China Print Supplies has launched the Gongzheng HB18UV PRO, a 1.8m compact hybrid UV printer for both rigid and roll media. It can be configured with up to eight Epson I3200-U1 printheads, prints white and varnish alongside CMYK, and is priced from £37,000 plus VAT. CPS supplies, installs and supports the machine in the UK, and will show it on its stands (S220 and S420) at The Sign Show in September.
The HB18UV PRO is built for production work across signage, display graphics, packaging and industrial applications, printing onto rigid boards and flexible roll media on a single platform. CPS installs and commissions every machine in the UK, with operator training included as standard and ongoing technical support from its own team.
Scott Clutton, managing director of China Print Supplies, says, “This is a serious production machine. Eight Epson heads, white and varnish, multi-layer printing and an industrial belt system, and the output quality speaks for itself. Set that against a starting price of £37,000 and it is one of the strongest cases I have seen on a 1.8m hybrid.”
One printer, multiple media possibilities
The HB18UV PRO compact hybrid prints onto rigid materials including PVC board, foam board, corrugated board, aluminium sheet and wood, and onto flexible roll media such as vinyl, banner, backlit film, fabric, wallpaper and leather. A heavy-duty mesh belt system with extension tables moves both rigid and flexible substrates through the machine, which takes rolls up to 300mm in diameter and 50kg in weight on 2 inch or 3 inch cores. Maximum print width is 1850mm.
Print heads, ink and finishing
The printhead layout is configurable, with four, six or eight Epson I3200-U1 printheads and colour configurations ranging from CMYK to CMYK plus white and white with colour and varnish. Printing uses piezo variable dot greyscale technology for fine detail and smooth gradients. A white ink recirculation and stirring system keeps pigment in suspension for consistent white density and lower maintenance, and multi-layer modes print colour over white over colour, white over colour over white, or colour, white and varnish in a single pass for backlit graphics, printing onto clear and coloured substrates and spot gloss or matt finishes.
Curing is handled by a dual water-cooled LED UV system for instant drying, low energy use and adhesion across the full range of materials. The machine uses GREENGUARD Gold certified UV ink from a bulk supply with 1500ml capacity. Data reaches the printer over USB 3.0 or internal fibre optic, and it is driven by FlexiPRINT, with Digital Factory UV edition v12 available as an option, alongside GZ Printer Manager.
UK support from installation to production
Every HB18UV PRO is supplied, installed and commissioned in the UK by CPS. Operator training is included as standard, and each machine is backed by ongoing technical support from the CPS team.
CPS is taking one pre-show order at a discounted price on the HB18UV PRO and will be shown running on the CPS stands S220 and S420 at the NEC, and installed on site in October. The Sign Show runs at the NEC in Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October, co-located with The Print Show in Hall 1. It is the third year that China Print Supplies has exhibited, this time on an expanded stand.
Scott Clutton concludes, “The machine matters, but so does everything around it. We supply, install and support every printer with our own UK team, and operator training comes as standard, so customers get the build quality, the print quality and the backing to match. That is what helps a print business invest with confidence and take on bigger work.”
