Hardware - Industrial Print

New Durst Rho 500R UV inkjet printer wins DPIA’s “Product of the Year”

“The best grand-format roll imager”

For the second year running, a production roll to roll Durst Rho UV inkjet printer has received one of the most coveted awards that the imaging industry has to offer.  The Rho 500R superwide UV inkjet printer, which made its North American debut at last week’s SGIA trade show in New Orleans, was chosen as the Digital Printing & Imaging Association’s “Product of the Year” in the grand-format roll to roll UV inkjet printer category.

Last year the DPIA’s “Product of the Year” award was presented to Durst for its Rho 320R UV inkjet roll to roll printer during the SGIA trade show in Atlanta.  On both occasions Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Durst U.S., was on hand to receive the awards during brief ceremonies at SGIA.

“All of us at Durst are extremely pleased by the recognition that these honours convey,” Howard said.  “Durst’s tradition of excellence, in technology and in meeting the operational requirements of our customers, is clearly demonstrated by the fact that our products are judged to be world class year after year.  It’s very gratifying to see the industry taking notice, and we want to thank SGIA and all the imaging experts who took part in the evaluation.”

Based on a rigorous evaluation process of printer output overseen by a respected independent quality testing organisation, and judged on the SGIA show floor by a team of digital imaging experts commissioned by DPIA, the Rho 500R was judged best in the grand-format UV curable class against all of its major competitors.  Entrants were required to submit a test print produced on the nominated printer.  The image, designed by SGIA, was created specifically to challenge the capabilities of the output device, according to SGIA.

“The Product of the Year award winners highlight the best technologies, consumables and software from the digital imaging community,” said Jeff Burton, SGIA’s Digital Printing Analyst.
    
The Rho 500R offers an unrivalled combination of productivity and quality of print. This is made possible by the latest generation of Durst’s own Quadro® 30D Array printhead technology, which doubles the number of nozzles per colour to 2,048 – the highest in its class. It prints six colours at 600 dpi resolution on the widest variety of roll media at speeds up to 400m² without compromising quality. As well as printing display media such as vinyl banners and mesh for facade cladding up to a width of 5m, it will also print three 1.6m rolls together, for example, of textile for banners or self-adhesive polyester film for backlit application. The built-in sensors and the specially designed media transport system allow for problem-free unattended printing. Furthermore, the extremely low production costs and low ink consumption, thanks to its intelligent dither technology, make the Rho 500R one of the most economical printers ever.

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association is the one organisation whose sole purpose is to provide graphic imaging professionals with the technical know-how, expert advice and knowledge they need to operate more profitable businesses.

At the recent SGIA Expo in New Orleans, Roland DG and its customers were recognised with several of the industry's most prestigious international awards. Roland earned three DPI Product of the Year Awards while Roland customers won two André Schellenberg awards. Roland SGIA award winners include:

2009 DPI Product of the Year Awards

• AdvancedJET AJ-i grand-format inkjet printers – Output: Grand-Format Roll to Roll Solvent & Latex category
• Metallic Silver ECO-SOL MAX Ink – Digital Ink category
• VersaCAMM VP-i wide-format inkjet printer/cutters – Output: Poster Size category

2009 Andre Schellenberg Awards

• Gina Alexander Handbags – Textile category: Other. These fabric handbags featured custom graphics produced on Roland Hi-FI Express FP-740 74" sublimation printers.
• Luma Brite Mad Wrapper Lighted Vehicle Wrap – Unique Applications category: Digital Entry. Graphics for this illuminated vehicle wrap were produced on a Roland SOLJET PRO III XC-540 54" inkjet printer/cutter.

Entries for the DPI Product of the Year competition were judged on the Expo show floor by a team of digital imaging professionals. In the Output categories, entrants were required to submit a test print designed by SGIA intended to challenge the output device's capabilities. André Schellenberg Awards are widely recognized as the industry's most prominent forum for digital imagers to show off their best achievements for the year. Winners gain international acclaim and recognition for their dedication and talents.

Since 1999, Roland has won eight DPI Product of the Year awards and Roland customers have taken home 16 Andre Schellenbergs including two Best in Show awards.

"The quality of work this year was exceptional. Judges in virtually every category told me the entries were so good that choosing winners was a real challenge," said Johnny Shell, SGIA's vice president of technical services.

"These industry competitions recognise the best of what the digital imaging industry has to offer and we are very proud to receive so many honors this year," said Rick Scrimger, vice president and general manager for Roland DGA. "We congratulate our Andre Schellenberg winners whose imagination and creativity demonstrate the power of Roland technology when placed in the hands of world-class professionals."

To find out more about the award-winning Roland AdvancedJet printers, visit www.rolandpro.co.uk

 

Print-Division, located in Maribor, Slovenia, has recently installed the world’s first production Rho 800 HS (High Speed) large format, UV inkjet printer. This is the fifth Rho UV inkjet in use by the company, which has three Rho 160’s and a Rho 600 Pictor. The Rho 800 HS was purchased to replace their existing Rho 205, which had served them well for three and a half years.

Mr. Zoran Marković, Managing Director of Print-Division, said: “What we needed now was a very fast, high production machine and the Rho 800 HS was the ideal choice. We first saw it at FESPA in May this year and made the decision to purchase it immediately.”     

“Over the years our salespeople have been getting much larger orders and, particularly in the retail market, delivery times have been getting shorter. So, to be able to satisfy this demand for high volume, high quality print, we had to look to investing in new equipment. The Rho 800 HS had only been installed for a few days, and already we were greatly impressed by both its speed and quality of print.”

The Rho 800 HS is housed in the company’s new 7,500m² premises that will eventually hold all their production and warehousing needs.

Print-Division was founded 22 years ago as a photographic lab and retailer. The business grew rapidly into a large and successful chain of photographic retail outlets and photo labs. They first ventured into large format digital printing about 12 years ago with a Durst Lambda and soon the company wanted to expand into other large format digital print areas. Today, both the photographic and printing businesses trade as successful independent companies.

The company employs 44 personnel and offers a complete digital print service through to finishing and delivery of the widest range of roll and rigid materials, from textiles and vinyl to Foamex and corrugated board, both for indoor and outdoor applications. Their customers include all the major Slovenian retail chains and major brand names such as BMW and Coca Cola across the country. They also export a large volume of print to Austria and Germany.

They see the purchase of the Rho 800 HS as a major step towards automated production of instore displays. “We intend to purchase an automatic cutting table in the near future to link in with the Rho,” said Marković. “We want to make the production of corrugated display material a continuous process. Not only is the Rho exceptionally fast, it also produces very high quality print and this is particularly important for in-store retail displays. We have the six colour option of additional light colours so flesh tones etc. are perfect.”    

Michael Lackner, Marketing Manager of Durst said, “We’ve incorporated our latest imaging, workflow and operational technologies into a proven production imaging platform to create the Rho 800 HS printer. Users can complete a wide array of print jobs faster and far more cost-effectively – which improves their operations, their ability to say yes to their customers, and their profits.  We’re pleased but not surprised that Print-Division is having such a positive experience with its new Rho 800 HS.”

The 250 cm-wide Rho 800 HS features “continuous board printing” and comes equipped with the latest development of Durst’s own Quadro® 30D Array print head technology with double the number of nozzles per colour of 2,048 which effectively almost doubles its output speed over the standard Rho 800 Presto.

The Rho 800HS prints on multiple narrow boards across its total 250 cm width, on materials up to 70mm thick, at a top speed of more than 216 sheets/hour (125 x 80cm/4 x 2.6ft.).  In productive two-pass mode, it delivers exceptional image quality at 110 sheets/hour (125 x 80cm/ 4 x 2.6ft.).  The Rho 800 HS also is compatible with Durst’s roll feed / take-up accessory, designed for long runs and fast media changes.  It handles oversized rolls up to 200kg, diameters up to 30 cm and widths up to 250 cm. and with Durst providing the highest reliability in the market, users can rely on 24/7 production.

HP today announced that Fair-play BV, of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has installed an HP Scitex FB6100 Printer, a versatile flatbed printer which uses UV curable ink and easily converts from rigid to roll-fed applications.

The new machine joins Fair-play's existing range of digital printers, including an HP Scitex FB7500 Printer and an HP Scitex XP2700 Printer.

"The latest HP Scitex FB6100 Printer will perfectly complement our existing portfolio," said Pieter Oorthuizen of Fair-play. "While our new HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is perfect for longer runs, this new printer will allow us to cater for high quality one-offs, trials and very short-runs.

"We have built our reputation on delivering products of the highest possible quality. The printer's ability to print white ink means we will be able to achieve high colour fidelity on transparent and coloured media," noted Oorthuizen.

Equipped with one of the largest flatbed imaging areas available, the HP Scitex FB6100 Printer delivers an exceptionally high print quality with displays that achieve greater colour density and application versatility. Additionally, the fast-drying UV curable inks offer vivid colours, a wide colour gamut and a print resolution of up to 1,270 by 800 dpi on both rigid and roll-fed media.

"Being able to achieve eight-colour printing at speeds up to 50 m²/hr will ensure our clients' exhibition and display graphics are turned around quickly and are the most eye-catching on show," concluded Oorthuizen.

Fair-play employs thirteen people and carries out work for several high-profile customers in The Netherlands and Belgium.

 

EFI has announced that it will showcase the latest in digital print technology at the SGIA Expo, including the VUTEk GS3200 and GS5000r and the QS3220 and QS3200r superwide printers, the Rastek H650 hybrid and T660 flatbed wide-format printers, and an array of workflow solutions. EFI is a Platinum Sponsor of the 2009 SGIA Expo and will be exhibiting in booth 1901, immediately across from the main entrance.

"SGIA is among the top outlets for exhibiting technology and innovation in digital printing, and, in line with that, we'll be showing some incredible products this year," said Fred Rosenzweig, president, EFI. "We're excited for SGIA attendees to see our VUTEk superwide systems as well as our Rastek wide-format systems. We'll also be demonstrating digital workflow management from creation to print with the award-winning EFI Digital StoreFront, EFI PrintSmith, EFI Pace, and XFlow and XF solutions."

EFI will be displaying four VUTEk superwide UV printers at SGIA, including the VUTEk GS3200 3.2-meter flatbed and roll-to-roll hybrid UV printer, which achieves high production speeds and photorealistic quality. With dual resolution capability, the GS3200 enables operators to select between 600 and 1000 dpi, and delivers output speeds of up to 2400 sqft.

"We recently purchased a VUTEk GS3200 digital inkjet printer with white ink print capability for our Crush Creative facility. In order to continue to support a variety of display designs we receive from our major retail clients, we needed to expand our print offerings. The VUTEk GS3200 now gives us the added capability and capacity to quickly produce a diverse range of eight color and white ink applications on rigid and flexible materials. As we see it, our investment in this latest digital inkjet technology was an investment in Merisel's future," said Chuck Murphy, vice president operations, Merisel, New York.

The VUTEk GS5000r roll-to-roll UV printer combines POP quality with billboard production speeds. Users can produce applications such as exhibition graphics and digital textiles, as well as billboards, banners and other traditional 5-meter applications. Both of the VUTEk GS Series printers on display at SGIA allow businesses to stay ahead of the competition by providing a way to differentiate and offer expanded options of applications and substrates.

The VUTEk QS3220 combines High-Definition Print (HDP) with high production speeds for eye-popping images with resolutions up to 1080 dpi at up to 900 sqft. Like the GS3200, the QS3220 saves valuable floor space by producing roll-to-roll and rigid applications on one machine.

The VUTEk QS3200r UV roll-to-roll printer expands application options compared to traditional solvent roll-to-roll printing by enabling printers to reduce their VOC output while delivering enhanced image quality and improved workflow. The QS3200r offers a cost-effective, high-quality roll-to-roll platform for mid-size print shops that require high-resolution prints and great productivity.

The Rastek H650 UV hybrid flatbed delivers best-in-class image quality at an affordable price. It is the perfect choice for production and print shop environments where quick service, superior image quality and smaller footprints are the keys to customer satisfaction and increasing profit. The printer expands businesses' portfolios and profits with its four color and optional white ink support for spot color and under and overprinting. The Rastek H650 can handle materials up to 65 inches wide and 1.8 inches thick.

EFI's Rastek T660 5 by 4 foot UV flatbed generates photographic image quality to meet even the most demanding customer's expectations on a wide range of rigid and flexible media, including glass and aluminum. This printer stands out from other entry-level wide-format systems because of its white ink capability and crisp four-point text. EFI's new partnership with HumanEyes gives the Rastek T660 even more flexibility and versatility, as operators can now use HumanEyes Producer3D software to easily create and print amazingly-realistic lenticular pieces that employ special effects such as 3D, flip, zoom and motion. These resolution and lenticular enhancements translate into superior quality and the ability to create more memorable specialty items, giving users an additional competitive advantage over other print businesses.

In addition to its digital inkjet technology, EFI will be demonstrating integrated workflow solutions from job acquisition and management to preparation and production. Included in the workflows will be the award-winning EFI Digital StoreFront web-to-print solution, the integrated, browser-based EFI Pace Print MIS solution, the market-leading EFI PrintSmith management system, and the professional-level RIP, Fiery XF with the XFlow option for effectively managing different files and jobs.

"We're looking forward to showing SGIA Expo attendees that EFI technology can help their businesses run more efficiently and more profitably," added Rosenzweig. "From creation to print, EFI has the solutions for business success."

 

Durst has introduced the new Rho 900 Large-Format UV Inkjet Printer- a 98" wide printing platform that combines more efficient automated media handling and "process colour additions" with high-speed printing capabilities to deliver far greater productivity and a wider colour gamut.

The unveiling took place at the SGIA Expo, under way this week in New Orleans. Attendees are being introduced to a high-quality printing platform that simplifies media handling with its automated feeder system, and makes reproduction of even difficult corporate colours possible by printing orange and green or orange and violet process colours - with no special file preparation required.

The new Rho 900 is equipped with Durst's Quadro 30D Array print head technology to deliver high speed, improved efficiency and exceptional image quality. Its media handling incorporates an auto-feed table with belts, sheet feed gate with guides for parallel board printing, and automatic two-point pin registration system to ensure accurate front-to-back registration.

The Rho 900's process colour additions are printed in the same mode as its CMYK process colours. No special file preparation is necessary. These additional colours can be printed - even with white ink or light colours - with no loss in output speed. This enables much smoother colour gradients and more even solids at production-level output speeds.

Top speed of the six-colour Rho 900 is up to 216 boards (125x80cm) per hour. The user can incorporate the process coluor additions with no loss of print speed.

"The Rho 900 also can print white, varnish or light colours along with the new additional process colours to expand the possibilities of print jobs and applications," said Michael Lackner, Marketing Manager at Durst US.