Agfa Digital Printing Solutions (Agfa DPS) is pleased to announce that Cameron Advertising (CAMAD) has become the first print service provider in North America to invest in its cutting-edge Onset Panthera flatbed printing system.
This milestone marks yet another chapter in CAMAD’s longstanding partnership with Agfa and its legacy of being first to bring new Agfa technology to North America following its first-in-continent installations of the M-Press Tiger and the Jeti Tauro H3300 UHS. CAMAD also continues to expand its Agfa Tauro H3300 platform with a new Flex RTR system arriving this month.
CAMAD operates in a highly diversified market where substrate quality is becoming increasingly inconsistent, particularly with the rise of recycled content in corrugated board. Flatness and quality can vary dramatically from batch to batch, creating mounting challenges for precision print production.
CAMAD’s team visited Agfa’s facility in Belgium to evaluate the Panthera in action and was won over by its powerful vacuum system, designed specifically to overcome warping and quality variations in corrugated media.
“The Panthera’s vacuum performance is a game-changer,” said Dan Deveau, Owner of Cameron Advertising. “We needed a press that was faster, more robust, and capable of handling the substrate inconsistencies that are now common in our market. The Panthera does that, and it does it while using LED inks, which consume less energy and less ink, aligning perfectly with the sustainability goals our major brand customers expect from us and supporting our bottom line.”
The Onset Panthera FB3216 is a lightning-fast flatbed press built for maximized production. Its heavy-duty construction enables non-stop operation while its advanced print carriage unlocks flawless, banding-free prints. The printer features a unique staged LED curing approach with two separate LED units to ensure each layer is dried with extreme precision, further enhancing its speed and enhancing energy efficiency with 60% less power consumed than previous Onset machines. It can also be equipped with a range of automation options including an autoloader and unload robot, ensuring it can seamlessly adapt to the needs of any pressroom.
The Panthera will replace an older press and immediately transform CAMAD’s production capabilities.
- Heavy-duty robust build: Enables 24/7 printing with impressive productivity and print quality to support the company’s growth.
- Speed & Productivity: The Panthera can achieve up to 16,297 ft²/h or nearly 300 beds per hour, enabling CAMAD to deliver fast turnaround and short-run work.
- Sustainability: The LED curing technology reduces energy consumption – an important consideration given high energy costs in Canada – and cuts ink usage, aligning with the environmental expectations of top global brands.
- Versatility: Capable of printing on a wide range of plastics as well as corrugated board, the Panthera enables CAMAD to meet rising demand for a wide range of print applications from building wraps to events and exhibition work.
- Precision: Features like advanced vacuum hold-down, auto masking, and true flatbed design deliver superior quality and consistency that hybrid presses cannot match.
“This machine closes the gap for us,” Deveau added. “It alleviates pressure on our screen-printing department, enables our productivity and quality to keep up with growth, and gives us the confidence to think about further expansion. We’re growing at 20% year-on-year, and the Panthera is a cornerstone of sustaining that momentum.”
Deveau emphasizes that CAMAD’s success has never been just about technology: “Anybody can buy equipment, but it’s the people who make the difference,” he said. “Our team did the scouting, the research, and the legwork on the Panthera and they were deeply impressed. And with Agfa, it’s more than a vendor relationship. We value each other’s business knowledge and friendship. It’s a true partnership, and that’s why this investment simply makes sense. If anything, it will allow us to have thoughts about a second press!”
