Seiko Epson Corporation a pioneer of digital textile printing, announces two new innovation hub which will join Epson’s established Textile Solution Center in Como, Italy. With the opening of the new facilities, Epon, For. Tex and F.lli Robustelli have realized their vision to create a worldwide hub for the digital textile printing industry based in Italy.

The Innovation Research Lab, focusing on ink technology R&D, has been created by Epson together with For.Tex. The Printing Research Center, in collaboration with F.lli Robustelli, a major player in production engineering for textile printers and recently acquired by Epson, will aid future development of Epson inkjet core technology dedicated to textile printing.

Sunao Murata, chief operating officer, of Epson's Professional Printing Operations Division said that they are delighted to announce the establishment of the Innovation Research Lab and The Printing Research Center in Como. These state-of-the-art R&D facilities symbolise Epson's strong commitment to accelerating the development of digital textile inkjet printing both in the Como region and the rest of the world.

The use of digital technologies for printing drawings, patterns and visual effects on textiles and other surfaces is well established and growing quickly, replacing traditional analogue technologies in several areas. Digital technologies used in industrial volume production create a challenge for inks and auxiliary chemical compound manufacturers. The digital printing market is constantly evolving with customers requesting products capable of supporting the complete manufacturing cycle and that ensure quality, productivity and reliability without compromise due to technological innovation.

With the aim of researching and developing new inks for industrial digital printing on a wide array of materials, the Innovation Research Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and is staffed with a team of highly-skilled technologists and researchers (chemical engineers, chemical analysts, lab technicians, etc.). The Lab is committed to research that will increase industrial ink performance and sustainability on behalf of Epson.

The Printing Research Center, located in F.lli Robustelli' head office, will aid product development of inkjet core devices, ensuring the continued development of the highest quality textile printers for Epson.