Hardware - Industrial Print

Running up to FESPA (Hamburg, Germany), Agfa Graphics announced a new member in the successful :Jeti series. With the :Jeti 5048 UV XL Agfa targets the 5 metre ultra wide UV curable inkjet market, an application segment that is becoming more important every day. The :Jeti 5048 UV XL will be available in two models. Model one is designed to address high productivity applications such as building wraps and XXL billboards with throughput speeds close to 300m2/hour, delivering one of the fastest industrial strength ultra-wide UV presses in the market. Model two is designed to offer higher quality output for both XXL and/or POS applications (Point Of Sale). Both models of the 5048 UV XL support simultaneous printing of up to three rolls of the same media type.

The new :Jeti 5048 UV XL features 48 heads and supports an extensive series of print quality modes to allow the best balance between quality and speed on almost all flexible media.

In designing the system, special attention has been given to the media loading and transport, which provides an operator friendly solution for loading heavy 5m rolls together with a reliable and consistent media transport. The multi-roll option also allows for different roll sizes to be fed at the same time, maximizing media usage in busy print shops. A vacuum plate for reliable handling of thin media, such as PE, is standard along with an integral waste trough for building mesh applications.

With the :Jeti 5048 UV XL's UV curing, no special pre-treatment of substrates is necessary. Agfa Graphics' UV curable inks are VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) free, making the system both versatile and environmentally friendly.

At Fespa Digital 2011, Agfa will show a complete range of applications for wide format printing. Fespa visitors can see live demonstrations on :Jeti AquaJet, :Jeti 1224 HDC FTR, :Jeti 3020 Titan and :Jeti 5048 UV XL, :Anapurna M2050 and :Anapurna M1600. Agfa Graphics will also present applications from the successful :M-Press Tiger targeting the industrial high-end digital printing market.

New for this year's Sign & Digital UK (Birmingham, UK), ISA (Las Vegas, US) and FESPA (Hamburg, Germany), Agfa Graphics introduces the latest model in the popular :Anapurna range to the wide-format market - M1600. This new UV -curable printer both delivers the productivity of the :Anapurna M2050 engines in a 1.6 metre width at a maximum speed up to 46m²/h, and :Anapurna M1600 users benefit from white ink printing and the company's flexible G2 inks. :Anapurna M1600 is designed for applications on the latest rigid substrates including mirrors or plexi-glass and roll to roll substrates that demand more flexibility including banners and exhibition graphics.

Reliable white printing

The new :Anapurna M1600 answers customer demands for the white ink printing capabilities already proven in the competitive :Anapurna Mw and :Anapurna M2050 whilst producing the additional speed associated with the :Anapurna M2050 and :Anapurna M2. The white ink function offers print service providers new possibilities for printing on transparent material and offers an ideal solution for backlit or combined front and backlit applications. Digital white can even be used as a spot colour to focus on certain parts of an image. And to ensure maximum reliability while printing with white, the :Anapurna M1600 has a dedicated white ink mixing and circulation system .

Efficient Production

Designed as a robust production unit, :Anapurna M1600 combines quality output with ease of use for all types of applications up to a width of 1.58m and 4.5 cm thickness on rigid media. Flexible media handling and a two-zone vacuum table, give additional strength for dealing with a wide range of substrates varying in size and thickness.

Built on the proven :Anapurna M2050 platform, it offers the same consistent high output quality for applications where detailed rendering, graduated tints and sharp text are essential.

":Anapurna M1600 is a production workhorse designed to guarantee consistent high quality output even under peak workloads," said Willy Van Dromme, Marketing Manager for Wide Format Inkjet at Agfa Graphics. "This system gives the best-fit printing mode because every application requires a particular balance between speed and quality. We also made the :Anapurna M1600 it easy to use. Media loading and changing from rigid to flexible materials is fast and straightforward, and the system features a very intuitive operator interface. In fact we integrated all the best features from the :Anapurna M2050."

The :Anapurna M1600's four-colour (CMYK) plus white capability and its 12 picolitre print-heads produce high quality solids and tonal rendering at up to 720 x 1440 dpi with vibrant colours and a wide colour gamut typical for UV curable inks. White is printed in-line with the other colours, so printing pre-white, post-white or spot white is carried out in the same printing pass.

The :Anapurna M1600 welcome addition to Agfa Graphics' wide-format portfolio is indicative of the company's continuing investment and commitment to the digital print market which now includes solutions for all applications and budgets.

Today, Inca Digital Printers announces the launch of the Inca Onset S40, the latest addition to its market-leading Inca Onset range of wide-format UV flatbed inkjet printers. Positioned between the flagship, super high productivity Inca Onset at 750sqm/hr (8,073 sqft/hr)* and the Inca Onset S20 at 310 sqm/hr (3,340 sqft/hr)*, the new Inca Onset S40 prints at up to 470 sqm/hr (5,059 sq ft/hr)*.

Alongside the other products in the range, the Inca Onset S40 has been engineered to provide outstanding levels of performance, ‘best-in-class’ quality and flexibility at low cost per print. It meets the high-volume, fast-turnaround production needs of specialist display print companies, using up to 168 new-generation, user-replaceable, printheads (28 per colour) on a full width print bar delivering a 27 picolitre drop size. This, combined with Inca’s precision ink drop placement, produces superb 600dpi print quality with the option of four or six colours using Fujifilm’s UVijet OB ink.

With the addition of the Onset S40 to the Inca Onset range there are now 18 different Onset configurations available, offering a choice of productivity levels and ink options. This enables companies to pick the right model, at the best price, performance and, therefore, return on investment (ROI) for their business.  Supplied by Fujifilm, Inca’s exclusive global distribution partner, the new Inca Onset S40 will be shown publicly for the first time worldwide on the Fujifilm stand (Hall A4-B10) at Fespa Digital Hamburg, 24-27th May 2011.

Offering the features associated with the Inca Onset range, including wide colour gamut, satin and controllable gloss levels, variable job management and the option of automation, the Onset S40 produces superb POS-quality display graphics economically at throughput speeds of up to 470 sqm/hr (5,059 sq ft/hr), equivalent to 94 full bed sheets/hr (3.14 x 1.6m) and onto substrates up to 50mm (2in) thick. A choice of uni-directional, bi-directional and super high quality print modes can be selected depending upon specific job requirements. As a result, the versatile Onset S40 is ideal for the production of single and double-sided display POS, exhibition graphics, backlit/frontlit displays, outdoor signage printing and cosmetic/fashion graphics etc.

At this throughput level, production efficiency is important to ensure maximum productivity and cost-efficiency with minimal downtime in order to deliver the best ROI. As a result, the Inca Onset S40 is compatible with Inca’s flexible automation system which offers customers the choice to operate in manual, semi or three-quarter automation from the same configuration, as well as Inca’s Print Run Controller (PRC) software module.

The first Onset S40 in the world has been installed at Kolorcraft (www.kolorcraft.com) in Ossett, UK. The POS specialist has rigorously tested the new printer over the past few months, experiencing significant benefits to its business by being able to mirror its retail client’s objectives and maximise their budgets.
 
“The success of the Inca Onset and Onset S20 printers worldwide over the past three years has raised the quality bar in digitally printed graphics and demonstrated the considerable market for fast turnaround, quality display graphics on a wide range of materials and at a competitive price. It quickly became apparent that there continues to be a strong market for an Onset with all the features and functionality that it offers,” says Dr Linda Bell, Inca Digital CEO. “The Onset S40 is the logical next step for us in our printer portfolio. It fits nicely into the market and is highly competitive. Many companies are starting to invest in multiple Onsets, and we are giving them the flexibility to mix and match the models to suit their customer’s needs and production requirements and provide room for growth.”

* With automation

EFI is bringing to this year's Sign & Digital UK the fruits of its experience across all wide-format inkjet technologies and RIP and production solutions. To add to its leading UV-curable solutions for display producers and sign-makers, the company is demonstrating for the first time its trend-setting EFI VUTEk TX3250r 3.2 m dye sublimation fabric printer, which is a result of the growing demand from users wanting the ability to print onto greener textile materials.

Thanks to dye sublimation technology, the TX3250r dyes fibre directly so the textile retains the original look and feel that users prefer. It offers brighter colours than other textile printing methods and is completely odourless. Selected printed textiles can be folded without leaving folding marks.

EFI's new fast drying ink enables the TX3250r to print at speeds up to 100 sq.m. direct to textile and transfer paper (for dying polyester-coated rigid or flexible substrates). Flags can be printed at this high speed in high definition and with excellent colour saturation on both sides.

"We are very excited to be adding the TX3250r to our leading portfolio of superwide format products," said EFI VUTEk's general manager Scott Schinlever. "It is an outstanding example of EFI bringing innovation to the market. The TX3250r offers unrivalled print quality and saturated colours for wide-format textile at production speeds, so our customers can tap into high-growth applications."

The new printer's industrial design makes it suitable for 24/7 operations. It evolved from EFI's original VUTEk® FabriVu printer concept, which was introduced in 2002 as the first industrial inkjet textile printing solution. Designed to print direct-to-textile or indirect via a transfer process, and incorporating sublimation dyes from Hilord that produce rich, durable colours on all polyester-based materials, the new EFI VUTEk TX3250r is easy to use as the key element of an integrated production system.

Used in conjunction with the Klieverik calender, the resulting output can be used for a broad selection of end applications, including soft signs, banners, point-of-sale and flags. In addition, the new solution from EFI also accommodates the growing popularity for home and commercial décor, including wall coverings and furnishings.

Running continuous demonstrations in a production environment at Sign & Digital UK, EFI's complete fabric solution includes finishing on a Solent industrial sewing machine and is complemented by a range of textiles from leading supplier Georg + Otto Friedrich, many of which are recyclable. These are produced specifically for wide-format digital production, offering a soft hand, durability, colourful finishes, and the extra benefits of light weight and ease of installation in a variety of end applications.

Sign & Digital UK will also see EFI's latest software options for sign-makers and display producers, designed to enhance accurate, colour-managed workflow. These include the latest version of the Fiery XF RIP, as well as management solutions such as PrintSmith Sign, which are designed to help businesses run more efficiently. The company will also feature full details of its families of UV-curable printers and complementary products.

Contact Photographic Services Ltd (CPS), which specialises in high quality digital display printing, has become the 2000th company throughout the world to invest in Océ’s multi award-winning Arizona print production system. 

Exceptional print quality and speed, plus the ability to print white ink for the first time digitally, is already opening new expansion opportunities for CPS, which was founded more than 20 years ago and employs 15 people from its Manchester-based headquarters. This is the third Océ Arizona for the large format specialist, which first purchased an Océ Arizona 250 GT in 2007 before taking an Océ Arizona 350 GT two years later and now upgrading to the super-fast Océ Arizona 550GT.

Océ’s Arizona is the world’s biggest-selling flatbed print production system and outsells all its competitors put together.  Central to the global success has been exceptional print quality, which now means it can be used for silk-screen printing preparatory work.

“People know our reputation for fine art finished products, said Andrew Bruce, head of printing at CPS Ltd. “We do a lot of museum work, which stipulates extremely high quality printing, and now more and more of our work is being printed on the Océ Arizona, which has a fantastic print quality and is super-fast. Really fine detail is achieved and 6pt text can be read easily. One of the additional benefits is that we now can do white ink on the machine. The registration between the colour and the white is exceptional, which was the case when we did full-size colour proofs for Dulux on the Arizona.”

CPS, which has been an Océ customer for 15 years, was using the latest Arizona within 24 hours of it arriving in Manchester. “We needed to print 42 8ft by 4ft panels, which was done on the same day,” said Andrew Bruce. “The same job on the Arizona 250 would have taken four days and about two and a half days on the Arizona 350. Production speed has rocketed and the quality is just as good.”

Steve Phythian, Managing Director of CPS, said: “Business has been steadily increasing and things are looking extremely positive for 2011, which is why we took the positive decision to invest in another Océ Arizona production system. The digital side, in particular, is progressing really well. This is an extremely important future for the industry.”

Dominic Fahy, Océ UK’s Imaging Supplies and Display Graphics Business Group Director, said: “CPS has been a loyal Océ customer, realising the outstanding quality and productivity of the Océ Arizona that is adding real value to their business as they continue to expand. The Arizona range is excellent and provides near-photographic quality output. This in combination with the best direct service support organisation in the industry helps enable our valued customers like CPS to invest again and again in confidence because they know Océ is a professional and capable solution provider.”

Owing to a relatively strong national economy and astute business planning, commercial imagers and digital print providers across Canada made sizable investments in capital equipment—specifically, wide-format digital imaging platforms—over the last 12-15 months, evidenced by the significant number of Durst Rho UV production inkjet printers installed during that period, Durst Image Technology US LLC said.

This development suggests that production digital imaging has become a primary—if not the primary—printing technology for Canada's vibrant signage and display industries. The newest Rho printers equipped with the most advanced imaging and workflow technologies are at work in imaging businesses located in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and a variety of communities in between, Durst said.

"You'll find our Durst printers at Canadian ICON Digital in Richmond Hill, Holland & Crosby in Toronto, SCL Imaging in Scarborough, Sherine Industries in Surry, British Columbia, and Airos Studio outside Vancouver—along with a number of other Canadian print providers from coast to coast," said Christopher Howard, senior vice president, North American Sales & Marketing.

"These are just the most recent additions to a growing list of Canadian print providers choosing Durst over production digital printing platforms from other manufacturers," Howard added. "And we are being joined by more in the near future, such as Impact Imaging in Mississauga and Cowan Graphics in Edmonton. Our customers in Canada demonstrate a great deal of initiative and creativity in selecting our most innovative platforms to take on brand new applications that their clients are asking for, and growing their businesses in the process."

Durst has been instrumental in bringing advanced digital printing technologies to market—improving image quality, media handling, workflow productivity, ink options and the ability to print on a wide variety of surfaces. These technologies are "standard equipment" on the Rhotex 320 for textile, fabric and "soft signage" printing; Rho 500R and 320R roll printers; Rho 1000 and Rho 900 flatbed / hybrid printers, and the Rho 161 TS for producing reflective traffic signs.