Textile Pretreatment Fluid Application to Reduce Waste in Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing textile printing devices waste pretreatment fluid due to its uniform application over the entire surface, including unprinted areas, leading to inefficiency and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A device with a detection system and programmable control means that applies pretreatment fluid selectively to only the areas of the textile where printing will occur, using nozzles that can be individually controlled to exclude untreated areas and a stationary pretreatment system for efficient and precise application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pretreatment fluid is applied uniformly over the entire textile surface, then the printing areas are adequately pretreated, but pretreatment fluid is wasted on unprinted areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pretreatment fluid selectively only to the areas of the textile that will be printed, rather than uniformly across the entire surface. The control unit receives print data identifying print areas and directs the pretreatment means to apply fluid only within those designated regions, creating local quality differentiation between printed and unprinted areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the textile surface into printed areas and unprinted areas based on print data. The pretreatment process is then segmented accordingly, with fluid application concentrated only in the printed regions. This segmentation allows precise control over where pretreatment occurs, eliminating waste on unprinted portions.
2Loss of substance
If selective pretreatment is applied only to print areas, then fluid consumption is reduced, but detection and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it receives and processes print data, identifies print areas within that data, controls the pretreatment means to apply fluid selectively, and coordinates with the printing means. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated detection and control systems, managing complexity through consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The print data is obtained and analyzed before the pretreatment process begins. The control unit pre-processes the print data to identify print areas, so that when pretreatment occurs, the fluid application can be immediately directed to the correct regions without requiring complex real-time detection during the pretreatment itself.
3Productivity
If planar pretreatment is applied to the entire printing face, then the process is simple and fast, but ecological sustainability deteriorates due to fluid waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains high productivity by applying pretreatment fluid locally only where needed on the textile surface. The selective application method does not significantly slow the process compared to uniform application, as the fluid is deposited directly onto print areas without requiring masking or complex positioning. This local quality approach simultaneously reduces environmental impact by eliminating waste fluid on unprinted areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of fluid application from uniform distribution across the entire printing face to concentrated application only in print areas. This parameter change is achieved through controlled delivery mechanisms that respond to print data, maintaining process speed while dramatically reducing the total volume of fluid required and thus the environmental burden.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces pretreatment fluid consumption by targeting only the necessary areas, minimizing waste and enhancing the pretreatment process's ecological and consumable-sparing nature.
Implementation Method 1
a detection means (30), by means of which the textile (20) can be detected
Implementation Method 2
the pretreatment means has at least one nozzle (41), by means of which the pretreatment fluid can be applied onto the textile (20)
Implementation Method 3
a printing means (60), having at least one print head (61), by means of which the textile can be printed with the printed image
Implementation Method 4
a dryer (50), by means of which the applied pretreatment fluid on the textile (20) can be dried and/or thermally treated
Implementation Method 5
a movement means (23), by means of which the at least one pallet (22) can be moved relative to the pretreatment means (40) and the printing means (60)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for pretreating and printing textile surfaces. For this purpose, at least one pallet (22) for accommodating and retaining a textile article (20) to be printed on a printing face, a pretreatment device (40) which allows the textile article to be pretreated, prior to it being printed, by applying a pretreatment fluid to the textile article in a pretreatment area, a printing device (60) comprising at least one printhead (61) that allows a printed image to be printed onto the textile article in the pretreatment area, a moving device (23) which allows the at least one pallet to he displaced relative to the pretreatment device and the printing device, and a programmable control device (31) which allows the printing device, the pretreatment device and/or the moving device to be controlled, are provided. An identification device (30) which can identify the textile article and is connected to the programmable control device is provided in front of the pretreatment device, and depending on the identified textile article, the pretreatment area can be applied individually to a subarea of the printing dace of the textile article.