DYEING AND PRINTING

ASSIGNMENT

TOPIC – Development on latest dyeing and

printing processes and machineries.

Submitted to
J.Pari (Asst. Prof)

Submitted by
Anushka Narayan
Prachi Yash
Priyadarshi Adarsh
Rinpari Renthlei
Shailja Sundaram

1
CONTENT

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been
possible without the kind support and help of many individuals and
organisation. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of them.

We are highly indebted to J.Pari sir our faculty for his guidance and
constant supervision as well as for providing necessary information
regarding the project & also for his support in completing the project.

We would like to express our gratitude towards our parents for their
kind co-operation and encouragement which helped us in completion of
this project.

Anushka Narayan

Prachi Yash

Priyadarshi Adarsh

Rinpari Renthlei

Shailja Sundaram

3
 Printing
Rotary screen printing machine was introduced in generated 1963 and since
then there is continued rise in its popularity. Worldwide, 60% of fabric
printing is done by the Rotary screen printing and 18% by flat screen
printing. Although rotary screen printing machines are most suited for
production runs, they are not ideal to meet the requirements of demand-
activated manufacturing architecture (DAMA) and just in time (JIT)
concepts. According to these concepts the textile printers must respond to
the delivery of high quality fashion designs with wide range of colour
combinations in extremely short time. In addition, there is also equal
pressure on textile printers to produce hulk prints made in an environment-
friendly manner.

Some of the latest technologies are discussed below :

1. Xerographic Printing :

The commonly known xerography or photocopying technique is

essentially based on electrostatic powder printing technology. The basic
steps involved in xerographic printing are:

 Formation of a negative image on a light sensitive photoconductive

(PC) surface (often a selenium or polymer coated drum) via light
reflection from a printed master sheet. More recently, the process
is accomplished by impingement with a laser beam controlled by a
computer into whose software the desired image has been digitally
scanned from a CAD station.
 Developing a negative image into a positive with a powder
developer system, transferring toner to the still charged design
areas of the drum. Transferring the positive toner image from
drum to copy paper on electrostatics.
 Melting the toner by heated roll, and air cooling to fix the print.
 Cleaning the PC drum and recycling any untransferred toner to
begin a repeat of the print cycle

The coloured xerox prints are obtained using mauve (red). cyan (blue).
yellow and black toners. The manufacturers claim that by using these four

4
toners as many as 30,000 shades can be produced via overlapping and
subsequent melt blending of the primary toners, Xerographic colour print
production on paper has reached a sophisticated level of technology and is
widely used for printing office, industrial and computer stationery.

 Xerographic Printing of Textiles

Considerable research work has been carried out at Georgia Institute of

Technology in the past five years for adapting xerographic printing to the
patterning of textile fabrics. The research in this area is directed in two
directions, viz. system development and toner development.

System Development : Current systems of xerography are developed for

paper printing which operate primarily batch-wise and for fairly narrow
width (8.5 in). A single sheet of paper is printed at a time. Thirty-six inch
wide copiers have been developed recently. Two major challenges faced by
the xerography technology for fabric printing are handling larger widths
and continuous printing at a speed required in modern printing. Therefore,
a copier for printing textiles would be different since it must operate
continuously at a speed of up to 50 m/min. Information storage and input for
image formation should be accomplished using a computerized system
which would facilitate fast style and colour changeovers as well as aid in
production of new designs. Considerable research is in progress at Georgia
Institute of Technology for developing a suitable xerography system for
continuous printing of textiles.

Toner Development : The second area of research for success in adaption

of xerography for textile printing is the development of toner. Xerography
toner consists of polymeric binder mixed with a suitable pigment colour,
both having very low particle size Binders in typical paper toners generally
consist of styrene acrylate copolymers or polyesters. Although excellent
prints are obtainable on textile fabrics such as polyester cotton blends, by
using paper toners the fastness properties especially wet and dry crock
fastness are poor.

Typical screen printing binders, composed of complex acrylic teropolymers

are amorphous film-forming materials of high clarity. However, they cannot
be converted to fine powder by spray drying or grinding. Therefore, they are

5
not suitable binders for xerography toners. The research work at Georgia
Institute of Technology has indicated the suitability of modified epoxies,
polyesters and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers as toner binders for
textile xerography. The epoxies under investigation are low molecular
weight polymers that flow well under melt conditions and crosslink with
fibre via reactive end groups during the flow period. As a result, their
fastness properties are comparable to those of conventional binders used in
screen printing of pigment colours. However the fabric handle is stiff and
unacceptable. Epoxies with fewer active end groups (thus producing fewer
cross links per unit film area on cure) are being investigated to reduce the
rigidity of the prints while maintaining fastness properties.

Polyester toner binders suitable for paper xerography exhibits poor binding
capabilities to polyester cotton blends EVA co polymers, depending on the
relative percentage contribution of the two constituent comonomers
(ethylene and vinyl acetate) to the polymer backbone and their sequencing,
do not grind or spray dry well to produce fine powders suitable for
xerography. The search for suitable toner binder is in progress through the
route of new polymer systems or modification of existing polymers.

Advantage of Xerography in Textile Printing: Xerography has the

following advantages in printing fabrics:

 Information storage can be computerized, eliminating the need for

large storage space for screens.
 Since the system can be computerized, fast style and colour
changeover are possible.
 Potential for producing all shades using three primaries and the black
 Pigments which are generally less expensive than dyes and offer
better light fastness and other properties can be used for coloration.
 Washing and drying after printing are eliminated.

Limitations of Xerography in Textile Printing: While xerography has

much premise for fabric printing, current technology has been developed for
paper printing .Fabric printing has requirements beyond those for paper
printing. Xerographic paper printing systems have been designed primarily
for operating in batch mode for fairly narrow widths. Fabric printing
systems will need print much wider width in a continuous mode. The toner
6
binder requirements for fabric printing are quite different from those for
Paper printing. The paper toner binders consists of styrene acrylate
copolymer With poor adhesion to textile fibers and low dry cleaning solvent
fastness.

2. Ink Jet Printing Technology for Textile

There are two types of ink jet printers. The coarse resolution type has a
maximum resolution of 40 dpi and is based on valve control technology.
Printers offering the fine resolution (up to 300 dpi) can be sub divided into
two basic technologies continuous stream (CS) and drop-on-demand (DOD).
Within these two types, there are further subgroups. It is in this area of fine
resolution that there has been most recent research activities.

3. Coarse Ink Jet Printers

These are normally based on value technology and have essentially found
use in the carpet industry. There are two main commercially available
systems. The Millitron system uses an array of jets with continuous stream
of dye liquids which can be deflected by a controlled air jet The Chromo jet
from the Austrian Company Zimmer uses computer activated on off valve
systems to control the flow of liquids. The resolution of all these carpet jet
printers is relatively coarse, reaching a maximum of 40 dpi which is
unacceptable in the textile printing field. The majority of recent
development work on inkjet technology for textile has looked essentially at
adapting computer inkjet printing technology rather than valve technology
developed for carpets.

4. Stork Trucolor Jet Printer

The first commercial system for ink jet printing of textiles was launched by
Stork Brabant Bv at 1991 ITMA Exhibition in Hanover under the name
True Colour Jet Printer. The system is designed for sample printing on
100% cotton fabric.

The True Colour Jet Printer is based on the Hertz continuous stream
technology. Essentially a dye formulation is pumped at a constant pressure
through a nozzle of 14.4 um diameter. The continuous stream is broken up
7
into droplets by modulation at 625 kHz, i.e. 625000 droplets of colorant are
formed per second. The printer uses digi- tal information from a CAD
station to either negatively charge a droplet in a continuous stream
emanating from a colour nozzle or allows it to pass the gate unchanged. As
the droplet train then enters an electrical field between two 15000 v plates,
charged droplets are deflected picked up and fed back into the colour
container for recycle. Uncharged droplets pass through the deflection plates
group of up to and reach the substrate in the desired pattern in area
covering only 0.1mm x 0.1mm or 1 pixel thus producing smooth continuous
tones.

5. Toxot Jet Printer

Toxot Science and Applications Corporation of France (US representative

Imaje Corporation) has been developing over the past five years an ink jet
printer specifically for patterning textiles and allied substrates, e.g. wall
paper. The proprietary technology is based on electrostatic deflection of
colour droplets from a continuous stream. The interesting feature is that uv-
curable binders have been developed for Toxot / Imaje inks that allow
complete fixation of the colours on textile substrates without a thermal post
cure or an after scour-wash-dry sequence. A range of ink colours is now
available for either the quadrichromic approach to textile printing or for use
of six or seven colours to obtain more accurately the full colour spectrum.
However, the information on the fastness and other textile performance
properties of these uv-curable inks is not available.

The Toxot Imaje is currently claiming print resolutions of 120 dpi. The
system allows rapid changeover from one ink colour to another. Both scan
and Cad data input capabilities to the printers operating computers are
available. In a batch configuration designed for a semi continuous T shirt
printing, a uv lamp has been incorporated on a moving head print system to
provide curing after printing, thereby eliminating all post print treatments
and shortening the overall process.

8
Dyeing

For centuries, water has been the most important element in textile
finishing. Today, it
constitutes an increasingly expensive medium.

Germany-based Then Maschinen GmbH’s Airflow dyeing concept was

invented by Wilhelm Christ
and subsequently patented in 1978 by Then, which produced the first
prototype. Over the years, the
system was developed further according to the requirements of the industry.

 Air Instead Of Water

Airflow was the key element of the technology, as air is an ideal transport
medium. The
replacement of dye liquor with air as a method of transporting piece goods
in jet-dyeing machines
was a big step toward reducing water and chemicals consumption.
Compared to the jet system in which
the nozzles are filled with liquor, nozzle pressure is negligible, thus offering
optimum protection
of sensitive textile surfaces. At the same time, the use of the mass flow
principle provides a
major improvement in fabric hank laying, thus preventing creasing.

The moisture-saturated airflow ensures the uniform distribution of

temperature on the fabric
and in the machine, constituting a prerequisite for even and reproducible
dyeing. Moreover, the low
level of liquor in the dyeing boiler means the fabric is lighter than in
conventional machinery and
can therefore be accelerated quickly to high speeds. Thus, the risk of draft or
strain is minimal,
which is particularly advantageous with regard to the finishing of items
containing elastane
fibers.

The high transportation speeds of the fabric result in very short fabric turn
time. High

9
heating-up gradients are possible because a very low liquor ratio is
maintained. The unique ability
to use a hot drain system and rinsing with fresh water in a running wash
system considerably
reduces the time required for the dyeing process.

The Airflow technology represents the combined result of the entire range of
possibilities
provided by the technology. Through the interplay of all technical
possibilities and functions,
economic and ecological advantages over the traditional dyeing technology
are achieved. The main
advantages are as follows:

 unlimited flexibility with regard to all fiber – except pure wool – and
fabric weight classes
between 30 and 800 grams per square meter, as well as all standard
market dyestuffs;
 the lowest liquor ratio on the market: approximately 1:2 for man-made
fibers and 1:3 to 1:4 for
natural fibers, depending on the article and structure;
 energy savings of up to 40 percent, thanks to a frequency converter,
and the use of air as a
transport medium, while all other systems need water;
 a reduction in the overall process time of approximately 25 percent;
and
 lowest water/wastewater levels.

The New L-shape Airflow

However, the Airflow dyeing machine had one disadvantage: dyeing of

extremely delicate
fabrics didn’t give a perfect result. Current and future trends pointing
toward more and more
lightweight fabrics with high contents of elastane in finest yarn counts and
gauges prompted the
next stage of Airflow machinery design.

To meet the required voluminous hand as well as top-grade quality

standards, the world’s
first long-tube Airflow machine, the Airflow Lotus 200, was developed. The

10
new dyeing machine
incorporates the latest advances in Then’s Airflow technology and operates
according to the
original aerodynamic principle. The dye liquor passes the self-cleaning filter
and is then evenly
applied and finely distributed as a mist with the aid of the blower, assuring
outstanding
penetration, according to Then.

Handling Delicate Fabrics

The Airflow Lotus 200 is said to be especially suitable for the wet finishing
of delicate
cellulose- and man-made-fiber knitwear and woven fabrics with a high
percentage of elastane. Such
fabrics are used in the automotive, lingerie, sports-, leisure- and swimwear
segments. Close
attention has also been paid to the achievement of significant savings of
precious water and energy
resources — similar to the Airflow Synergy dyeing machine.

Extremely safe and gentle product running and outstanding displacement

comprise Airflow Lotus
200’s characteristics. With its concept in machine design, unmatched results
in process technology
and unparalleled achievements regarding economy and ecology, the new
machine will substantially
extend the field for aerodynamic applications, Then reports.

11
The newly designed dome blower ensures that the fabric is transported just
by air. This means
the liquor actually is used to do what it is meant to do: dyeing only. The
liquor ratio is reduced
to between 1:2 and 1:5 and provides savings in terms of water and water
treatment, chemical, and
energy costs. This will bring up to 80-percent savings of liquor compared
with costs associated
with outdated hydraulic machines, as well as significant savings of time.
Shortest cycle times and
loadings of up to 1,200 meters for lightweight fabrics and up to 200
kilograms for average articles
allow high daily production rates.

 Polyamide Dyeing

Most of the fabrics for lingerie, swimwear and automotive applications are
made of polyamide.
That’s why the new L-shape dyeing machine handles fabrics made of 100-
percent polyamide with the
same results as previously mentioned fabrics. Then’s Roland Adrion, senior
sales manager, says that
“current and future trends point towards more and more lightweight fabrics
with high contents of
elastane in finest yarn counts and gauges. Meeting the [voluminous hand
specifications] as well as
top-grade quality standards were there when we developed the world’s first
long tube Airflow
machine, the Airflow Lotus.” Perhaps a more appropriate name for the new
machine would have been
“Longflow.”

 HTHP Beaker Dyeing

HTHP Beaker Dyeing Machine is ideally suitable for sample dyeing of fabric
and yarn at high temperature and pressure. This machine is a versatile,
compact and maintenance free apparatus suitable for both Polyester and
cotton sample dyeing. In fact it is suitable for dyeing of any fiber in form.

12
The apparatus is of immense use for dyeing and processing units,
research/testing labs, textile engineering institutes and dyes
manufacturers.

Beaker Dyeing Machine

Features of HTHP Beaker Dyeing Machine:

1. The machine comprises of tank, beaker and gear box

2. The beakers are capable of withstanding pressure upto 6.0 Kg/cm
square.
3. The machine is complete in stainless steel
4. Ensures a sound free and smooth working.
5. Microprocessor based programmer is provided which ensures
temperature control.
6. Promises long life and leak proof service even after many years of use.

Specifications of HTHP Beaker Dyeing Machine:

 Standard Model : 12x250 ml., 12x100 ml., 6x500 ml., 12x500 ml.
 Electric Supply : Single phase 220 Volts, AC Supply
 Heater Supply : 3000 watt Single Phase
 Overall dimensions of the Unit : 700 ±05mm (L) x 470±05mm (H) x
370±05mm (W)
 Capacity of Beaker : 250 ml Beaker X 12 Pcs.
 Carriage Rotation : At 22 rpm. (±2 rpm)
 Maximum operating Temperature : 135°C.
 No. of Heater : 3 x 1500 W
 Maximum rate of heating: 1.50C
 Maximum rate of cooling 1.50C ( Water temperature max 250C )
 Net Weight of the Unit : 35 Kg.

13
  Net Weight of the Beaker (250ml) : 10.980 Kg.
 Motor : Reversible Synchronous Geared Motor
 Medium used for Heating : Glycerine
 Beakers : 12x250 ml., SS-316 grade

Working Principle of HTHP Beaker Dyeing Machine:

1. First of prepare for dyeing piece by taking the sample fabric as per
leakier ratio as suggested by your quality consultant.
2. Sample moves up & down with auto forward and reverse direction
through process controller.
3. The machine must be cleaned at the regular intervals by changing
water inside the chamber.
4. All bearings should be lubricated every three months.
5. Single phase motor contacts and Power contacts should be inspected
every three months.

14