Heiner Rupperath | Director of Industrial Printing Business

Current conditions in the European textile machinery sector are unpredictable. While some areas of the industry are flourishing and are running smoothly, others are struggling due to many factors, such as the events in the past two years.

The pandemic is continuing, and war in Ukraine continues to rage. This creates a very difficult situation. These crises are having a huge impact on global society as well as economic systems. The rising inflation rate and increasing interest rates slow down investment every day. In addition to rising energy costs, more manufacturers are looking for machines that use less energy.

There are always new possibilities and threats in every crisis. We as a manufacturer will use the time to support our customers in these difficult times by providing new products such as our new ‘myze’ software platform to increase their business. We also try to minimize price hikes.

We are interested in any market, however we know that every market is unique. It is no surprise that the UK’s screen printing market and the Italian fashion industry are exceptional examples of major markets. Anyway, the diversity of innovative businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa are great and we also learn from our customers’ new applications.

However, at the moment we can see that many European producers are returning to Europe. This trend will likely continue over the next several years.

Our new GTX600 DTG printer was launched in 2022. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The new industrial printer can be used for large-scale production and offers new functions that help to create a more sustainable work environment. It also saves waste and maintains parts. There is also a demand for GTXpro Bulk and GTXpro Bulk models.

Industry cannot afford to not adopt IoT DTG printing. However, it is imperative to have a competitive production process. Digitalisation is moving forward due to the reshoring trend as well as sustainability enforcement.

Brother spent the last two decades listening to our customers and translating them into recent product launches. In case of hardware, we introduced the new GTX600 high-capacity printer, and we introduced the new ‘myze’ software platform during FESPA 2022 in Berlin. In the next few weeks, several other technologies will be released to our customers.

Local production in the MicroFactories format. Automated printing processes. Sustainable on-demand productions. The rising costs of raw materials, logistics, and energy will force all these developments. Another factor, which is equally important, is the lack of dedicated manpower.

Japan Brother’s headquarter created and launched Vision 2050 and Targets 2030, with specific goals to decrease CO2 impacts. The three goals of ‘Reduction in CO2 emissions’, ‘Resource Circulation’, and ‘Biodiversity Conservation’ set forth in Environmental Vision 2050 will help us achieve ‘At your side’ for the environment, focusing on sustainability and on leaving as small a footprint as possible, which At your side 2030 aims to pursue.

Our new products, the GTXpro Series Series or the GTX600 have already been influenced by these goals and values. They also include new technologies that reduce waste of inks as well as maintenance parts. We also digitalized our service with the introduction of the TECNET platform, which allows for better support and efficiency. 

The short-term objective is to provide support for our customers through these uncertain and challenging times, so we can all be successful. Our customers are always in touch with us and we can help them find individual solutions and respond to any challenges they face.

We aim to continue to improve technology, including hardware and consumables. Our ultimate goal is to be CO2-neutral (Scopes 1 & 2) in the long term.