Printing United Expo: Innovation, Automation, and the Importance of Doing the Math

After attending Printing United in Las Vegas, I walked away with two very different impressions.

First, I saw some genuinely interesting innovation—technology that could make a real difference for DTF and textile printing operations.

But I also saw plenty of automation that, in my opinion, is trying to solve problems that may not actually exist in the way the manufacturers claim. In some cases, the technology looked somewhat impressive on the show floor but didn't necessarily make sense once you started doing the math.

And that's something I think our industry needs to talk about more.

The Sales Pitch vs. Reality

One of the things that caught my attention was the number of cutting systems being promoted for DTF production. We all hate cutting film with scissors or cutting tables, not to mention the safety issue with doing it this way.

I saw machines using X and X-Y cutting technology. On the surface, that sounds great. Automation? Faster cutting? Less labor? But if you're dealing with shorter runs and multiple pieces of different artwork, an X-Y cutter isn't going to be a game changer.  

The same thing happened with some of the automatic heat presses I saw. There were machines being advertised at production rates of 300-plus images per hour. That sounds impressive.

But here's the problem: do the math.

Watch the machine operate. Start a timer. Run it continuously. See how many completed images actually come out the other side in an hour. Most of them won't run it for an hour but see if they will run it for you for 5 minutes.

We watched one of these systems operate continuously for a couple minutes and then did the math. The actual production rate didn't come close to the advertised 300 images per hour. 

And this isn't about criticizing automation, or the manufacturing. Automation can be incredibly valuable. The issue is understanding what you're actually buying. A production number on a sales sheet isn't necessarily the same thing as your real-world production rate.

Trust, But Verify

There's an old saying: trust, but verify. I've always believed that applies particularly well when you're buying equipment. It's almost like raising teenagers. You trust them, but you still verify what they're telling you. (at least I did)

When you're talking about a piece of equipment that can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, I think the same principle applies. Don't simply accept the production number. Don't simply accept the salesperson's explanation.

Put a timer on it.

• Ask how the number was calculated.
• Ask what assumptions are built into that number.
• Does it include loading and unloading?
• Does it include positioning?
• Does it include operator interaction?
• Does it include the time required to actually complete the entire process?

And most importantly, can your shop realistically reproduce those numbers?

Sometimes the salesperson may not even know how to operate the equipment beyond the demonstration they've been trained to give. That's not necessarily malicious. They're working from the information they've been given.

But that's exactly why you need to do your own homework.

The Crowded Booth Isn't Always Where the Innovation Is

Another thing I found fascinating at Printing United was watching where people gathered. The booths belonging to the familiar names were packed.

That's understandable. People recognize the brands. They recognize the distributors, or people they've bought from before. But some of the most interesting textile innovation I saw was coming from manufacturers that weren't attracting nearly as much attention.

Some of those booths had very little traffic, and a lot of it was because of language barrier, or maybe just boring booth set up. Yet there was technology there that was genuinely interesting.

What you ask? Well I'll be sharing some more things we found in future blogs.

So when you walk through a trade show, don't assume the busiest booth necessarily represents the most interesting innovation.

Sometimes you have to walk into the quiet booth.

The Industry Still Wants the "Easy Button"

I think there's another important trend happening in DTF. People still want the easy button.

And I understand why.

If you're running a business, anything that reduces labor, training, maintenance, and complexity can be valuable. But there is a problem with expecting technology to eliminate the need for knowledge. DTF is still a process. 

There are multiple variables involved, and those variables interact with one another.

• Your printer matters.
• Your film matters.
• Your ink matters.
• Your powder matters.
• Your curing process matters.
• Your heat press matters.
• Your environment matters.
• Your maintenance matters.
• And, perhaps most importantly, the people operating the equipment matter.

You can automate portions of the process, but you can't necessarily automate understanding.

The Environment Matters More Than People Think

I've written about this in previous Imperial Insider articles, but after walking the show floor, I think it's worth repeating.

If you believe you're going to produce a consistently high-quality product while your production environment constantly fluctuates, you're setting yourself up for problems. Purchasing a 12-head printer and putting it in an uncontrolled environment is just asking for expensive problems!

We routinely hear from shops that immediately want to blame the printer or the supplies when something changes.

Then we start asking questions.

How hot is your shop?

How cold does it get overnight?

What's the humidity?

Where are your supplies stored?

What happens when the equipment starts up in the morning?

I've heard of shops operating above 90 degrees. I've also heard from shops where temperatures drop below 50 degrees overnight.

If your shop is cold overnight and you turn the heat on in the morning, the air temperature may change relatively quickly—but your film, ink, powder, and other materials don't necessarily change temperature at the same rate. Those materials need time to acclimate.

That can affect how the process behaves and, ultimately, the quality and consistency of your finished product.

This isn't unique to DTF.

Walk into large-format printing or packaging operations and you'll often find technicians whose job is to maintain the equipment, monitor the environment, troubleshoot problems, and protect the company's investment.

Why?

Because these companies understand that sophisticated production equipment doesn't simply take care of itself. DTF shouldn't be viewed any differently, just because it is less expensive.

Figure Out What Your Shop Actually Needs

I'm not writing this to insult equipment manufacturers, distributors, or salespeople. There is a tremendous amount of innovation happening in our industry, and we need it. DTF technology continues to evolve, and I believe we're still relatively early in that evolution.

But that also means we need to keep learning.

If you're thinking about adding DTF to your existing business—or you're already running a DTF operation—your staff needs to understand what actually affects the quality of the product.

• You need to understand the equipment.
• You need to understand your environment.
• You need to understand your consumables.
• You need to understand your production numbers.
• And you need to understand where the bottlenecks in your particular shop actually exist.

Figure out what you need first. Then find the equipment that addresses that need.

And when somebody tells you a machine can produce X amount an hour?

-----Get your timer out.

-----Run the machine.

-----Do the math.

Because at the end of the day, your shop doesn't operate on a sales brochure.

It operates in the real world.