Tech Watch: Innovative Digital Systems' Mach1 Digital System
by Brittany Willes
Plastics Decorating
The Mach1 digital printing system from Innovative Digital Systems, Indian Trail, North Carolina.
Innovative Digital Systems, a worldwide provider of custom digital printing integration systems with headquarters in Indian Trail, North Carolina, is providing customers with the ability to customize their printing experience by introducing the Mach1 digital printing system.
A high-speed LED or UV modular printing system, the Mach1 is capable of decorating a range of industrial products while offering several different drive system configurations. In addition to customizing the printing experience, the Mach1 allows for precision in product decorating through use of servo-controlled material handling technology.
"The Mach1 is a high-speed single-pass system," stated Darlene Putz, vice president of Innovative Digital Systems. "The system itself is customizable, meaning that customers have greater flexibility when selecting configurations." Customers are able to choose from a magnetic linear drive system with single or dual shuttle option, race track drive loop system, conveyor or roll-to-roll systems.
Each configuration has its own advantages. For instance, the race track drive loop configuration allows parts to be fed through the printer more quickly. "With the race track drive, customers are able to complete processes in real time all the way through to packaging and shipping," affirmed Putz. Furthermore, the Mach1 offers printing solutions for short runs or long production runs, with a quick changeover that can save customers valuable production time.
According to Putz, customers are pleased with the different configurations the Mach1 can provide.
"Customers have reported very positive experiences; they’ve been really happy with the flexibility and the features. For example, there’s an adaptation for height, between 9-12 inches, that gives customers greater flexibility when feeding products through the printers," Putz said. "Moreover, the system can be configured for many different widths, meaning there is a wider variety of sizes that can be fed through the printer. As a result, customers are getting a unique printing system more suited for their individual printing needs. The Mach1 is very industrial, allowing for high-volume and high-speed production."
Technical details
The Mach1 includes GIS RIP software, which utilizes XY scanning and single-pass applications for complex products, including ceramic tiles, labels, packaging, textiles, production decoration and 3D printing. The system accepts variable data for RIP and static/variable PDF RIP, and it includes customizable drivers and utilities. The system also supports GIF, PNG, BMP, TIF and JPG formats.
It has easy access bulk ink system containers, which allow for more economic delivery of ink to the print head control systems. A recirculator for white ink keeps pigment inks evenly mixed for precise control applications, and the sub tanks are vacuum-balanced.
The Mach1 has a native print resolution of 360dpi, with grey scale capabilities at 1-7 drops per pixel (3 bit data) and printing speeds of up to 80' per minute.
Floor dimensions measure at 48"(w) x 87"(l) x 82"(h) with a weight of 800lbs. The conveyor measures 12"(w) x 86"(l) and can be used in place of a linear motor or as an add-on option. It can be programmed to run continuously or set to index mode.