Hardware - Industrial Print

Blink Print, a Lutterworth, UK-based full service print company, has upgraded its inkjet output by investing in an Agfa Anapurna M2050i 2.05m 6-colour printer.

Over the past four years, since the company invested in an Agfa Anapurna Mw, the size of the business has almost doubled and now has a turnover approaching £1m. Two years ago the company rebranded, which helped to attract new business, and received a highly commended SME Company of the Year award.

Most of the company’s assignments are from advertising and design agencies, shopfitters and event organisers. Blink Print produces a wide variety of display material for the fashion industry, cosmetics products and many well known high street brands. It also outputs adverting posters and hoardings for sports stadiums as well as short-run packaging projects.

“Our previous Anapurna had performed well but we needed to increase our inkjet productivity. We looked at several options but when Litho Supplies introduced us to the Anapurna M2050i we could see it offered the output speed and quality we were looking for. Not only this, Agfa’s service and support has been excellent,” explains Esther Butterfield, Director at Blink Print.

Blink Print offers its customers a complete print service, which includes litho, digital, silkscreen as well as inkjet. The inkjet department also includes a digital cutter so Blink Print really is an all in-house print company.

“We have continually invested in the latest technology to provide efficiency as well as quality. This has attracted new customers and increased our turnover,” concludes Esther Butterfield.

Pixartprinting has further increased its production capacity by becoming the first Italian company to install the packaging version of the Rho 1312, Durst's flagship flatbed printer model that offers automated processing, reliability, and exceptional productivity levels.

Technological innovation is one of the Venice-based web-to-print company's main strengths. It is constantly investing in updating the systems it has in place to meet the growing demand for its products without affecting the quality or service provided. Pixartprinting has been home to many technological firsts over the years, and it is a point of reference for numerous manufacturers, who design tailor-made systems to meet the company's needs. This was the case with the new Rho 1312, into which Durst has built various customised functions.

Installed in mid March at the company's headquarters in Quarto d’Altino, the Rho 1312 has already demonstrated its exceptional performance. “We were searching for an industrial solution that could meet our growing production requirements, whilst at the same time ensuring our processes were as automated as possible”, explained Alessandro Tenderini, CEO of Pixartprinting. “After a careful analysis of all the various options on the market, we once more decided to put our trust in Durst”. As well as productivity, the printer also offers versatility. The new Durst system will be used at Pixartprinting for all large format materials, from aluminium and Correx to Foamex and cardboard.

Durst are also very pleased with the partnership: “We are proud that the first installation of the Rho 1312 in Italy was at one of our most prestigious clients, the internationally-renowned company Pixartprinting, reinforcing a partnership that has already continued for several years", Alberto Bassanello, Sales Manager for Italy at Durst Phototechnik said.

Inca Digital announces the launch of the Inca Onset R50i wide-format, flatbed UV printer. This printer features fine-drop 14 picolitre Fujifilm Dimatix Spectra printheads and an eight-channel, dual CMYK configuration to deliver superb quality and 600m2/hr productivity with automation. Positioned between the high-quality 400m2/hr, six-colour Onset R40i and the high-speed 720m2/hr Onset S50i, the new Onset R50i meets the needs of firms who produce a mix of graphics for long and short-distance viewing and who want the best quality and throughput.

“This new Onset ticks all the boxes for many companies because it extends the range of jobs they can handle,” says Heather Kendle, Inca Digital’s Director of Marketing and Product Management. “Plus, its ability to produce both sharp text and smooth block colours with all the added advantages of digital print flexibility will appeal to companies with XXL offset presses. Early reaction from the market has been extremely positive with installations already underway.”

The full-width array flatbed Onset R50i is supplied with a choice of Caldera or Colorgate RIPs and prints an apparent resolution of 1000dpi onto substrate sizes up to 3.14 x 1.6m (123.6in x 63in) and 50mm (2in) thick at a rate of up to 120 full-bed sheets an hour. Depending upon specific job requirements, users can choose between uni-directional, bi-directional and high-quality or high-productivity modes. Designed for easy set-up with maximum reliability and operational uptime, the Onset R50i is equipped with a 15-zone vacuum table, a UV sensor system and mechanical substrate height detectors.

The Onset R50i printer is available immediately from Fujifilm, Inca’s exclusive global distribution partner. Established provider of POP & display applications for the retail market in the UK, Wilmot Budgen, has already placed an order for the machine. The combination of extraordinary productivity and high print quality, supported by the reliability and minimal maintenance required, were compelling features in the decision making process. Richard Budgen, Managing Director, explains: “We reviewed the market extensively before choosing a high-end digital flatbed machine that would allow us to print directly and efficiently onto different substrates. The consistent quality and outstanding throughput demonstrated by the Inca Onset R50i impressed us, and we soon knew that it was the best fit for our production environment.”

Based on the flexible Onset Scaleable Architecture platform, the Inca Onset Series now features a choice of 19 different models and three different handling systems to allow companies to select the best printer with the best combination of productivity, quality and ink options for their business.

During a press conference at the International Sign Association’s (ISA) Sign Expo in Las Vegas, Agfa Graphics announced the world premiere of new inkjet systems, workflow and inks. The new products announced included:

• The impressive 2.5 m (98 inch) Jeti Tauro: a high-end hybrid UV inkjet press with 32 heads for 6 colors, and optional white or primer, designed for high productivity printing on both rigid and flexible material
• Jeti Mira: a most versatile 6 color and white UV inkjet flatbed printer with optional varnish or primer. The Jeti Mira system features a moving-gantry architecture with split-vacuum table for productivity, impressive colors, and print quality
• New automation and more feature integration in the wide- format workflow Asanti 2.0
• New UV inks designed for specific inkjet print applications requiring flexibiltiy (RTR) or the most challenging of outdoor conditions

Agfa Graphics leveraged the International Sign Expo trade show (Las Vegas, USA, April 9-11) to introduce its new assortment of UV inkjet solutions for the high-end wide-format printing market. The new Jeti Tauro and Jeti Mira took center stage. Both printers for the higher-end segment of the sign & display market are geared to high-productivity and high-quality output. The hybrid Jeti Tauro system offers optional semi or full media load / unload automation. Jeti Tauro prints up to 2,5 meter-wide rolls or rigid material completely operated from the Asanti workflow software.

The Jeti Mira is a true flatbed printer, ruggedly built and available in two table versions: 2.7m x 1.6m and 2.7m x 3.2m sizes (8' 9" x 5'2"/10'5". The moving-gantry architecture is specifically designed to offer optimal flexibility and high-quality output on a variety of different media. To reduce vacuum masking, the split vacuum table features six vacuum zones with automatic and independent control of the front and back zones. The ‘Print and Prepare’ mode, allows non-stop printing so printers can load one side of the table while the other is printing.

 

Jeti Tauro: a high-end hybrid UV inkjet press with 32 heads for 6 colors, designed for high productivity printing on both rigid and flexible material

 

"We promised a series of new state-of-the-art products in the course of 2015 and we are happy to deliver," said Dominiek Arnout, Vice President Inkjet, Agfa Graphics. "We truly believe the market will embrace these two new systems that make ultimate use of our dedicated ink technology and our tailored sign & display workflow. Our Matched Component Approach guarantees that every component yields the best possible result."

Today, Agfa Graphics’ UV-curable inks deliver large-gamut high-quality prints with the lowest ink consumption per square meter in the industry, thanks to the ‘thin ink layer technology’ in both the Jeti Tauro and the Jeti Mira. The new inks for Jeti and Anapurna systems target flexible applications, special substrates and outdoor signage printed on polypropylene or styrene based media types and provide image longevity.

The new Asanti 2.0 wide format workflow software controls the entire process from prepress to production to finishing. Along the way, it simplifies, optimizes and automates. As a true production hub, the unique bi-directional communication with the new Jeti Tauro and connection towards Acorta streamlines production even further. Asanti v2.0 also features new options for printing white on transparent substrates. Asanti’s comprehensive integration of file handling, color management and preflighting also reduce the risk of mistakes and make the complete system more productive. Asanti is complemented by Asanti StoreFront, Agfa Graphics' web-to-print solution that manages online stores and processes print orders automatically.

These new products and other Agfa Graphics solutions will be in booth #1350 at ISA’s Sign Expo 2015, being held from April 9-11 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The European debut for Jeti Tauro and Jeti Mira is at FESPA 2015 (18-22/5, Cologne DE) where they will also be on display next to the new Anapurna M3200i RTR White and new automation options for Anapurna M2500i.

Excel Displays & Packaging is expanding its retail printing capabilities with the HP Scitex 15500 Corrugated Press. With this installation, Excel expects to achieve ultra-efficient, high-quality production of corrugated applications, such as point-of-purchase (POP) displays and short-run packaging.

Since 1989, Excel Displays & Packaging has combined shopper marketing and retailer expertise with innovative manufacturing capabilities to provide highly effective promotional materials to retail customers. The new digital press will help Excel further address market demands for faster turnaround times, customized output and shorter run lengths, while also streamlining corrugated application production with a new media handling system and economic inks.

“The speed of retail never slows down, and our clients are looking to us to deliver the best solutions for their businesses,” said Brian Hutchinson, vice president of Shopper Marketing, Excel Displays & Packaging.

“The HP Scitex 15500 is truly a unique provider of solutions; it delivers on quality, quantity and speed in digital, whereas you typically can only have two sides of the triangle. The HP Scitex 15500 delivers against all three, so we mean it when we say that Excel does it all – FAST…er!”

Introduced at the 2015 ISA Sign Expo, the HP Scitex 15500 Corrugated Press helps converters digitally print high-value corrugated applications. The press offers automated stack-to-stack, hands-free operation, the HP Scitex Corrugated Grip that prints on warped boards, and HP HDR230 Scitex Inks for paper board applications, driving down costs and improving the digital breakeven point. With the new press, Excel is poised to grow their business with the flexibility of digital and an optimized production floor.

Not content with just having a 3.2m Roll to Roll UV printer, InkTec are launching an even wider JETRIX printer – the RX5000 – at Fespa 2015.

Harnessing all of the attributes that the recently launched RX3200 offers, the widest JETRIX printer yet will also feature rapid production speeds of 255sqm/hr, while still achieving 36sqm/hr in the best quality setting. Equipped with sixteen Konica KM series (14PL) print heads, the new one will also be available either as a 4 colour (CMYK) or 8 colour (CMYK, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black and Light Yellow) ink configuration. Recognising the challenges of handling large volumes of media, the printer will also feature an easy winding system and option to load multiple rolls on the feed to enable printing at the same time.

“Some may wonder why we have gone even bigger, but we are clearly seeing a demand across Europe for indoor and outdoor graphics produced on these super wide production printers. As a result, there was a need to go one step further, which is why we have gone even wider to a 5.0m roll and developed the JETRIX RX5000.” says Joey Kim, Managing Director of InkTec Europe.