The Brazilian firm Portobello invests in the new Durst Gamma XD series

Even before its official presentation last week at Tecnargilla 2014, the new Gamma XD series from Durst has secured its success. In fact Portobello, a leading Brazilian ceramic tile manufacturer, has ordered 4 new Gamma XD printing systems following an exclusive demonstration conducted at the Durst facility in Bressanone. Portobello first adopted digital decoration with a Durst system in 2011, since when it has continued to upgrade the production department with the installation of six Gamma 75 printers. The purchase of the new Gamma XD printers marks a new step forward in an ongoing process of innovation and investment with the aim of increasing production capacity to 27 million sq.m.

One of the main reasons that led Portobello to opt once again for Durst technology was the technological innovations offered by the new series of Durst Gamma XD ceramic inkjet printers, in particular their modular design and the integrated auto-maintenance function.

"We are renowned for our focus on design and quality, as a result of which our floor and wall tiles are in demand not only in Brazil but throughout Latin America. We export to 54 different countries," said Stefano Galli, Portobello's Design and Development manager. "To keep pace with trends and at the same time maintain a high level of productivity, we need the very best technology available. We chose Durst in 2011 because it offered the best printing systems along with an excellent service. Still today we are astonished by the company's capacity for constant innovation. Durst's Gamma XD now brings further technological progress in that it makes us entirely self-sufficient in terms of maintenance and allows for real 24/7 production."

According to Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst Phototechnik AG, the latest order from Portobello demonstrates the new Gamma XD's ability to meet the needs of the market. It is, he says, "just a foretaste of the success that this technology will enjoy after the Gamma XD series and the new digital glazing line concept are officially presented to an international audience".

Gamma 98 XD and Gamma 148 XD, the two printing systems presented by Durst at Tecnargilla 2014, feature a modular series of colour bars (from 3 to 8) and printing widths of 319-956 mm (Gamma 98XD) and 319-1403 mm (Gamma 148XD). The printheads on the new XD series adopt the latest High Definition Printhead Technology by Durst with double ink recirculation. This, together with the new Adaptive Dot Placement Technology, guarantees banding-free printing, high image quality and colour uniformity.

The new printheads are simple to set up and if necessary can be quickly and easily replaced by the operator. The new cleaning system also ensures a long printhead lifetime with extended production cycles and without releasing ink onto the conveyor belt. The new Gamma XD series decorates tiles with a print resolution up to 300x1000 dpi and has four greyscale levels and ink drop sizes up to 90 pl.

Alongside the Gamma XD series, Durst has also presented its new "Digital glazing line" concept at Tecnargilla 2014, a major innovation that will drive the next revolution in ceramic production: synchronisation of digital decoration with digital glazing. This will make it possible to achieve new levels of efficiency and creativity with production on-demand, streamlining the entire process from the computer through to the finished product without any halts in production.