Images_Digital_Edition_June_2019

Fespa took place in May in Berlin www.images-magazine.com 20 images JUNE 2019 Revi e w: Fespa Global Print Expo 2019 From new tunnel dryers and the latest DTG printers to multi-mug heat presses and a big name entry into the wide format digital printing arena, this year’s Fespa Global Print Expo had something for every garment and textile print shop. We highlight some of our favourite exhibits W e spent two days in Munich, the capital of Bavaria and home to Oktoberfest, pounding the halls at the Neue Messe München exhibition halls to find the highlights at this year’s Fespa Global Print Expo: there were plenty. MHM pushed the boat out with three product launches at the show. Last year, we spoke to Thomas Fröhlich, CEO (https://imagesmag.uk/mhm-fsp18) who outlined his development plans for a new integrated screen printing press and tunnel dryer configuration aimed at saving space in modern print shops. Twelve months later and, true to his word, Thomas unveiled the Compact Fusion, which allows “printing and drying in one step”, with pallets on an oval press passing below the elevated oven. Thomas explained that as well as offering a more compact footprint for space-challenged shops, the new machine, which has patents pending, also answers the needs of (primarily) overseas print shops that are operating multiple machines running different ink systems: the Compact Fusion will enable these customers to have dedicated lines for each process. For those that still prefer a standalone dryer solution, the new Maxi from Tesoma (now part of the MHM family) sits between the brand’s Mini and Compact dryers and is designed for use in a wide variety of different applications. It has an extended 2.4m drying zone, stepless and adjustable temperature and belt speed settings and is mounted on rollers so it can be easily moved around a shop floor. MHM recommends it for drying plastisols, Brightly coloured sportswear printed on the new HP Stitch dye sublimation textile printers water-based and solvent-based paints as well as digital printing inks and suggests that it is ideally suited for use on compact digital printers and/ or small screen printing carousels for small and medium volumes. The previous two Fespa shows have been notable for the number of new hybrid screen/digital systems on show. MHM continued this focus with another new exhibit – the Digital Pro V, which is billed as “the perfect digital starting solution”. The new kit turns an MHM press into a hybrid screen/digital printer and is said to be unaffected by external environmental influences