COMPARISON
Drum Diameter 200 / 320 / 600 / 1000 mm — Which Size Fits Your Production?
Dwell time, throughput, CAPEX and floor space — how the four standard calender drum diameters map to real production scenarios.
Drum diameter is the single most important spec on a sublimation calender. A larger drum wraps more fabric around the hot surface at once, so each square centimetre gets longer dwell time at the same speed — or the same dwell at a much higher speed. This guide compares Mearic's four standard drums — Ø200, Ø320, Ø600 and Ø1000 mm — and helps you match them to your real output.
Small-Diameter (Ø200 – Ø320 mm) Fits Entry and Mid-Volume Shops
A Ø200 mm drum (MC compact) and Ø320 mm drum (MM mid-range) suit workshops that print mixed piece products — sportswear panels, flags, banners, lanyards, mousepads and short yardage runs. Dwell time is delivered by running slightly slower rather than by a wider contact arc, which is fine at daily targets up to roughly 800–1,500 linear metres per shift. Advantages: smallest footprint, shortest warm-up, lowest electrical demand and the most accessible CAPEX. Ø200 and Ø320 machines fit through standard factory doors, run on single transformers, and suit boutique operations where the line is started and stopped several times a day. Trade-off: the drum caps out on speed, and heavy fabrics needing long dwell force you to slow the line.
Large-Diameter (Ø600 – Ø1000 mm) Fits Industrial Export Volume
A Ø600 mm drum (MB industrial sweet spot) and Ø1000 mm drum (MB / MR export-tier) are built for continuous roll-to-roll yardage, wide soft signage, home textile, and any 2- or 3-shift operation targeting five-figure daily metres. The larger circumference creates a far longer contact arc, so the fabric sees firm, uniform heat for the full dwell window even at 6–15 m/min line speeds. Oil-heated construction becomes standard in this class, holding setpoint under sustained load across the entire working width. Advantages: highest sustained throughput, deepest colour saturation on heavy fabrics, and the headroom to run wide-format 2200–3300 mm yardage without slowing down. Trade-off: higher CAPEX, more floor space, longer warm-up, and a proper oil circuit.
How to Choose: A Four-Question Decision Framework
Before you pick a drum size, answer four questions honestly about your real production — not the production you hope to have in five years. (1) What is your daily metre target? Up to ~1,000 m / shift of mixed work lives comfortably on Ø200–Ø320. 1,500–4,000 m / shift is the natural home of Ø600. Above 4,000 m or 24/7 operation is Ø1000 territory. (2) What is the widest fabric you print? If you stay under 1,700 mm and handle mostly piece products, a compact drum works. If you regularly run 2,200 mm or 2,600 mm rolls, you need Ø600 minimum to keep heat uniform across the full width. (3) Is line speed or saturation your constraint? If operators complain about pale transfers on heavy polyester, dwell is the bottleneck — bigger drum. If transfers are fine but the line cannot keep up with the printer, speed is the bottleneck — again, bigger drum. (4) What is your scale-up plan? The MC → MM → MB-600D → MB-1000D path lets you grow without re-engineering your layout — plan the floor space, power and exhaust for the next step, not just today's.
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Not Sure Which Drum Fits Your Line?
Send us your daily metre target, fabric widths and product mix. We will map your numbers to the correct drum diameter, working width and heating configuration, and return a written quote with the Mearic model that fits — no upsell.
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