The deal for the Como-based family business, through Epson Italia, was agreed earlier this week.
Epson said that as well as broadening the global reach of Robustelli-built printers, the deal was part of a strategy to accelerate the development of a broader range of its own portfolio of inkjet textile devices. Its range currently consists of the SureColor SC-F series of dye-sub printers – headed by the 1.6m-wide SC-F9200, capable of 56sqm/hr in production mode.
“Robustelli is the market leader in high-quality textile printing, so the fact that we now own it is very good for Epson and very good for Robustelli, because they can now have access to our worldwide infrastructure,” said Duncan Ferguson, executive director, Professional Printing & Robotics, Epson Europe.
“And from a development side we now have the technical know-how on building high-quality, high-productivity textile machinery.”
Robustelli’s Monna Lisa range of industrial digital textile printers, which are available in widths of 1.8m, 2.2m, and 3.2m, are capable of up to 990sqm/hr.
The devices use Epson Type-T2 heads and run acid, reactive, disperse or pigment Genesta inks, manufactured by Epson-owned For.Tex.
“We have had a very long relationship with Robustelli, so in many ways this a very natural progression,” said Ferguson.
Robustelli has sales of €12m (£9.2m) and employs around 25 staff. It is understood that the firm’s existing management team will remain in place, but Sunao Murata, chief operating officer of Epson’s Professional Printing Operations division, will become president.
“We will work closely with our colleagues at Robustelli to take Monna Lisa to the next level and remain leaders in the field,” he said.
The Robustelli deal follows the group’s acquisition last year of the remaining 50% stake in For.Tex, also based in Como, Italy, which manufactures textile inks and treatment agents. It took the initial 50% stake in 2012.
Following the deal, Epson established a Textile Solutions Centre at For.Tex, for textile demonstrations, trials and internal and external training.
