How to increase productivity for DTG pretreatment

Increasing productivity in DTG (Direct-to-Garment) pretreatment involves optimizing your workflow and processes. Here are some steps you can take to improve efficiency:

Use Efficient Pretreatment Machines: Invest a rotary fully automatic pretreatment machine that integrates a pretreatment machine, a dryer and a heat press, which can increase your output while reducing labor investment. Automated system can pretreat garments rapidly and consistently, freeing up manual labor for other tasks.

Standardize Pretreatment Process: Develop a standardized pretreatment process that minimizes variability and optimizes efficiency. This includes determining the ideal amount of pretreatment fluid required per garment in different sizes and setting precise application parameters including spray volume, spray speed, drying time, heat press temperature and time.

Automatic Working Mode:  The fully automatic working mode is adopted instead of the foot pedal mode, allowing the workstation to automatically rotate from loading station into spraying station, drying station, heat press station and unloading station. When the workbench completes a circle and returns to the unloading position, the unloading position light on the touch screen will turn green.

Optimize Drying Times: Use efficient drying methods to minimize the time required between pretreatment and printing. Enable both the dryer and the heat press to work to accelerate drying, while flatten down the fiber of shirts to make sure DTG printing result. Adjust the height of the dryer so that it is closer to the T-shirt to speed up drying. The dryer has 6 heating elements. If they are all turned on, the drying speed will be accelerated.

Choose a humanized machine design: The tube on the machine is directly put into the original vat of pretreatment fluid. You only need to place it on the ground. There is no need to divide it into small bottles and then put it on the machine. Then the high-pressure spray pump will pump it to the spray station, and spray it on the clothes through the spray valve and nozzle.

When the loading station rotates to the spray station and before spraying starts, the doors on the left and right sides of the spray chamber will automatically close to prevent the treatment liquid from spraying on the ground. The excess treatment fluid will flow to the large tray of the spray station, and then flow to the bucket under the tray for collection. This reduces the cleanup work.

Train and Cross-Train Staff: Ensure that your team is well-trained in pretreatment techniques and equipment operation. Cross-training employees on multiple tasks can help prevent bottlenecks during peak production periods. Make sure they know how to adjust the spray flow, spray speed, spray height, how to adjust the height of the dryer and how to turn on and off the six heating tubes of the dryer, how to set the dryer time, how to set the hot pressing temperature and heat Pressure time. Make sure they know how to replace the interchangeable base plate when needed for youth t-shirts, kid's t-shirts, etc. Make sure they know how to switch between fully automatic and pedal mode, etc.

Quality Control Measures: Implement robust quality control measures to catch issues early in the process. This reduces rework and ensures that pretreated garments meet printing standards on the first attempt.

Maintain Equipment Regularly: Keep pretreatment machines and related equipment well-maintained to prevent breakdowns and ensure consistent performance. Regular servicing and cleaning can prevent unexpected downtime. Add lubricating oil regularly to the places where lubricating oil should be added. Prepare some important accessories so that they can be replaced as soon as possible when the machine breaks down.

By implementing these strategies, you can increase the efficiency and productivity of your DTG pretreatment process, ultimately improving overall workflow and output.