The technology was developed by the R&D Team at BelQuette Technologies for the PTM brand and joins the PTM Pretreat and T-Fold Machines as part of that international product lineup. It is exclusively distributed in the United States by ColDesi.
OneStep replaces traditional automatic pretreat machines and eliminates the need for the two heat presses most busy digital garment printing shops employ; one to dry the pretreated garments and one to cure the printed ones.
“The goal behind developing the OneStep pretreat and cure system was simple; to change the way our customers print for the better! And eliminating the ‘box’ and scorching that heat presses can cause, drastically reducing energy usage, improving workflow for better shop management, eliminating waste liquids and supplies have all been the result," says Director of Engineering, Brett Weibel.
The OneStep machine is revolutionizing DTG printing by changing the pre-treating and post curing process.
ColDesi reports that the OneStep precisely sprays a precise amount of pretreatment that is custom matched to the quadrant(s) of the design. The machine will also automatically flatten down fibers to reduce dreaded fibrillation. The OneStep then utilizes forced hot air directly through the garment to dry and cure, all in a single step. The kicker is that unlike other setups, the same machine can be used to cure the shirt once the print is done. This OneStep setup frees up the owner/operator to do other things rather than moving shirts back and forth.
The OneStep’s benefits include:
• Lower Costs of Materials
• Fewer Hassles & Waste
• Lower Power Bills
• Less Ambient Heat (a more comfortable work environment)
• Time/Labor Cost Savings
• Environmentally Friendly
Digital Product Manager, Don Copeland, says, “The OneStep represents the newest paradigm shift in the way we pre and post-process direct-to-garment shirts. Not since the industry transitioned from Wagner sprayers to automated pretreatment machines have, we seen such a significant improvement!”
The company reports the OneStep machine is also a great fit for screen printing shops. Unlike large electric or gas tunnel dryers (extremely energy inefficient) or conventional heat presses that leave less than desirable results, the OneStep intelligently cures prints quickly, efficiently and without ever touching the garment.
“We realized a better solution was needed to make perfect prints easier and more repeatable for users. And that entailed a radical change to address the problems of consistent pretreatment and curing. The OneStep incorporates years of our knowhow in pretreating, printing and curing technologies into a simple all-in-one super energy efficient solution. After all, DTG printers have gotten so much better in recent years, so should the rest of the process,” says Director of R&D, Mark Mombourquette.