On-demand Thread Coloring Technology by Inkjet Printing

抄録

Embroidery is a craft which has been used to adorn textiles. With the traditional method of embroidery, color design is constrained by the limited number of threads that can be used. Another issue is having to keep vast amount of threads in stock. To overcome these issues, Ricoh has been collaborating with Coloreel Group AB, a Swedish technology innovation company, to develop an on-demand thread coloring unit. The unit dyes a thread by using inkjet printing technology. With the new method, the ability of expressing color is dramatically increased and allows the generation of unique designs. Also, the unit allows thread inventory to be reduced.

This article describes the advantages of the thread coloring unit against conventional embroidery machines. New technologies specifically developed to realize a high-quality thread coloring system are also introduced, including a highly accurate carriage stop position mechanism that differs from that of a conventional printer.