The innovation of Durst digital decoration technology by Norbert von Aufschnaiter Durst, the industrial inkjet specialist, is the most successful printing machine manufacturer for digital decoration of ceramic tiles with over 500 installations worldwide. Customers choose Durst Gamma inkjet printers for their high print quality, productivity and reliability. Durst Single Pass Technology for ceramic tile decoration began its development in 2003. In 2004 Durst presented Gamma, the world s first high-performance digital printer for industrial ceramic tile decoration designed for pigmented ceramic inks. This machine marked the first step in the digital revolution in ceramic tile decoration and production. Since then, Durst has continued to make major innovations in close cooperation with its customers, contributing to the success of many leading ceramic tile manufacturers around the world. As a result, Durst Gamma inkjet printers have quickly become the industry standard for print quality with high uniformity and strong colours, flexibility, productivity and reliability. At Tecnargilla 2014, Durst once again demonstrated its ability to innovate with the launch of the new Gamma XD Series and the introduction of the new Digital Glaze Line concept. from left: FIG. 1 - Image courtesy of Ceramica Sant Agostino, Italy FIG. 2 - New Durst Gamma XD Series FIG. 3 - Durst milestones in the ceramic digital sector 16. Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition
NEW DURST GAMMA XD SERIES The Gamma XD Series is Durst s new-generation 8-colour ceramic inkjet printer platform designed for long-term high-precision printing with ultimate colour stability and print uniformity. Alongside technological innovations, the machines have sophisticated new features including modularity and an integrated self-maintenance capability. The Gamma XD platform is the basis for different printer versions to meet the requirements for current and future tile sizes. The Gamma XD Series is equipped with the latest Durst High Definition Printhead Technology with dual ink circulation and can be configured with up to 8 printing bars (photo 4). The new Gamma XD Series decorates tiles with a native resolution of 300 dpi combined with the innovative Adaptive Dot Placement Technology. It prints with 4 greyscale levels and drop sizes up to 90 pl. For special effects such as glossy, matt, lustre and metallic inks, printheads with drop sizes of up to 320pl are optionally available. An intelligent Electronic Printhead Alignment System combined with the Adaptive Dot Placement Technology guarantees banding-free printing for high image quality and colour homogeneity across the entire printing width. A new printhead cleaning and ink filtration system with almost no loss of ink guarantees consistent print results and a long life cycle for the printheads with long maintenance intervals and avoids purging the ink on the transport belt. The entire belt transport assembly can easily be cleaned without the need for consumables (brushes or liquids). The new ink filtration system avoids nozzle blockages and assures high printer reliability and uptimes. The integrated main ink tanks are protected against dust and water by swing doors. The Durst proprietary Ink Cubitainer System with rapid connector enables spill-free and safe ink refills. FIG. 4 e 5 - Durst Gamma XD: ergonomic control panel with adjustable height SAFETY The Durst Gamma XD Series include several features for all-round operator safety, including fully closed printer design, efficient ink evaporation and aerosol extraction, ink certification geared to maximum op- Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition. 17
erator safety and printer reliability/ performance (photo 6). An automatic tile thickness/profile scanning system and print engine control assures non-stop printing to avoid unnecessary line stoppages (photo 7). FIG. 6 - Durst-GammaXD, ease of access and protection FIG. 7 - Durst-GammaXD, safety in production EASY AND QUICK PRINTHEAD REPLACEMENT The new printheads are also designed in such a way that they can easily be replaced and re-adjusted by the operator within a very short time so as to minimize downtimes. The new Gamma XD printers are equipped with Remote Diagnostics Technology and enable customers to perform all regular maintenance and service work themselves, including printhead replacement, without the need for Durst assistance. The machines provide easy service access from both sides and guided procedures for fast and easy replacements and alignments (photos 8 and 9). The new printer design of the XD Series incorporates the optimization of the machine s ergonomics to further improve the work process. The control panel can be adjusted in height, rotated and easily adjusted on site for left or right handed operation. FIG. 8 - Easy service access from both sides FIG. 9 - Easy printhead replacement (patented) 18. Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition
THE BEST RATED PRINTER SOFTWARE FOR HIGH PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY The Gamma XD Series is equipped with the best-rated multilingual printer software (64-bit Linux) for easy and fast operations. The operator can choose between many languages to customize the user interface. The software provides high flexibility and various new features to optimize the digital workflow, e.g. the unique Durst Autostructure function for automatic structure creation when using special effect inks such as lustre, sink-in ink, etc. (photo 10). FIG. 10 - Printer management software DURST DIGITAL GLAZE LINE With the new Digital Glaze Line concept, Durst is introducing an innovation that will revolutionise ceramic tile production through synchronisation of the digital glazing, printing and finishing processes (photo 11). This will allow for greater creativity, efficiency and precision, resulting in true on-demand production without the need for further production stages, from the computer through to the finished product. The Digital Glaze Technology will allow ceramic tile companies to apply glazes with full or partial coverage, to create FIG. 11 - Durst Digital Glaze Line Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition. 19
structures that are aligned perfectly with the design and to offer new design possibilities that could not be achieved with traditional glazing technologies. For example, wood decorations can be produced with the same wood grain or in random mode. Alongside its precision, the Durst Digital Glazing Technology also offers the advantage of being able to produce an unlimited number of different structures. Today, a maximum of 4 different structures can be produced with a printer depending on the design and tile size. Digital Glaze technology can be installed before the current digital decoration printer to glaze tiles with flat or textured surfaces, or after the printer to apply special effects or crystalline, etc. (photos 12 and 13). The main advantage of this innovative technology compared to the other solutions on the market is that it can jet large quantities of glazes with particle sizes close to those of traditional glazes, thereby achieving cost-effective applications without losing the real ceramic effects. This makes it possible to streamline the production process, increase efficiency, reduce waste and minimise finishing costs. The new Gamma XD series is already equipped with a software interface to synchronise with Digital Glaze technology. Durst is also planning to develop connections for third-party printers so as to offer the system as a standalone solution. FIG. 12 - Digital Glaze technology FIG. 13 - Digital Glaze technology PARTNERSHIPS 20. Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition Durst offers leading industrial printer technology with the highest installed base (over 5,000 industrial printers installed worldwide). Durst s experienced staff provides high level support, knowhow and experience in digital imaging to assure successful production start-up and operation.
Durst also provides comprehensive factory and on-site training for application, digital workflow and service/maintenance operations. NOTE Acimac handbooks - 2014 edition. 21