Rotary DTG Garment Carrier Layout for Precise Parallel Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing DTG printers face inefficiencies in productivity and design complexity, particularly in analog and digital categories, with linear motion systems requiring energy chains and cables, and lacking parallel station capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A rotary motion-based DTG printer design with independent T-shirt carriers rotating around a central column, featuring fixed stations for printing, pretreatment, and drying, and utilizing software compensation for radial print head arrangement to maintain resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If linear motion systems are used in DTG printers, then printing precision can be maintained, but device complexity increases due to energy chains and cables
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional linear motion approach by implementing rotary motion for the print head carrier. Instead of moving the print heads linearly across the garment, the carrier rotates in a circular path, allowing the print heads to remain stationary relative to the motion system while still achieving precise printing through rotational positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex energy chains and cables from the linear motion system. By transitioning to rotary motion with a stationary print head carrier, the system removes the need for flexible energy transmission components that complicate the device structure.
2Productivity
If analog printing stations with multiple carriers are used, then productivity can be increased through parallel processing, but device complexity increases with multiple rotating components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal stationary print head carrier that can service multiple T-shirt carriers positioned at different radial distances from the rotation axis. This single multi-functional carrier replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate printing stations, maintaining productivity while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the radial dimension by positioning T-shirt carriers at different distances from the rotation axis. This allows the stationary print head carrier to access multiple garments simultaneously or sequentially during rotation, enabling parallel processing without requiring multiple complex printing stations.
3Productivity
If faster movement speeds are implemented, then productivity increases, but maintaining printing precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by keeping the print heads stationary while the carrier rotates. This stationary positioning allows for more stable and precise ink dispensing even at higher rotation speeds, as the print heads are not subjected to the accelerations and decelerations that would occur with linear motion systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes periodic rotational motion with controlled acceleration and deceleration phases. The system operates in repeated cycles of rotation, allowing synchronization between the rotational position and ink dispensing timing, which maintains precision even at higher average speeds through predictable periodic behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
In a digital to garment printer having a rotary printing motion one or more T-shirt carriers are arranged on a fixed radius and rotate around a central column which houses one or more rotary tables. Each carrier is independent of the others but shares the same radius of rotation about the central column. All T-shirt carriers may share the same plane of rotation or be offset vertically and move to the printing plane with the up-down motion of the central column. On the same radius there are a series of fixed stations for printing as well as pretreatment, drying, and post treatment. The printing motion is achieved through the rotation of the T-shirt carrier that swipes under the print heads. The stepping motion can be achieved through the radial motion of the T-shirt carrier or the movement of the print head carrier.