Hardware - Industrial Print

EFI  and The Garvey Group today announced the installation of a new EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro UV inkjet press at The Garvey Group's Los Angeles production facility. The two companies made the announcement during the GlobalShop 2014 retail, design and visual merchandising show in Las Vegas.

Installed earlier this month, the new, high-volume press gives The Garvey Group increased capacity to meet growing entertainment and national retailer demand for premium, point-of-purchase (POP) signage. The 3.2-metre wide press also strengthens The Garvey Group's service capabilities in high-end indoor and outdoor promotional graphics for Hollywood TV and film studios.

The press purchase puts The Garvey Group at the forefront of superwide-format imaging capabilities, expanding the capacity and quality the company offers through its national fleet of digital and litho production presses.

"Quality and speed are essential to our retail and entertainment industry customers, and they need suppliers who are proactive in their ability to consistently produce accurate, high-end work under tight deadlines," said Ed Garvey, CEO of The Garvey Group. "Our talented teams partnered with EFI several years ago to establish an advanced graphic imaging platform that helps our customers build their brands. Now, the faster, higher-volume EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro is taking The Garvey Group's reliability, quality and support offering to new heights."

The VUTEk HS100 Pro prints on a wide variety of roll and rigid media. It also offers throughput comparable to screen printing, with print quality that approaches offset. Operating at speeds up to 100 boards per hour, the press has a number of imaging- and productivity-enhancing features including:

• Printing in up to eight colours, including the industry's best white ink and a unique, multi-layer printing capability for superior visual appeal on backlit displays and other applications.
• EFI's Pin & Cure imaging technology, which offers precise ink lay-down for critical colour accuracy and consistency, gloss control and an increased colour gamut.
• True, variable-dot greyscale inkjet head technology for higher image quality and better matching of brand colours.

"EFI has a long and successful history of working with The Garvey Group and we are excited about arming this valued customer with the best-in-class capabilities of our high end EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro inkjet press," said Frank Mallozzi, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, EFI. "With this press, The Garvey Group can offer a higher level of speed and quality to businesses in the retail and entertainment industries."

 

Birmingham-based Brindley Design & Print has upgraded its Anapurna M2 to an Anapurna M1600 to increase productivity. The Anapurna M2, which was installed in 2009, has served the company well but with an increased workload there was a need to step up production.

The company, managed by two directors, Phil Mander and Mark Plotnek, has maintained a number of loyal customers, several of whom are printers. Brindley Design & Print outsources its litho work to these printers and receives display business in return. Some of this work is sample packaging, which the Anapurna is able to print directly onto coated board.

“We looked at several alternatives to the Anapurna but, with the satisfying experience of working with Agfa over the past few years and hearing of other not so favourable experiences within the industry, we are very happy we stayed with a company we trust,” explained Mark Plotnek.

Business is good but the company aims to expand further by selling its sign and display graphic services via the web, which in less than a year already accounts for 15% of the turnover.

New business is also arriving by way of recommendation from educational academies. “The academies initially approached us for posters, but soon we progressed to pop-up displays, and now we are producing and installing large scale exterior building signage utilising the services of scaffolders and cherry pickers. The new M1600 has performed very well, although we have still to properly make full use of all its features. For example, printing with white ink offers so many possibilities for the future,” comments Phil Mander.

Agfa Graphics has announced two new machines which build on the success of the Jeti Titan series of UV-curable wide-format printers - the Jeti Titan S (speed) and Jeti Titan HS (high speed) true flatbed UV-inkjet printers.  The new printers combine 'exceptional print quality and high productivity at a best-in-industry price point' and the robust build engines incorporate the latest generation in inkjet print heads (the Ricoh Gen 5 with 1,280 nozzles).

The Jeti Titan S is equipped with one row of print heads, yet is field upgradeable to two rows, thus becoming a Jeti Titan HS and doubling the productivity level.  Both models are making their debut at C!Print 2014 - scheduled to be held in Lyon, France, between 4th and 6th February 2014 - and will be on display in Hall 5, stand B18/C17, A16/B15 & Atelier Nova Live.

Reflecting market demands, the default set-up for both models is six colours plus white (CMYKLcLmWW). White printing is supported different modes including overprint, under-print, spot, under-spot, fill and over-spot for rigids and pre-white for roll media. The productive white ink solution features an automated recirculation system for optimal reliability.

The Jeti Titan S and HS are ideal for higher volume or fast turnaround jobs. They are designed to guarantee the highest accuracy in drop placement. The 7 picolitre droplet size makes it possible to achieve photorealistic image quality with fine text down to 4pt positive and negative. The Jeti Titan S & HS are ideal for high-value work like POP viewed at close range or for the high-level art, fashion & cosmetics markets.

The Jeti Titan S and HS have a 2x3m true flatbed design for optimum registration and repeatability. Both systems feature a precision moving table, built on a robust steel frame for seven day/three shift endurance, and use the latest generation of print heads and curing technology.  Giving even more production flexibility, the ‘flat-to-roll’ option gives users the ability to print flexible media up to 3.2m wide with the same high quality and resolution as rigid materials.

Jeti Titan S and HS, Asanti workflow software and Anuvia UV-curable inks form a matched component system, designed to work together optimally to ensure the highest quality results and maximum productivity for a predictable income.

McKenzie Clark's integration with Icon, following acquisition by Chime Communications, has been finalised and the combined company has now installed the first VUTEk HS100 Pro high-speed digital press in the UK. As a first-time purchaser of EFI technology, the company's new flat-bed and roll-fed UV-curable 3.2m platform is complemented by the Fiery proServer digital front-end, enabling both throughput and quality to be addressed on the same device without compromise, and is an important addition to increase productivity of point-of-purchase and event graphics.

The amalgamation into a single site for the former McKenzie Clark and Icon brings together two diverse areas of wide-format display requirements as precision photographic quality output combines resources with sport and event brand management in one production area. Managing directors Graham Clark and Keith Goodwin believe that the variance in print criteria is easily addressed with the high-speed VUTEk HS100 Pro press, which features the latest greyscale print-heads plus EFI's innovative pin and cure technology that allows for greater droplet control and different finishes across a variety of materials.

For Icon, the key necessity was to supersede its existing Lambda output with newer, more sustainable technology without compromising the superlative quality for which the company is renowned. "It is vital that we maintain consistency across colours with the option for matte, satin and gloss finishes so that we can easily meet the results expected by our clients, many of whom specialise in the beauty and fashion sectors," states Clark.

"Our prior experience of wide-format printing technology has increased our expectations of what we can expect from the right platform. Although this is our first ever purchase from EFI, we are confident that the VUTEk HS100 Pro is the right machine for all of our requirements."

"The contrast in print needs created by the complementary markets in which Icon specialises means that our newest wide-format printer must give us the best of both worlds," explains Goodwin. "It is essential that it addresses very fine standards of print with precision colour matching for close viewing, yet accommodates extremely high throughput speeds for jobs which are going to be observed from a distance."

Formed by the merger of Speedway Signs and Aerosigns, Icon's roots go back to 1937. The company is the UK's largest event branding specialist, handling major events worldwide including the forthcoming Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, which it is sponsoring, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. McKenzie Clark was founded in 1963 and its expertise in live events and retail is complemented by full design and management services.

The acquisition of the two companies by Chime Communications consolidates the strengths of both businesses and accelerates continued expansion. The investment in the EFI VUTEk HS100 Pro and EFI Fiery proServer increases their wide-format capabilities with the steady growth in production demands.

Display printing and installation company CIM's new Agfa Anapurna hit the ground running in December when a client ordered 155 display boards – for completion as soon as possible – just days after its installation.

The new Agfa Anapurna M1600, supplied by i-Sub Digital, replaced a Rasterprinter UV flat-bed machine that the company had run in its Norwich printroom for the past six years. Its speed and quality were lacking, so CIM looked around for a complete upgrade.

"Of all the machines we looked at this was an all-rounder," says John Cornwell, Director, CIM. "The Anapurna has a roll-to-roll option which improves speed, it's easy to use and takes up a small amount of space. Our choice was based less on price and more on quality."

The Agfa Anapurna M1600 can print in four colours plus white at up to 46sqm/hr onto rigid boards such as Foamex and roll-to-roll media like vinyl and PVC banner, plus a wide range of other substrates up to 50mm thick. The white ink is applied by a separate management system, allowing display producers to print pre-white or post-white in one production run. After seeing the wide-format printer in action at both FESPA and Sign and Digital UK, CIM contacted i-Sub Digital on the recommendation of another local print company. "I-Sub Digital really guided us all the way through," says Cornwell.

December's order for 155 Foamex display boards was for an international insurance company's exhibition stand – a market sector CIM is keen to expand into. 

"On the Agfa we can print one display board roughly every ten minutes; on the old printer it would have been one an hour," says Cornwell. "We would have had to field that out to a trade supplier, so it's great to do that work in-house now. It's made a huge difference to output.

"We've also purchased a cutting machine recently so combining it with the Agfa means we can take on more exhibition work. We get a lot of enquiries about recyclable boards and eco-friendly exhibition boards."

CIM was able to pay for the new Anapurna thanks to a local government grant from the Regional Growth Fund via Anglia LEP. The funding was contingent on hiring new employees, so in addition to the new equipment the print business took the opportunity to expand its team with two new trainees, an experienced sign-maker and a part-time position.

"It's really positive that the funding is available to businesses in our sector who want to invest in new equipment and staff," comments Andy Spreag, Managing Director of i-Sub Digital.

"The Anapurna M1600 is a versatile machine that will help CIM meet its customers' demands for fast-turnaround work in-house. We're looking forward to seeing what the new trainees will produce on it."

For further information on i-Sub Digital, or to book a demonstration of the Agfa Anapurna M1600, please email info@i-subdigital.com.

Following the prototype demonstration at FESPA 2013 in London last year, Screen Europe has launched the new Truepress Jet W3200UV wide-format printer. Prospective customers and European resellers attended the commercial launch at Inca Digital, a Screen subsidiary company and manufacturer of the new printer, in Cambridge, UK.

The Truepress Jet W3200UV is a new generation, mid-range flatbed inkjet printer that incorporates several features which are usually found in more expensive machines.  It can take rigid board or paper sheets up to 3.2 x 1.6m format and up to 50mm thick, or multiple smaller sheets at once. The W3200 can produce production print at 10, 14, 18 or 22 passes depending on the speed and quality required. The printer uses vibrant and flexible Truepress inks, which deliver high-definition, wide-colour gamut print quality with excellent resistance to the bending and cutting of media.  Users can specify colour options to suit their needs: CMYK + LcLm, +LcLmWW or +WW.

Print firms and resellers toured the Inca factory to see at first hand the quality build process and the detailed testing the Truepress undergoes before delivery ensuring high quality achieved at 85 sqm/hr maximum productivity.

At the launch Mike Willis, managing director of inkjet consultancy Pivotal Resources, spoke about the rapid evolution of wide-format inkjet technology and the development of commercial markets for these printers over the past decade. “In the early days nobody knew what the market would be for wide-format inkjets,” he said. “But it has opened up a new category and now it is used for multiple applications from sign and display, point of sale, posters, wall covering, and packaging as well as for processes in electronics and ceramics. Industrial inkjet is expected to really accelerate over the next few years.”

The Larger Profile in the UK is the world’s first user of the Truepress Jet W3200UV, having acted as an early adopter for three months before confirming its order in November. Giorgio Damiano, designer and operator at The Larger Profile, was on hand to give an account of his company’s experience of using the printer for a variety of work, especially quality sensitive, ‘solid colours’, display and wall panels for retailers, including a lot of work on clear acrylics, for which the high opacity white ink is essential.

Martijn van den Broek, wide format sales manager for Benelux at Screen Europe, highlighted the standout features of the new printer, including the nozzle mapping technology, automatic cleaning, mist extraction system and how accurate placement of the 14 picolitre droplets is achieved.  "Ultimately this new printer gives reliable high productivity with consistent superb print quality. Add the great substrate flexibility and added value applications such as multi-layer printing and the Truepress Jet W3200UV is setting a new standard in the market,” he said.

The Screen Truepress Jet W3200UV is available immediately and costs from €275,000.00 depending on specification.