Swiss printer manufacturer Lüscher-Tschudi announces today its strategic partnership with Caldera, whereby the French print software innovator has developed an OEM version of GrandRIP+ to drive the company’s 3.2m textile printer, the T-REX 320. The combination allows those entering this expanding market achieve quality results across high-speed runs for soft signage and industrial textile applications. 

Lüscher-Tschudi combines its Swiss reputation for quality manufacturing with a innovative but experienced approach to engineering. The T-REX 320 is built for accuracy, featuring a specially engineered fabric loading and transportation system to avoid banding. Incorporating Konica Minolta 1024i print-heads in a four- or 16-head configuration and available with four or eight colours, this new printer – which can hit an impressive 120sq m/hour in top quality mode – can be used with water-based, disperse dye or reactive dye inks and includes an in-line fixation unit and dryer. 

Caldera’s GrandRIP+ allows users to extract the ultimate power and precision from this strong new challenger in the digital textile market. Native features within the company’s award-winning software include color management functions crucial to top-quality image reproduction onto fabrics, as well as media and ink optimisation to help owners avoid consumables waste. For true industrial production of decorative and functional textiles, T-REX 320 owners can upgrade to the newly launched Caldera TextilePro suite to benefit from RGB workflow and pattern options. 

To take full advantage of T-REX 320’s top production speed of 230sq m/hour – enabled by GrandRIP+ – businesses are encouraged to consider Lüscher-Tschudi’s Quickfix Neo fixation unit. Available in widths between 2.6 and 3.2m, each of which matches the printer’s top speed, the Quickfix Neo brings integrated heat extraction, thermal cutting, variable speeds and excellent thermal stability. Lüscher-Tschudi also offers consultancy to businesses entering the digital textile area as part of its ‘Swiss Solution’. 

Lüscher-Tschudi has led innovation in digital textile printing since 1999, making it a logical partner for Caldera. Both companies are renowned for their partner-based approach to developing solutions for soft signage and industrial textile and are committed to providing a new vision for the market. Recognising the importance of such collaboration, the companies’ CEOs provide different visions for this unfurling of the market. 

“As the textile market unfolds over a key year in event programming, with FESPA Digital and ITMA taking place soon, Lüscher-Tschudi is aligned and prepared for its ongoing production needs,” state Werner Tschudi and Hans Lüscher, both CEOs of the Swiss company. “Our experience across the screen, digital and textile worlds has led us to their convergence in 2017. It’s thanks to forward-thinking partners like Caldera that we are able to deliver the precise, versatile machinery the business now needs.” 

Caldera is celebrating its many partnerships across print and further afield as part of its 25th anniversary in 2016 – a strategy CEO Joseph Mergui has pursued since he founded the company. He concludes: “Our exploration of textile with partners such as Lüscher-Tschudi is helping us improve production times for fashion and economies of scale for local industry. By building bridges between processes that have not before spoken the same language we are creating benefits for companies around the world. We look forward to celebrating both them and our mutual customers through 2017 and beyond.”