Hardware - Industrial Print

Grapo Technologies, a manufacturer of UV large format roll-to-roll and flatbed UV printers based in the Czech Republic, today announced that ISBA and its parent company, German charity organization Lebenshilfe e.V., have acquired a Grapo Technologies Manta UV flatbed wide format printer to better meet emerging customer demands, especially with respect to tighter timeframes for delivery of printed display graphics. Lebenshilfe e.V. helps psychiatric patients to build confidence as they re-enter society. The system was sold and installed by Grapo Technologies’ distribution partner, Igepa Group GmbH & Co.

“After careful consideration of a wide range of available UV printing solutions,” said Production Manager Ranier Laske of ISBA, “we found the Manta from Grapo Technologies to be the most viable option. We needed to produce graphics larger than A3, and we also wanted to be able to print on unique substrates and in unusual formats with the fastest turnaround time possible. Manta met all of those needs and more. The Manta offers us unlimited application possibilities for printing on rigid or flexible substrates.”

Laske also points out that the environmental considerations of UV printing were important in the decision process, adding, “With solvent inks, more than 95% is emitted into the air during the printing process.  This is not a healthy situation for our employees. With UV-curable inks there are no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the atmosphere. In addition to their environmental benefits, printing with UV-curable inks consumes less ink and offers significant advantages when printing on uncoated stocks.  We also love the ‘pause’ feature on the Manta, which allows us to stop printing if a problem is observed and restart at the same spot where the problem occurred. This saves us a significant amount of media, which can be quite expensive.”

ISBA’s Mission

Since 1993, ISBA has focused on creating a healthy working environment for psychiatric patients.  As a protected workspace, ISBA employs 140 people and offers them the opportunity, following their stay in the clinic, to enjoy  a positive work experience. A structured daily routine established in eight different work groups allows psychiatric patients to regain simple values they have lost during a critical phase in their lives and grow their self-esteem. Of the total work force, 20 are occupied with digital wide and small format printing.  ISBA draws its printing clients from a number of industries, including electricity suppliers, metal processing and the fashion industry.

Robustness and Flexibility Differentiate the Manta

ISBA opted for the four-color version of the Manta but has the opportunity to add white ink should they have an increased demand for this application. “In particular, we liked the robustness of the machine, its flexible application possibilities and its ease of use,” commented Laske. "Especially for the people we employ, it is of extreme importance that they can easily operate the Manta. After a very short training period, our people were able to operate the system.  Thanks to the robustness of the machine, we have very little downtime. Any small interruptions can be easily fixed by our team."

Creativity Without Limits

With its previous configuration, ISBA could only handle job orders in smaller formats, but the Manta has changed that. “With the Manta, the sky is virtually the limit in terms of formats and materials to print on,” says Laske. "That is important for us, since we have experienced growth in demand for large format applications." Typical jobs printed by ISBA on the Manta vary from exhibition stand layouts, to dividers, car wraps, sticker prints, floor prints, displays, textile printing and even printing on doors.  As a promotion for its cafeteria, ISBA developed personalized jute bags.  "We do a lot of personalized printing on demand,” concluded Laske. “Many companies are talking about personalization, but we have been doing it for years. The Manta adds more flexibility and capability to our personalization and other projects."

Manta Product Details

Grapo Technologies Svang inks ensure optimal adhesion to print media without the need for pre-coating.  The white ink option enables printing on dark backgrounds.  Maximum printing size is 2 x 3 meters at 720 dpi, with small, precise controlled drop sizes and precise dot placement, enabling excellent reproduction of skin tones or pastel-colored surfaces without color cuts or sharp transitions.

The Manta has a production speed of 110 square meters per hour and comes with many time- and cost-saving features.  For example, Grapo Technologies’ unique Twin Mode System, allows users to print on one half of the machine while preparing a second job on the other. This innovative feature stems directly from Grapo’s early years as a print shop, when it learned the importance of maximizing available space, reducing man hours and increasing operating efficiency.  The Twin Mode System uses two independent desk areas. While printing on one area, operators can place material for printing on the other side without disrupting the ongoing printing process. The ability to switch between print desks when using rigid materials ensures that jobs can flow with no interruption between them and with no valuable production time lost.

UV-curable inks also provide the option to pause printing in case of errors or other occurrences. Users can halt the printer midway through a job, and then restart exactly where they left off once the problem has been corrected, reducing the amount of media waste.

 

High-quality inkjet will be put through its paces with a variety of media on stand 489 in Hall B3 at Fespa 2010

Screen will take the opportunity at Fespa 2010 (Munich, 22-26 June 2010) on stand 489 in Hall B3 to demonstrate the remarkable capabilities of two of its high-quality inkjet printers, the 2.5m-wide Truepress Jet2500UV and the 1.6m-wide Truepress Jet1600UV-F.

The Truepress Jet2500UV is an extremely versatile large format UV inkjet printer which visitors will be able to see producing outstanding quality work on a range of materials including the challenging corrugated cardboard and polypropylene for POP applications. It has the perfect balance of high quality and high productivity for the wide format market with near-photo quality printing and short turnaround times.

"In tough market conditions, the key is to offer flexibility and innovation to customers," says Screen Europe Marketing Manager Tim Taylor. "With its high-quality digital inkjet printers, Screen enables its customers to provide innovative ideas and flexible opportunities to their markets."

The combination of high-precision output at a maximum resolution of 1,500 dpi and high-speed printing at up to 67.5 square metres per hour on either rollfed or flatbed format material gives the flexibility to meet the expectations of the most demanding customers while delivering a good return on investment.

The multi-level grayscale printhead enables the output of smooth gradations thanks to Screen's exclusive screening technology. The Truepress Jet2500UV also supports material up to 2,500mm wide and 50mm thick and uses fast-drying UV inks to improve production and turnaround.

The Truepress Jet1600UV-F is a high-quality flatbed printing system launched in 2009 for the sign and display sector. Its high-performance production of vivid, full-colour at 1,200 x 1,200 dpi on a variety of media gives significant advantages in the field of backlit graphics, wide-format posters, POP displays, commercial furniture and construction signage.

The inks used by the Truepress Jet1600UV-F are hard-dried using UV produced by dedicated LEDs. This UV-LED light source generates very low heat during imaging and therefore accommodates heat-sensitive materials, such as foam and channel boards, PVC, acrylic and styrene panels, without warping or distortion. The UV-LED light source also lasts longer and uses less electricity than conventional UV lamps, so its impact on the environment is minimised, plus it provides a workplace mostly free of VOCs.

A newly-created imaging system features eight individual printheads that support rapid printing, with enhanced productivity that allows a rapid succession of fast-turnaround jobs. There are two types of UV ink, for flexible media and rigid media, which can be stretched by up to 200% as well as cast or bent. The rigid ink resists friction and exposure to damaging chemicals and is particularly well suited to printing on aluminium composite panels and decorative illuminated film. The addition of white ink ensures high-quality output on transparent, metallic and coloured media.

"The Truepress Jet1600UV-F delivers high precision and high flexibility," says Rob Hageman, European Product Manager at Screen Europe. "This easy-to-use flatbed device is built around the latest technology for inkjet printing and UV-LED curing."

 

 

Objectives:

• Grow business by moving screen printing jobs to digital.
• Seize market advantage with new signage production capabilities.
• Offer customers more versatility in substrates.

Approach:

• HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, with HP Scitex FB221 Ink, for digital printing of 1-3000 prints on almost any substrate.
• HP Scitex TJ8300 Printer for cost effective long run fleet graphics, banners.
• 2 x HP Scitex XL1500 Printers - 5m (16.4ft) for building wraps, over-sized banners; 3m (10ft) with HP Scitex DS upgrade fabric for banners, upholstery.
• 2 x HP Designjet Z6100 Printers for high-quality indoor signs, proofing other HP printer jobs.

Business benefits:

• Digital printer is winning business from screen printers and entering new markets, such as major sports event and venues, due to high speed, high-quality HP Scitex FB7500 Printer.
• Flatbed printing volume rose by 30-40 percent in two months, with 120 percent increase expected.
• Flatbed operator overtime costs are down by at least 20 percent.
• Longer run capabilities have increased flatbed printing revenues, with 25-35 percent growth projected.
• Gigantic Color has raised client satisfaction by enabling them to save costs through printing only what is needed, when it's needed.
• Gigantic Color has entered new markets, e.g. digital wallpaper and canvas art prints, due to HP Scitex TJ8300 Printer.
• Gigantic Color says "Yes we can!" to previously out-of-reach jobs

 

Large-format printing enterprise Gigantic Color has moved its business into a new league that fully lives up to its large-sized name, thanks to new flatbed digital printing capabilities from HP. As the first company in the world to install the revolutionary HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, Gigantic Color is proving every day that digital printing gives screen printing a run for its money. The result: dramatically larger orders are now coming Gigantic Color's way, raising the company's revenues and propelling it from a regionally focused shop onto the national stage.

Established in 1989 as a single-employee typography shop, Gigantic Color today has 65 employees in Dallas and Fort Worth, TX. It provides high-profile local, regional and national clients with the full range of large-format printing applications, including billboards, interior and exterior signage, and vehicle graphics. Over the years, the company has repeatedly turned to HP to gain new capabilities and expand capacity. Most recently, it was the first printing company in the world to install the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer, a high-speed printer that tripled the firm's flatbed printing capacity almost overnight. It was Gigantic Color's biggest-ever printing equipment purchase - and their fastest.

No hesitation on 'must-have' printer

"We saw the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer at SGIA and we were immediately impressed with its speed, image quality, substrate versatility, and user-friendly loading and unloading," recalls Gigantic Color owner John Bowers, Sr. "We said to ourselves: 'if someone else in our market had this machine and we didn't, we wouldn't be able to compete."

After installing the new printer, Gigantic Color began seeing benefits almost immediately. General Manager Troy McGinnis says: "The printer, even though it was the first one, performed way beyond our expectations. The operators loved its very intuitive operation and easy maintenance. We were able to cross-train people from other presses in a matter of days, and within a week of running live jobs we did 80 hours of printing in 10."

"We've printed on everything from styrene, expanded PVC, Coroplast, and every type of paper you can imagine, all the way to corkboard, aluminum sheets, polycarbonate, and heavy Dibond. Nothing we've tried has stopped that printer." One of the reasons Gigantic Color has been able to enjoy such high media versatility is because of the quality of the HP Scitex FB221 Ink, which adheres well and maintains consistent quality on a wide range of substrates.

Clients happy to ditch analog

Many of the jobs that Gigantic Color is now taking - such as a 500-sheet job on Coroplast and an order for 100 boxed truck fleet graphics - would previously have gone to screen printers. "We're winning quotes averaging in the 750-1500 copy range when before, we would be lucky to touch jobs that were 200-250 copies," says Bowers. "We've had many tours of large clients coming in to see the printer in action. Once they see the quality and speed, they almost always immediately send in jobs."

For the high-quality end of the market, Gigantic Color generally runs its HP Scitex FB7500 Printer at about 60-70 beds per hour, which is approximately 279 m²/hr (3000ft²/hr). For real estate and political signage accounts, it prints at the top speed of 105 1,2 x 10,4m (4 x 8ft) sheets per hour. "This combination of speed and quality allows us to go after screen printing jobs," says McGinnis.

John Bowers adds: "Something that previously took four or five days is taking just one shift. We recently printed 750 4 x 8 ft boards of expanded PVC. That kind of job would have made us very nervous, but now we can do it virtuall y without thinking. Our biggest challenge now is how to get it all through finishing."

Digital serves up big savings for eatery chain

Digital printing with the HP Scitex FB7500 Printer is bringing super-sized benefits to both Gigantic Color and its customers. A recent promotional banner job for a national restaurant chain is an excellent example of the win-win proposition. The client needed 6000 double-sided full pocket banners, in six different versions, with text and a lot of saturated reds. The turnaround time was three weeks, but due to other orders, Gigantic Color could dedicate only around six printing hours a day to that job. Printing the 0,9 x 3m (3 x 10ft) banners on a special polycoated fabric, in two-up, 3-pass mode (49 1,2 x 10,4m/4 x 8ft sheets per hour), Gigantic Color was able to print 160 banners in three hours, and easily meet all its production deadlines.

"This customer usually does silk screen, but they still were very, very pleased with the quality and color," says Bowers. "They got the benefit of digital printing in that they'll be able to order future runs of the banner according to what they need, when they need it - without compromising on quality."

"We've experienced that with other customers who would normally have to keep $20,000 to $30,000 worth of banners in stock and ship them out as needed. We convinced them that they can save money by having us print just one or however many they need. They no longer need to hold that stock."

This can result in further savings - and environmental benefits - as inventories of printed signage can become outdated even before they are used. The flexibility to print as needed can help to cut waste and thereby to reduce costs.

 

FUJIFILM Europe today announces the introduction of the new Acuity Advance HS wide format UV inkjet printer, the next generation in the highly successful Acuity series. First launched in April 2007, the Acuity platform radically changed quality expectations in UV flatbed, quickly becoming one of the fastest selling UV printers in the market. The Advance HS meets demands for a cost effective, high quality printer with even greater productivity, complementing the Fujifilm Acuity Advance and Advance X2 printers.

While the Acuity Advance HS maintains many of the leading design features of the Acuity HD2504 and Acuity Advance models, the modified print-head array virtually doubles the print speed.

Near-photographic quality images can be achieved at typical production speeds of 40m2/hr. In addition there is a new 'express' mode for images viewed from greater distances which operates at 65m2/hr. The Advance HS delivers more daily output than any other printer in its class, offering potential for high profit generation and a quick return on investment.

One of the key features of the Acuity Advance HS is the highly efficient UV curing system which delivers excellent print results. The flatbed design employs a zoned vacuum system to hold all types of media, including irregularly shaped materials or substrates with uneven surfaces. This ensures accurate registration even on multiple passes. It also prints edge-to-edge, saving time and labour in post-print finishing. In addition, the Acuity Advance HS increases print application possibilities with a white option to complement the standard four colour CMYK ink set. The optional roll media unit can be installed to print a broad range of flexible materials. To maximise print time, the operator can prepare rigid media on the bed while the roll media unit is printing.

Print performance is optimised by FUJIFILM Sericol’s uniquely formulated Uvijet inks incorporating proprietary Micro-V dispersion technology which consistently provides the ink system with strong vibrant colours, wide adhesion range and print durability.

Commercial shipments of the Acuity Advance HS will commence in March 2010. Fujifilm will be featuring the Acuity Advance HS at Ipex 2010 in the UK, and FESPA, Germany, in June.

Océ, an international leader in digital document management and printing for professionals, today announced the new Océ Arizona 550 GT flatbed printer, the highest capacity Océ Arizona model released to date.

This new printer is capable of POP-quality prints at 40 square meters hour and offers much better value than other UV flatbed models currently available in the market. The Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer is the next generation model in the award-winning Océ Arizona Series. It uses UV curable inks and Océ VariaDotTM imaging technology to deliver near-photographic image quality for nearly any application. Designed as a true flatbed system it can print on a wide variety of rigid substrates up to 1.25 by 2.5 meters. It also offers a Roll Media Option for printing onto flexible media up to 2.2 meters wide.

Production print speeds

The Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer features a Production print mode of up to 40.2 square meters per hour on rigid media without sacrificing any of the award-winning print quality for which the Océ Arizona Series is famous. This enables users to print nearly one hundred boards (125 x 250 cm) in a single eight-hour shift. With this productivity, print providers can confidently take on peak demand and rush jobs. It reduces the risk for businesses wanting to make the transition from analog to digital printing by providing all the print quality they need at production speeds. An Express print mode is also available with print speeds of up to 67 square meters per hour, nearly three times higher than the fastest print speed available on the previously-released Océ Arizona 350 GT display graphics printer.

Costs a third less than comparable systems

Like all Océ Arizona printers, the Océ Arizona 550 GT model was designed using an efficient cost engineering approach that makes it much more affordable than comparable systems. Print providers can own this high quality, high capacity printer for about 30% to 40% less than comparable, competitive UV flatbed systems. That reduces capital outlay for small- and medium-sized businesses, and enables them to acquire the best-in-class print quality and application versatility.

Opens the door to applications that command premium prices

With the Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer, print providers can offer premium priced services and achieve more competitive prices for their work. The Océ Arizona 550 GT can print on irregularly shaped or non-square items, heavy substrates such as glass, or materials that have an uneven surface such as wood. This is an important advantage over competitive rigid-capable printers that use belt or friction-based media feed systems, as they can only print on square-cornered, lightweight materials of uniform thickness. The true flatbed architecture enables printing on anything that is reasonably flat up to 48 mm thick – from a hockey puck to a DVD to a door or a piece of painted aluminum.A Roll Media Option is available, giving print providers the ability to print onto flexible media including vinyl, self-adhesive vinyl, scrim banner, paper and blue backed paper without compromising the rigid printing workflow. Print providers can use this system to expand into more exotic applications that command premium prices, from parts templates for manufacturing; CD covers and wallpaper to fast food menus and fabric; and anything needed for sign and display.

Océ VariaDot imaging technology is productive and uses significantly less ink

The Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer uses Océ VariaDot imaging technology that enables a printhead to produce ink droplets of variable size resulting in variable sized dots on the printed media. The ability to jet small droplets produces sharp images with smoother gradients and quartertones. The ability to jet larger droplets produces dense, uniform solids. The result is near-photographic image quality with sharpness only before seen at resolutions of 1,440 dpi or higher. In addition to superior image quality, Océ VariaDot imaging technology requires only four color inks to achieve the best image quality in the industry. The use of only four colors and of variable-sized droplets results in significantly lower ink consumption than six color printers with fixed droplet inkjet technology. On average, all Océ Arizona Series printers consume less than 8 ml of ink per square meter total, including all maintenance.

White ink expands capabilities

The Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer includes a White Ink Option that enables under-printing for non-white media or objects, over-printing for backlit applications on transparent media and/or printing white as a spot color. Under-printing white ink provides a base for non-white surfaces upon which color can be added, giving print providers the ability to expand their range of offerings to include specialty applications. Over-printing white ink provides a diffusion layer for backlit applications that will be viewed from the unprinted side, enabling print providers to produce high quality backlit images for point-of-purchase applications. The ability to also print white ink as a spot color enables white features of images to be highlighted for greater effect.Océ Arizona® 550 GT display graphics printer.

Expanding the premier UV flatbed product family

The Océ Arizona 550 GT display graphics printer joins the market-leading Océ Arizona family of UV flatbed printers at the top of the range. Other Océ Arizona Series models include the Océ Arizona 350 XT printer (2.5 x 3 m table, up to 23 m2/hr print speed), the Océ Arizona 350 GT printer (1.25 x 2.5 m table, up to 22.2 m2/hr print speed) and the Océ Arizona 300 GT printer (1.25 x 2.5 m table, up to 12.3 m2/hr print speed). All share the same award-winning image quality and robust architecture, offering the Océ values of quality, reliability, productivity and user-friendliness. In all, Océ Arizona Series UV flatbed printers have accumulated 16 industry awards to date from organizations throughout the world. These awards validate the quality and innovation built into every Océ Arizona Series printer, now the most popular printer in its class.

Zyan Digital, of Aljacer, Murcia, has used its new HP Scitex TJ8350 Printer to extend its capabilities and develop personalised wide format printing. Demonstrating the versatility and speed of the HP Scitex TJ8350 Printer, Zyan printed180 180 x 300cm posters on vinyl, personalising each with the name of a car repair shop. The printer's productivity meant that Zyan could print the two-sheet job in only twenty hours. Substrate versatility is another feature that Zyan makes use of. Sixty percent of its jobs are printed on paper, with the balance printed on vinyl and canvas in equal proportions.

Established in 1989 as a photographic laboratory, Zyan entered the wide format printing market through photographic applications. Zyan Digital now has ten wide format printers, 26 employees working in three shifts and has an annual turnover of €3.2 million.