Ionline Corporation (FlexJetTM Large-Format Ink Jet Printer)
"We needed a kernel that was reliable and had been tested on the MPC 855 processor. The Nucleus PLUS kernel caught our attention right away because of its technical merit and successful reputation in the embedded market." --Kevin Reed, engineering manager, Ioline
Nucleus Chosen for Ioline's FlexJet™ Inkjet Printer Designed for Apparel Manufacturers
The FlexJet™ inkjet printer
The FlexJet™ is the first upgradeable high-speed, wide-format inkjet printer designed specifically for the intricate marker-making needs of apparel manufacturers. This maintenance-free printer works with any CAD system and helps clients optimize cutting-room operations with throughput that is up to 2 times faster than any other marker inkjet.
Simply put, the FlexJet prints paper patterns or markers for sewn garment production. The process begins with a pattern maker creates electronic templates for each part of the unsewn garment (sleeves, cuffs, etc.) and optimally positions them to minimize wasted material on output. The apparel manufacturer then prints the marker file from the FlexJet printer. The markers, which can run as long as 100 feet, are pinned to stacks of cloth stretched over tables of the same length. Using cutters reminiscent of electric meat carvers, workers cut along the printed outlines thus cutting the cloth underneath into the shapes needed to make a garment. The stacks of cloth pieces are then taken to another facility and sewn together into garments.
Nucleus Selected for the FlexJet™
Developers at Ioline decided that they needed a reliable and robust real-time kernel that had been proven in a variety of embedded products. The Nucleus PLUS kernel is portable, highly optimized and scalable-it can be scaled down to as small as 17KB, for both code and data, on the Motorola PowerPC 855 processor.
The Nucleus PLUS kernel also had a successful reputation for being the foundation for embedded applications ranging from medical devices and industrial controls to consumer electronics and telecommunications devices. Other enticing features of the Nucleus software package included the open and well-documented source code and no-royalty fees business model. Developers could now save money by not passing on the costs of royalty fees to their customers.
Mentor Graphics is known in the embedded industry for their dedicated technical support team that guarantees a response to customers within 24 hours. Kevin Reed, engineering manager at Ioline, said, "Mentor Graphics' technical support is fantastic. We were never disappointed when we had a question and the group always came through for us quickly when we were in a pinch."