MA Textiles, a Pakistan-based textile printing manufacturer is looking for a digital solution to meet today’s rapidly changing demands by installing an SPGPrints JAVELIN digital printer, at its Shahdara facility, near Lahore. The installation is the first Javelin to enhance its service flexibility and design offering and go into full production in the country.

The Javelin printer uses scanning print technology was ordered at ITM Istanbul last year. Digital printing is able to handle shorter runs and faster job changeovers, and this was something they knew they needed, said Naveed, MA Textiles. The company decided to invest in the SPGPrints Javelin because of its advantages in terms of quality and reliability.

First, they print a significant amount of cotton but working with cotton results in the formation of lint that can clog nozzles of the print heads. With SPGPrints’ patented technology, ink is circulated in the print head. This makes the print heads more durable and longer-lasting. Secondly, SPGPrints offers a 30-month warranty, which is much longer than the other systems they were looking at. This was also the most important factor affecting their Javelin investment.

The Javelin digital printer uses the proven Fujifilm Dimatix Samba print heads. The ink circulation function inside the print heads is part of SPGPrints’ Archer technology that enables variable ink drops (from 2pL-10pL) to be fired up to 4mm from the substrate. This enables the use of a very wide range of textiles because the high jetting distance means that thicker, coarser and piled textiles can be printed, without damaging the print head.

Colour is another reason for printing digitally, said Naveed. With conventional printing, the number of colors that can be printed is limited; with digital, there are no limits, and smaller designs can be printed with fine detail.

The addition of the Javelin will give MA Textiles a digital printing capacity of two million linear meters per year. Moreover, thanks to the pinter’s minimial setup times, the company will be well-placed to offer shorter production runs and reduced lead-times, cost-effectively.

They are planning to bring their digitally printed textiles to the retail market at the end of 2017. Their dyeing customers have reacted with enthusiasm to their digital printing investment, and the value it brings them. Explaining the benefits of SPGPrints’ technology is not so difficult, as the company has a strong reputation for high-performance textile machines in Pakistan.

Salman Hydrie, managing director of SPGPrints Pakistan Pvt Ltd., said that MA Textiles is a leading Pakistani textile supplier, and its knowledge of all aspects of textile production gives its selection of the Javelin printer a special significance. The Javelin will give MA Textiles a powerful tool to meet today’s demands for fast turnarounds, short runs, and crisp detail.

MA Textiles is a family business that began as a dyeing house in Karachi. As it added customers, it also added printing and finishing services. Its products include towels, home textiles, apparel and fabrics. Each of the the company’s departments is capable of cutting and stitching up to 15,000 meters per day.