touchpoint textile, a new special show for digital textile printing applications, will make its debut at drupa 2020 in Hall 4. The textile industry is opening up cross-sectional technologies for numerous sectors - touchpoint textile will bring these companies together, offers space for cross-sector cooperation, new projects as well as product and manufacturing ideas that will be vividly realized in a micro factory on site. drupa will be held from June 16 – 26, 2020 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

As the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, drupa will provide this forum to reflect the increasing importance of digital textile printing and to underline its status as a driving force of innovation and growth for new business areas within the print industry. The special show also represents the increasing establishment of drupa in new markets, which, in addition to textile printing, include packaging, large format printing, industrial and functional printing. All these segments are undergoing the same processes of change and offer enormous growth potential.

Support from leading industry experts

The two partners of touchpoint textile are Europe's largest textile research center, the German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF), and the non-profit association ESMA (European Specialist Printing Manufacturers Association).

Together with cross-industry partners, DITF will set up a Digital Textile Micro Factory at drupa, a fully networked, integrated production chain from customer specifications and design to fabric finishing. Demonstrating new possibilities for digitalization and direct customer interaction, such as 3D garment simulations with direct data transfer to virtual and augmented reality applications, the microfactory will demonstrate how digital textile printing, cutting and color management can be integrated in a fully connected production environment. A variety of products, such as flags, t-shirts and bags, will be fabricated “hot off the press” each day. Such networked production chains will enable the textile industry to react even faster and more specifically to customer wishes and trends in the future, even with small order quantities. The combination of agility, creativity, flexibility and productivity is considered the driver for success.

Partners and sponsors of the Digital Textile Micro Factory will be Assyst (3D simulation of digital twin garments), Vuframe (VR/AR), Mitwill (design network), Ergosoft and Caddon (RIP and color management), HP and Multiplot (large-format textile printing), Zünd (digital cutting), Juki (production and workflow), Dommer, berger textiles and Kaspar (sponsors). Another important partner is the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, which is simultaneously integrating new topics into its curriculum in order to prepare tomorrow’s employees for new challenges.

ESMA is in charge of the conference program, inviting speakers from research, development and industry to discuss printing and finishing technologies, workflows, market developments and sustainability. “Textile printing is expanding rapidly thanks to innovations in printing processes. Both, digital and conventional technologies, can contribute to this change, “, said ESMA General Manager Peter Buttiens. “We’re looking forward to demonstrating our expertise and know-how in textile applications to visitors at drupa’s touchpoint textile.”

Growing importance of textile printing

“Continued digitalization and cross-sectional technologies are drivers of innovation,” commented Sabine Geldermann, Director of drupa and Global Head of Print Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf. “drupa’s role is to be a source of momentum for our industry, fostering and shaping change. We’re committed to identifying all relevant issues and integrating them in our forums. The growth potential in textile printing is impressive. It’s against this backdrop that we are dedicating a special platform to these applications.” Digital textile printing will also be an important part of the exhibitors' range of products and services beyond the touchpoint textile special show. drupa visitors are thus guaranteed a 360-degree view of current developments and trends in textile printing.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at drupa 2020, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: [email protected]; Visit www.drupa.com and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago.