Company also upgrades HP Scitex TJ8500 Printer to TJ8600 specifications
HP today announced that France Affiches, of Antony (south of Paris), France, has invested in a 5m HP Scitex XP5100 Printer as part of an investment programme that included upgrading its HP Scitex TJ8550 to the HP TJ8600Printer.
Part of the France Affiches group that includes a production facility in Spain (Iberia Print), and a sales office in Portugal (France Affiches Portugal), the company is extending its services to leading corporations, institutions and enterprises with a €6-million programme that includes upgrades to its prepress department as well as the investment in the HP Scitex printers.
Specialising in large format graphics, France Affiches' clients include the best known advertising and marketing agencies with high-end customers looking for superior-quality displays for large format posters, back-lits and other graphics for innovative regional, national and pan-European campaigns.
The company moved into digital wide format printing in 2009 with the installation of an HP Scitex TJ8500 Printer and an HP Scitex XL1500 Printer to supplement its conventional offset capabilities.
"When we decided to upgrade our capabilities, we looked at the different printers on the market," explained Angelina Fontana, CEO, France Affiches. "We had experience of HP, and felt that the HP Scitex XP5100 Printer not only suited our requirements, but that the HP after-sales service is excellent. As part of the same programme, we also upgraded our HP Scitex TJ8550 Printer to the HP Scitex TJ8600."
The HP XP5100 Printer is an eight-colour, roll-to-roll system using piezoelectric technology and UV-curable ink. With a maximum production speed of 1600m2/hr (1600ft2/hr), and a "cruising speed" of 105m2/hr (1,100ft2/hr) and handle materials up to 5m (16.6ft) or three simultaneous rolls of 1.6m (5.2ft).
"Our customers are increasingly asking for a broader range of projects," said Angelina Fontana. "So, the printer's capability of handling a wide range of materials for indoor and outdoor use made it particularly suitable for us."
The HP Scitex XP5100 Printer is designed for 24/7 use, which suits France Affiches' three-shift operation, while the substrates it can image include paper, PE, mesh, vinyl, textile, blueback paper, self-adhesive vinyl, synthetics, DuPont™ Tyvek®(1) , YUPO® and more. This makes the XP5100 printer suitable for simple graphics, back-lits, vehicle graphics, billboards and building wraps.
"The speed of the HP Scitex XP5100 Printer increases our capacity, while its versatility enables us to extend our applications offering to customers seeking a broader service from one supplier," Angelina Fontana concluded.
France Affiches was established in 1984 as an offset printer and continues to offer conventional printing as well as digital. The group employs about 30 people, of which 24 are at the French facility.
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