Zimmer Unveils New Screen Stripping Technology At ITMA

At ITMA 2023, Zimmer unveiled a new technology for Screen Stripping by displaying a machine. With the earlier screen stripping technologies, the screen could be reused only 4-5 times, but with the new Zimmer ironing technology, the screens can be reused atleast 10 times.

“There are many companies supplying waterjet stripping technologies in the market. But the new Zimmer technology, apart from stripping the screen, also irons the screen, which removes all the wrinkles on the screen and makes the screen look new,” Mr S Rajendran, Senior VP, A.T.E. Enterprises Pvt Ltd informed Textile Insights in an exclusive interview.

“This ironing process increases the reusability of the screens and with regards to reusing the screens, there are a few end users who have confirmed that they are reusing the screens for 14 times. Also, unlike other machines available in the market, Zimmer has magnetic squeeze for applying the print paste uniformly on the fabric,” he added.

Zimmer is a 140 years old company and are pioneers in printing technology. They are the first to introduce rotary printing technology in the market. Zimmer offers several printing technologies like Rotary printing machines, Flatbed printing machines, Digital printing machines and also Coating Machines.

According to Mr Rajendran, Zimmer has a very big global market share in fabric coating technology and have nearly 500 lines in operation around the world.

Zimmer also displayed a pilot prototype of an innovative Rotary printing machine, which is a duplex printing machine. The machine can print on both sides of the fabric at the same time. This technology will be particularly beneficial for African textile prints, where both sides of fabric need to be printed.

Zimmer Digital printing technology is also well known for printing on terry towels and carpets. But at ITMA 2023, Zimmer displayed a digital textile printer capable of also printing fashion fabrics.

“A.T.E. is collaborating with Zimmer since the past eight years and we have increased their market size in India.The more important point to note is that earlier, Zimmer Rotary printing machines were supplied to only Corporates or big textile mills,” Mr Rajendran informed.

“But we are now supplying these Rotary printing machines to stand-alone process houses of Indian market too. We also feel happy that the stand alone process house segment too is investing in technology upgradation,” he explained.

Mr Rajendran also said that A.T.E. has also created good references in the knit segment as against only woven segment in earlier years and that Zimmer holds highest market share in case of bed sheet printing in India and they have also supplied flatbed screen printing machines for printing terry towel fabrics.

“ITMA has been a very successful exhibition and we received many Indian customers in our stall. Also we finalised few orders during the exhibition and we are confident that we will be able to increase our Indian market share in the coming years,” he concluded by saying.