Bliss Impex, an international manufacturer of synthetic textiles, printing fabrics and apparel fabrics, has invested in four Durst Alpha systems – three Alpha 190 Reactive machines and one Durst Alpha 180 printer for polyester work – in a digital revolution that will double business volumes and turnover within five years.
The cost-effective, proven digital technology provides industrial scale production of over 10,000,000 linear meters a month and is expected to replace Bliss Impex’s conventional textile printing set-up within three years. The Delhi, India-based company has pledged to invest in more systems from Durst, manufacturer of advanced digital and production technology, in a seismic change to industrial digital textile production.
Brand owners and designers are increasingly demanding that their orders are printed on the four Durst production systems to benefit from fast turnaround requirements where orders can be processed and delivered within two days, instead of a previous typical 15-30 day cycle.
With virtually no wastage, no limitations to colour configurations and GOTS-certified inks, Bliss Impex is confident of fast-track future growth. The Alphas use the Durst One-Step GOTS-certified reactive ink, which was specially developed for the Alpha Series of printers.
“This is the future,” said Ekansh Jain, Director of Bliss Impex. “Durst’s cost-effective and proven technology in a price-sensitive market is revolutionising our business. The machines are incredibly flexible with no limitations on colour. We can print on an endless list of materials with the Alphas, including many that used to need pre-coating. The quality gives us a competitive edge, the sharpness and brightness really stand out. Buyers and designers are most impressed and are even asking for digital printing.
“As one example of how we are opening up new opportunities with brands, H&M needed to print on sushi voil for a ladies’ garment and we completed the 300,000 linear meter order within 20 days. It couldn’t have been done conventionally in that timescale because we needed many different colour and lots of merging. The incredible quality speaks for itself. This is a seismic shift in the industry as people are being educated to the benefits of digital. This has been a real partnership approach with Durst, which provides world-class support and service. It could be in as little as three years that our unit here runs completely on digital.”
The four Durst machines and are a major part of a €6million investment in a temperature-controlled digital production center for Bliss Impex group, which employs 300 people in total and has a €17.5 million turnover.
Rajiv Verma, Managing Director of Durst India, said: “Bliss Impex is a first-class example of how production requirements for short-run orders, high quality, fast delivery and the ability to quickly respond to market trends are driving the digital transformation. We’ve come a very long way in a short space of time. Digital is the future.”
Martin Winkler, Segment Manager, Durst Textile Printing, said: “We know from our own experiences that buyers and designers are also constantly driving change, particularly now that ink prices are at an attractive level for users. Cost transparency and predictability are crucial. We’ve worked closely in a partnership approach with Bliss Impex, which is using proven technology to push the barriers and innovations in textiles. This is a redefinition of the production processes.”
