Business - Applications

Elitron will exhibit Kombo TH, the innovative SuperPlotter for the visual communications and packaging sectors, in Hall B1, Stand 280 at FESPA Digital 2014.

Elitron says this is the only system with two independent gantries and two multi-tool cutting heads, which work independently on the same working area, resulting in double speed, double productivity, double efficiency and reduced production times.

Additionally, the company will be premiering the Kombo SD2 in Munich.  Elitron says it is the only high performance, automatic cutting system, with a new milling and cutting head on the same gantry, with 4 milling bits and automatic tool-change on independent axes: 3Kw electro-spindle milling module,  50,000 rpm, with liquid cooling system.

Both these systems are equipped with Seeker System, the patented vision system for printed materials. This dual camera system reads the sheets and recognises printed images, detects the reference point position and automatically loads the cutting files. The powerful, high-resolution  Video-Projection system, is perfect for rapid prototyping. It clearly projects the shapes to be cut onto the sheets and with a simple click the operator is able to nest the shapes anywhere, in order to optimise materials.

[Image shows Elitron Kombo TH]

Sign & Digital UK 2014 has got off to a flying start for Canon as the UK’s first Océ ColorWave 900 has been purchased on-stand by London-based print specialist, Online Reprographics.

With a core business in providing digital print services to architectural and design clients, Online Reprographics intends to be at the forefront of a developing market with the new technology where full colour, architectural drawings and POS materials can be delivered both quickly and cost effectively.

“Being an early adopter of the ColorWave 900 is a strategic move for us,” said John Foy, Sales and Marketing Director, Online Reprographics. “Currently, the cost and speed of turnaround of full colour prints in the construction industry is prohibitive for many, meaning customers opt for black and white simply because it is cheaper and quicker to produce. But building plans and planning applications are designed in colour for a reason and we want to make colour print more accessible, improve turnaround times for customers and, importantly, expand our business into new markets with the benefits the machine can offer.

“Because we will be able to print in an hour what other printers will only be able to offer in 3-4 hours, we will instantly become more attractive to our customers. Cost does come into it, but time can be of the essence in this industry too. Where others may need to receive print files at midday for 5pm delivery, we can potentially offer a deadline of 3pm – and those three hours can be critical,” added Foy.

The Océ ColorWave 900 has a width path of 42” (106.2cm) and a raw print speed of 1,100m2 per hour. The machine incorporates the same proven six media roll capacity of the Océ ColorWave 600/650 devices with an input capacity of 1,200 metres (200 metres per roll).

“We see an opportunity to expand the business further into the exhibition and retail arenas as a result of this purchase,” said Foy. “Customers are often asking for prints to be turned around urgently – particularly local businesses who may need last-minute posters and POS materials printed there and then. With the speed offered by the ColorWave 900 we will be better positioned to serve these customers and continue to diversify our business – just one element of this being our new online offering which we envisage enhancing our market reach and customer base significantly.”

Celebrating its 10 year anniversary in May, Online Reprographics’s relationship with Canon – formerly with Océ – has spanned this decade with the installation of various wide format printers and software. For the past five years the company has operated two ColorWave 600 machines and believes the key to this has been the unrivalled support and expertise of Canon.

“Anyone can buy a machine, but in my view only Canon has the proven track record for wide format equipment of this nature. Trusting the service and support of a manufacturer is key, particularly when we are going to be the first to offer the benefits of the ColorWave 900 in the UK. We are confident that we can raise the bar in the industry with this technology and allow our customers to push their boundaries and reap the benefits,” said Foy.

“Online Reprographics is a progressive company that has the foresight to plan for growth with the shrewd use of technology,” said Duncan Smith, Director of Wide Format Group, Canon UK. “The company has a clear plan for how it can tap into new markets and better serve its current clientele and we look forward to supporting them as they see these plans come to fruition.”

[Image shows (from left) John Foy, Sales and Marketing Director, Online Reprographics; Jason Kabi, Account Manager, Commercial, Canon UK]

Wide format printers with an interest in digital textile printing will find a 'rich seam of innovation and inspiration' at FESPA Fabric 2014, part of FESPA Digital 2014.  The show is scheduled to take place at Messe Munich, Germany, between 20th and 23rd May 2014.

70 exhibitors will form a clearly defined FESPA Fabric trail through the exhibition floor, highlighting equipment, consumables and services targeted towards visitors with a focus on textile applications, from promotional products, home textiles to printed apparel. Exhibitors will be identified via a variety of means including onsite signage, the show catalogue as well as the online show directory.

Prominent hardware exhibitors on the FESPA Fabric trail include, Anajet, Brother, Epson, Kornit Digital, Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland and Reggiani. Visitors will also find a raft of exhibitors showing specialist textile substrates and inks, giving them access to a wealth of expertise to help them optimise their digital textile offering to customers.

FESPA Fabric Hub: education, information, inspiration

The Fabric Hub will provide an obvious focal point for visitors to FESPA Digital 2014 whose interests lie in textile printing, offering a rich four-day programme of seminars, workshops and a showcase of multiple digital textile applications courtesy of Kornit Digital, alongside an area for networking.

FESPA Fabric sponsor Kornit Digital will lead daily ‘tips and tricks’ seminars for digital direct-to-garment printing, while colour expert Marco Olivotto will share his expertise on achieving consistent colour with textile substrates and inks each day of the show.

Professor Marc Van Parys of the University of Ghent will highlight new and recent developments in digital printing for different kinds of textile articles, as well as exploring recent innovations in the creation of new UV inks and lacquers tailor-made for digital textile printing.

Christopher Bernat of Vapor Apparel/Source Custom will focus on how printers can diversify into apparel printing with dye sublimation, with clear guidance on pricing and profitability. A second session with Bernat will look at the pros and cons of direct to garment versus dye sublimation, depending on application and customer base.

Thomas Poetz will address the opportunity in home textiles in a German-language session, and visitors with an interest in textile homewares will also have the chance to hear from Debbie McKeegan, Creative Director of digital textile print specialist Digetex Group, about her company’s growth as a provider of graphics and home textiles.

Renowned industry consultant Sophie Matthews-Paul will also present a daily ‘Tech Time’ session, with tailored sessions on Fabric and Garment.

The commercial and technical sessions in the Hub are interspersed with research-led seminars from Smithers Pira and Catherine Cresswell of Infotrends, both exploring the trends in digital textile printing and finishing, and diving deeper into the range of processes, materials and ink types.

Roz McGuinness, Divisional Director at FESPA comments, “The FESPA Fabric exhibitor trail - combined with the depth and breadth of technical and commercial expertise available in the Fabric Hub - will give visitors with any level of interest in digital textile printing a comprehensive overview of the technologies and consumables available, together with guidance on how to deploy them in their business to access new and profitable revenue streams.”

Roz continues, “At the last two FESPA Digital exhibitions in Hamburg and Barcelona, FESPA Fabric has been a ‘show within a show’, physically distinct from the main event. This year, we’ve been guided by feedback from visitors and exhibitors who felt that FESPA Fabric should be fully integrated with the FESPA Digital event, allowing visitors to both events to explore the full spectrum of digital textile printing applications, from promotional products and home textiles, to garments. Together, these features make FESPA Digital the must-visit event in 2014 for anybody with an interest in digital wide format print, regardless of market or application.”

Visitors pre-registered for FESPA Fabric will have free access to FESPA Digital and its co-located exhibition, European Sign Expo, including three further content Hubs – Digital, Wrap and Sign.

Online pre-registration (via http://www.fespa.com/digital/fabric/register.html) avoids the onsite entry fee of €35.00.

The full Fabric Hub programme, with session dates and times, can be found at http://www.fespa.com/digital/features/feature-hubs.html?streamfilter=all&dayfilter=1400630400&speakerfilter=all

Derby-based Digital Print Innovations (DPI) is expanding its team after picking up a deal to become sole UK and Ireland distributor for Primex display systems.

DPI is already well established as leader in the industry for spotting trends and supplying innovative products to the signage and graphic display market - this was key to winning the Primex solutions distributorship in the UK and Ireland. Primex is one of the leading suppliers for large format print, signage market and partner for frames and lightboxes.

DPI will also continue to concentrate on the sales and support of associated products such as fabric sewing and finishing solutions for exhibition and display graphics as well as wide format print solutions from Mutoh and Seiko and RIP solutions.

Primex’s tension fabric systems (TFS) include lightboxes and frames for the large format signage, retail and interiors markets including events and exhibitions, hospitality, restaurants and cafes, public buildings and offices, museums and even private homes.  The lightboxes are suitable for internal use and have fabric both sides rather than using an aluminium composite back sheet, which means they can be broken down into small packages, saving on transport.

Their 20mm Light Guided Panel is perfect for interior aesthetics as well as practical considerations. Double-sided and made from a light guided panel, an acrylic sheet and edge lit LEDs, it’s available up to 2m x 1m, with a 50mm option going up to 3m x 1.2m. Both offer even luminosity across the whole panel and no hot spots.

Where larger panels are needed, the LED module and LED chain options, where chains of LEDs are attached to the support bars, can be used to make a lightbox big enough for any interior.

To coincide with the appointment, Simeon Wicks has come on board as a director at DPI, bringing with him around 20 years’ experience in the exhibition and graphic display industry, and Paul Tomlinson has been appointed to head up sales. Paul will be supported at the company’s Derby-based headquarters by General Manager Sandra Wiggins and newly appointed business support assistant Tracey Whiting.

“As the UK and Ireland distributor, we will be able to offer customers the chance to visit our showroom to see the possibilities offered by the Primex solutions. We’ll also be able to facilitate fast and reliable delivery from our warehouse to anywhere across the UK and Ireland. The additional staff are being put in place to help support our customers on the ground in specifying frames, quotes and bespoke cutting services,” says DPI director Simeon Wicks.

The team will be showcasing the Primex suite on the DPI stand at Sign and Digital UK , stand F71 (29 April – 1 May). 

For more information on DPI, please visit www.dpi-uk.com

[photo shows DPI's Stewart Bell (R) welcoming new director Simeon Wicks (L), with Primex frames on show in the background]

Epson UK says it plans to launch more than 10 new inkjet printers for a range of professional print applications over the next 18 months. This impressive programme is part of Epson’s strategy to deliver a comprehensive choice of affordable, high-quality print solutions to commercial, signage, décor, label, textile and photo print specialists.

Over the last two years alone, Epson has introduced 10 professional print products under the ‘Sure’ brand. These have included several ‘firsts’ which have opened up important new markets for Epson and brought new levels of quality and versatility to the industry. These include  Epson’s first single-pass digital label press and UV technology (the SurePress L-6034V), its first mini dry photolabs (the SureLab range), its first signage/POS wide-format printers (the SureColor SC-S range), its first dye sublimation printers (the SureColor SC-F), its first direct-to-garment textile printer (the SureColor SC-F2000) and a new-generation of aqueous display graphics printers (the SureColor SC-T range).

The rate of new product launches will continue and by 2016 Epson will offer over 33 professional production printers with dedicated Epson inks to the Label & Packaging, Sign & Display, Production Photo and Textile markets.

“Epson’s strategy is quite simple – but very ambitious,” says Phil McMullin, Sales Manager ProGraphics, Epson UK. “We want to provide the market with the best combination of printer and ink technology to deliver high quality, superb reliability and the best all round return on investment for the broadest range of professional print applications.”

Innovative Epson technology is driving product innovation

Epson spends £1.2m a day (approximately 6% of annual turnover) on R&D which is driving innovation and new technology, ink and product development for consumer, business, professional print, government, medical, finance and retail markets across the world.

The core of Epson’s print technology is the Micro Peizo inkjet printhead. In 2003, having already revolutionised photo-printing by bringing it into the home, Epson set its sights on realizing the true potential of its Micro Piezo printhead technology. To achieve the high-speed, high-quality, high-reliability, and high-efficiency printing demanded by the commercial print industry, it was necessary to develop the thinnest possible piezo element for maximum control over drop size. The result was the 2007 launch of Epson Thin Film Piezo (TFP). Since then, TFP has been Epson’s flagship technology for large-format printers, where fine image quality is required to create graphics with outstanding detail, colour expression, and increased productivity.

Last year, Epson took another leap forward in the evolution of its thin-film piezo technology with the launch of PrecisionCore. The revolutionary PrecisionCore MicroTFP print chip is the result of one of the largest R&D investments in the company’s history and builds on the Epson’s materials science skills and MEMS manufacturing technology. Micro TFP doubles the piezo element’s flexing power, allowing further miniaturisation and scalability opening up new possibilities for fluid handling and substrate compatibility. The modular PrecisionCore chips can be combined in different ways to build a variety of high-performance printheads, from lineheads for industrial presses to serial printheads for desktop printers. The first products to use PrecisionCore are the SurePress L-6034V digital label press and the SureColor SC-F2000 direct-to-garment T-shirt printer and it will be used in an increasing number of products in the future.

Alongside its printhead technology, Epson’s ink technology is an important part of every Epson professional print production solution. Today, Epson is the only company today to develop and manufacture the full range of aqueous, solvent, resin, UV, dye sublimation and textile inks. As a result, every component of an Epson solution – hardware, printhead, ink and software – is optimised to deliver the best possible performance.
Ultimately, Epson’s strategy is to continue to refine its compact, energy saving and high precision technologies by leveraging its core Micro Piezo and PrecisionCore printhead technologies to develop products that  meet the needs of the commercial and  industrial digital printing sectors, and emerging markets. The vision and ultimate aim of Minoru Usui, President of Seiko Epson, is that everything will be printed by Epson.

To enhance ticket security and make counterfeiting particularly difficult, the promoters of Cross Media Production and IPEX 2014 in London used the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System to produce tickets to a popular party on the third day of the expositions.  The ticket artwork was prepared by the Color-Logic Brand Services Division.

Discussing the project, Color-Logic Chief Technical Officer Richard Ainge commented: "The various special effects available in the Color-Logic Design Suite enabled the show managers to produce a strikingly beautiful ticket and added a level of security which was economical to print.  The substrate used was Mirri Pak for HP Indigo.  1200 serially numbered tickets were prepared."