Konica Minolta of Tokyo reports that it intends to make a “full-scale entrance” into the Chinese textile printing market where digital printing has been growing rapidly. The company will showcase its flagship inkjet textile printer, the Nassenger PRO1000, at an international trade show to be held in June in Shanghai, China. This is the first time Konica Minolta will be exhibiting its top-of-the-line product at a Chinese trade fair. Konica Minolta will also open an office for its textile inkjet-printer business in Shanghai this summer.
In China, which accounts for about 30 percent of the global textile printing market (textile printing is printing on fabrics), digital technologies have been gaining ground at a fast speed. Konica Minolta says that currently apparel industry is leaning toward production of many designs in small quantities and in superior quality with fine, high-definition details that are difficult to reproduce through traditional analog textile printing. Digital inkjet print technologies are suitable to respond to those needs and have been increasingly adopted in Italy and other countries. Fashion manufacturers have also begun to utilize more and more inkjet printing to support their frequent changes of merchandise.
At the same time, from the viewpoint of environmental protection, Konica Minolta notes that textile printers must meet the enhanced environmental regulations in China, such as use and discharging of the water. It says inkjet textile printers have the advantage in significantly reducing the amount of water usage over traditional analog printing.
In China, Konica Minolta has introduced the Nassenger PRO60, which is targeted at sample and small-quantity production, and the mid-range-speed model, the Nassenger PRO120. As the company recognizes that there will be increased needs in China for high-end inkjet textile printers that can handle full-scale mass production with high productivity, high quality, and smaller environmental impact, it will roll out in the Chinese market the flagship Nassenger PRO1000 which is equipped with its proprietary inkjet print heads and can run at the world’s fastest print speed, according to research from Konica Minolta.
Konica Minolta will showcase the Nassenger PRO1000 at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2014, Asia’s largest international textile machinery exhibition to be held in Shanghai (June 16 – 20). This is the first time for the company to exhibit the product at a trade show in China.
Konica Minolta will also be opening an office in Shanghai around July 2014, focusing on its inkjet textile printer business. With sales and after-sales services staff, the new office will help Konica Minolta develop its business in the China market.