus comes with the advanced NeoPigment™ Eco-Rapid ink set for amazing print quality and handfeel, and is compatible with ColorGATE RIP software, which enables easy color matching, Pantone libraries, effects like semi-transparency and black knockouts, and PDF workflows.
Vulcan Plus is rated to print up to 235 impressions per hour; sized 13” by 13” on dark garments, with Kornit’s single-step process. Depending on the job types and working hours involved; this translates to anywhere from 550,000 to more than one million impressions annually. This system caters to DTG producers who want to increase their capacity and digital production of low quantity productions of middle and high level producers who are currently using screen printing. Vulcan Plus represents the highest-capacity direct-to-garment print system in the Kornit product portfolio. Achieving approximately 50% higher throughput than Kornit Atlas.
Storm HD6 Lite for on demand printing
Kornit also introduced the Storm HD6 Lite system, enabling print shops of all sizes with on-demand DTG printing; that meets the retail quality and sustainability standards of the world’s largest and best-known retail brands. With a production capacity of up to 60,000 impressions annually; it appeals to companies aiming to grow in the industrial market. Offering low production capacity, Storm HD6 Lite effectively replaces Kornit Storm II.
Welcoming their visitors at Impression Expo with ‘Go with Digital, Grow with Digital’ slogan; Kornit also exhibited environmentally friendly Atlas, Avalanche Poly Pro and Storm HD6 systems; which innovate in direct printing.
- Storm HD6 represents the most capable member of Kornit’s Storm platform; which is continuously widening Kornit’s install base as the ideal platform for growing small to medium-sized print shops.
- Since its debut at ISS Long Beach 2019, Kornit has delivered more than 70 units of the Atlas system for industrial-capacity DTG; expanding Kornit’s install base among current DTG users looking to increase their capacity in short order and some of the world’s leading brands; as they adopt on-demand sustainable garment decoration into their existing supply chains.
- Avalanche Poly Pro is the only digital DTG system designed specifically for dyed polyester and poly blends; offering nearly unlimited graphic detail and color gamut for popular sportswear and athleisure fabrics. Opening the polyester apparel market to DTG capability and quality has contributed to Kornit’s momentum; as many Poly Pro users are also new Kornit customers. For example, Industry Print Solutions, based in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Ideal Images, based in Omaha, Nebraska, both partnered with Kornit to utilize the Poly Pro system.
The whole process is under control with Kornit Konnect
Visitors also had the opportunity to get hands-on with Kornit Konnect; the company’s cloud software analytics platform that provides users a single dashboard to monitor and manage their productivity. This platform empowers customers to receive real-time data that helps them manage their operations; prioritize deliverables, assess costs, troubleshoot, and set goals from the convenience of their laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
In its first phase, the Kornit Konnect enables businesses to monitor production; analyse insights and manage their fleet, in order to eliminate blind spots. It includes a fleet management dashboard, data driven benchmarks, actual production costs; and cost structures per job, making it easy for businesses to learn more, react faster and perform better.
Kornit also organized a roundtable discussion at the fair on January 18; where the partners’ user experiences and achievements were discussed.