We will want to consider a rotary heat press calender which can offer much faster production speeds when our sublimation printing operation is geared more towards high volume printing of textiles, sports- and fashionwear, or we wish to print long lengths of the substrate (for example, banners and flags). And today’s blog will introduce the science behind the industrial heat press machine.
Rotary press machines have a cylindrical felt covered drum, which is filled with oil. The oil is heated to the required temperature (200°C) creating an even and stable heat across the entire width of the drum. For roll-to-roll printing, rolls of the substrate and printed transfer paper are transported together around the heated drum, remaining in contact with the drum for a given length of time. A roller is used to apply tension to the tubular felt, which in turn applies pressure to the substrate and paper, holding it against the heated drum to facilitate the sublimation process. Separate rollers may also transport ‘protection paper’, which is used to prevent any excess gas that doesn’t sublimate into the substrate from transferring to the felt on the drum, (which could lead to the unwanted transfer of the dye back onto the roll of the substrate).
Standard features of an industrial heat press machine from Sublistar, are likely to include a fabric unwinder, tensioning device, contact-winder for the printed substrate, an unwinder and winder for the printed paper, and an unwinder and winder for the protection paper, plus a built-in cool-down timer, which also increases productivity.
For further information and more specific advice on the available rotary heat press calender options for wide format dye sublimation printing, or to arrange a demonstration, please contact us. Our team will provide you with the best service and products. Thank you for your reading.
