Grapo Technologies, a manufacturer of wide format hybrid and flatbed UV printers based in the Czech Republic, is demonstrating its innovative printing technology at FESPA 2011, being held May 24 to 27 in Hamburg. The Gemini system from Grapo Technologies, now proven in the market with more than a dozen successful installations, features a brand-new design and additional features that bring unique opportunities for the development of new printed applications in the sign and display graphics market. In addition, Grapo will be demonstrating the new and improved Shark printing system with cutter, loader and progressive XAAR 1001 Through Flow printing heads. Grapo Technologies can be found in Hall A1, Stand D10 at the show.
“The theme of FESPA 2011 is Evolution,” said Branislav Oravec, CEO of Grapo Technologies. “Visitors to our stand will experience how this theme is a pervasive element in Grapo’s corporate culture as reflected in the constant evolution of our product line to better serve customer needs. Visitors will see a new, improved version of our popular Shark hybrid roll/flatbed UV printer, as well as the powerful Gemini printing system, continuing the evolution of its innovative capabilities. Both Gemini and Shark have been recently equipped with progressive XAAR 1001 Through Flow printing heads. We are also pleased to announce that we are an even stronger company following our recent acquisition by a group of investors, who has provided additional financial stability and management structure to company. Our customers will benefit from our core value of developing printers for printers by printers, which is now augmented by an international team of experts that will further empower Grapo’s R&D, manufacturing, sales and technical support resources. These are extremely exciting times for both Grapo Technologies and our customers, opening the door to many new business opportunities as manufactures of signs and display graphics continue to transition their businesses from analog to digital production technologies.”
Since December of 2010, Grapo has installed more than a dozen Gemini systems in customer accounts, with another dozen expected to follow by the end of the second quarter of 2011. These early installs have provided the company with additional insight into how the product must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of a dynamic market. With speeds of up to 90 square metres per hour, Gemini offers double the speed of previous generation Manta printers when printing with white ink, at 15 to 30 square metres per hour. Gemini features CMYK, white ink and environmentally friendly UV printing, and is the ideal solution for screen printers seeking to move to more efficient digital technologies, as well as digital sign printers wishing to migrate their operations away from less environmentally friendly solvent printing solutions. Offset and flexo printers are also using Gemini for the cost-effective production of short-run samples and/or to diversify their product offerings. In addition to its high reliability and fast throughput, Gemini offers:
- 10 Xaar 1001 printing heads with a unique Through-Flow™ system and variable drop sizes from 6 to 42 picolitres for grayscale printing
- Unique proprietary Grapo ink supply system
- Single-pass printing of CMYK, white ink and CMYK, one of the first printers to bring this unique capability to market and especially important when printing on transparent substrates, such as acrylics, where images must be displayed on both sides
- Very high quality printing of skin tones and higher quality flat colours
- Energy-efficient operation
- Ability to print on a wide range of substrates, from irregularly shaped items, wood and glass to all types of plastic, vinyl and paper materials
New at FESPA 2011, Gemini now features continual adjustment of its UV lamps for higher reliability and increased operational consistency when printing on a variety of substrates. Gemini comes with a two-year warranty, another industry innovation, and is supported by a team of professional and experienced service and maintenance support among the best in the world.
Shark Hybrid UV Printer
In addition to Gemini, Grapo Technologies will again be featuring its highly popular fully-automated Shark hybrid UV printer with feeder/cutter options. The feeder/cutter option allows users to take advantage of Shark’s speed of up to 120 m2/hour without requiring two employees to staff the printer at all times. The Grapo Cutter, made by Aristo, allows finishing of a wide range of display products. Its versatility and its balance between quality and investment levels, provides the ideal finishing solution, critical for printers to achieve success in the world of digital sign and display manufacturing.
The four-colour Shark is a multifunctional system capable of printing on both flexible and rigid materials, producing high-quality greyscale images for a wide variety of display applications..
Shark prints at resolutions up to 960dpi and can image a maximum print width of 2010 mm with an unlimited print length. There is no degradation of speed regardless of whether the printer is operating in roll or sheet mode, a unique capability in the wide format market.
At the show, both Shark and Gemini will be printing on a wide range of substrates, including banners, PVC, foil, PVC forex, corrugated cardboard, glass, ceramic and wood.
“Our strategy has been and continues to be to partner with world-class suppliers in the manufacture of our printers,” added Oravec. “Both our Shark and Gemini printers use the latest in Xaar print heads, FUJI SERICOL inks and the Caldera RIP. Close co-operation with these and other market leaders increases the potential and performance of Grapo Technologies UV printing systems. These systems are also designed to offer a complete end-to-end solution that delivers an attractive ROI as well as the opportunity to deliver many new applications, both within the graphics industry and in packaging, interior design, furniture and more.”
