Hardware - Industrial Print

Contex has announced six new multifunction product bundles developed with HP to meet the needs of the technical market. The latest collaboration delivers a powerful wide-format scanner multi-function printer (MFP) at an entry-level price. Users can select an MFP bundle depending on workflow volume and document dimensions, with options specifically designed for varying workgroup sizes, productivity levels and imaging demands. The bundle options include a Contex SD3615 MFP Repro or IQ4420 Repro scanning solution, paired with a standard or web-connected HP Designjet printer. The Contex and HP Designjet MFPs are specially priced until January 31, 2014, and available exclusively from HP Graphics Elite Resellers.

"The Contex and HP bundles provide our customers with a lot of horsepower for an exceptional price. With so many options to choose from, there is a solution for every scanning, copying and printing need," states Steve Blanken, Contex General Manager for North and South America.

For small workgroups, Contex has created three MFP bundles that combine the high volume capability, speed and resolution of the SD3615 MFP Repro or IQ 4420 Repro solutions with the efficiency of HP Designjet ePrinters. These printers bring optional web connectivity to each bundle, providing access to the printer via smartphone, tablet and other Wi-Fi¬ equipped devices, while also enabling users to email projects and save copies instantly to the cloud. The three bundle options include the SD3615 and HP Designjet T520 MFP; SD3615 and HP Designjet T790 MFP; and IQ4490 and HP Designjet T790 Power MFP.

Notably, the IQ4420 and HP Designjet T790 Power MFP is the only true 44¬-inch input and output MFP device available on the market today.

The new Contex MFP offerings also include three options for medium and large workgroups: the SD3615 and HP Designjet T920 Power MFP; IQ4420 and HP Designjet Z5400 PostScript® Power MFP for technical and graphics applications; and SD3615 and HP Designjet T7100 Power MFP. Each MFP bundle includes Nextimage Repro software, a height¬-adjustable stand, and a movable 17-inch touchscreen monitor.

Inca Digital Printers and Fujifilm have launched the Inca Onset S50i - an ultra-high productivity, CMYK, flatbed UV inkjet printer capable of printing 725sqm/hr (7,803sqft/hr).  Designed and developed by Inca and sold exclusively worldwide by Fujifilm, the new Inca Onset S50i is the latest and most powerful large format printer in the Onset range and the first to be developed on Inca’s new-generation Onset Scaleable Architecture.

The Onset S50i has been designed to meet the market’s growing need for greater productivity. Today, display graphics print companies are not only handling larger volumes of digital print and meeting tighter deadlines, they are also experiencing growing demand for multi-version graphics from their retail and leisure industry clients. As a result, these companies want a printer that can increase their digital print capacity, deliver faster job turnarounds, streamline print production and handle production peaks with ease. The Onset S50i meets all of these requirements.

“When the Onset S70 was launched in 2007 we changed the industry’s expectations of digital print speed for display graphics,” says John Mills, Inca’s CEO. “The launch of the powerful, new-generation Onset S50i today raises productivity levels still further and makes it a true commercial and cost-effective alternative to offset presses and multiple screen presses.”

Tudor Morgan, systems marketing manager, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems adds, “The desire for a greater level of personalisation, combined with shorter run lengths, is well documented in the industry. The challenge for the OEM is to satisfy this in an economical way. The speed and quality of the Onset S50i makes this achievable.”

Delivering a high throughput of up to 725sqm/hr (7,803sqft/hr), equivalent to 144 full beds per hour, the S50i uses Fujifilm Uvijet OB or OZ inks to print onto a wide variety of rigid and flexible media up to 3.14m x 1.6m (123.6in x 63in) and up to 50mm (2in) thick. A choice of print modes can be selected, alongside satin and gloss finishes, depending on the specific job requirements. The Onset S50i incorporates 224 (56 per colour) Fujifilm Dimatix printheads on a full width print array and two highly-efficient UV lamps ensure high-speed curing.

The printer also incorporates both hardware and software technologies that have been developed specifically by Inca to deliver industry-leading quality, reliability and productivity. These include: iNozzle mapping; sophisticated drive and control electronics; a 15-zone vacuum table to reduce bed masking requirements and, consequently, set-up time for thin substrates; a UV sensor system that accurately monitors printer condition; and substrate height detectors to prevent contact with, and damage to, printheads. Plus, Inca’s variable data Print Run Controller software module offers advanced job management capabilities and ReporterPro software gives users detailed information about the productivity of their Inca printers. The S50i is compatible with Inca’s flexible automation system, which gives users a choice to operate manually or using semi or three-quarter modes from the same configuration.

The Onset S50i is the first printer developed around Inca’s new-generation Onset Scaleable Architecture, also announced today. The Onset Scaleable Architecture is an innovative modular design which gives users the ability to choose the best printer for their initial requirements, but with considerable flexibility to change its productivity levels and ink options as their business evolves. This enables Inca Digital to convert the customer’s Onset on-site for the very first time, as and when needed. For example, an Onset S40i with CMYK LtmLtc can be converted to an eight-colour model with dual CMYK, or with the addition of white if required, to suit a change in the type of work a company prints. As a result, Onset Scaleable Architecture protects a company’s investment in their Onset printer for the long term and provides investment peace of mind.

The Onset S50i printer has successfully completed beta testing and is now in full production at four companies, three in the USA and one in the UK. The Onset S50i is commercially available now.

Casablanca, Morocco-based printing company Visual Impact has chosen the EFI VUTEk GS2000LX wide format printer to differentiate itself and provide added value in the digital printing markets.

Founded in 2000, Visual Impact was among the first digital printing companies in Morocco. It now employs about forty people and has greatly diversified its offerings.

"Over the years we have expanded our skills and developed completely integrated visual communication production", explains Nabil Mikou, founder. Visual Impact is now able to provide A to Z management of projects that include the production of structures, stand layout, signs, vehicle decoration, flags and bunting, etc. "With the arrival of presses from China, we have seen a fall in prices and drop in average printing quality. For us, there was no question of standing strong in the digital market. We have chosen to differentiate ourselves by providing added value and high quality. This is why we took the advice of Saga Digital and invested in an EFI VUTEk GS2000LX."

The GS2000LX provides eight-colour plus white and three-layer, in-line printing for outstanding image quality. It has two resolutions: true 600 dpi (24 pL) or 1000 dpi (12 pL) selectable. It also guarantees changeover from rigid to flexible substrates in less than one minute. With 186 m²/h and 45 1.20 m x 2.40 m-size sheets per hour, it is highly productive.

The ability to print point-of-sale advertising directly onto the substrate (instead of printing on vinyl and then having to laminate), as well as the ability to print white ink on transparent substrates, produce mirror printing, selective white effects, reverse indoor window stickers, etc. offer new opportunities.

"The VUTEk has allowed Visual Impact to attack new markets with very demanding colour-rendering requirements: events, stage decoration, photo exhibitions, interior design. We mainly use innovative new substrates, such as honeycomb cardboard, that are still not found very often in Morocco. It's another way to differentiate ourselves,” adds Mikou.

The ecological aspect is a plus. The new printer does not emit VOCs (organic volatile compounds), uses fewer consumables, reduces waste and has low energy consumption. As for productivity "the printing time has been reduced to 25 percent of what it was with the old printers, and immediate LED curing gives us a significant saving in time for markets like events, where time is often of the essence,” concludes Mikou.

Hull, UK-based display specialist RMC Digital has taken delivery of its third printer in three years from EFI with the delivery of an EFI VUTEk GS3250LX 3.2m flatbed and roll-fed machine incorporating 'cool cure' LED curing. This investment follows the original decision by the company to invest in a VUTEk printer when the company was first formed in 2010.

RMC Digital specialises in producing multi-layered graphics as well as general wide-format displays, and the use of white ink plays a key role in the company's applications. Following the purchase of a VUTEk QS3250 for its first production machine, superwide-format, double-sided and multi-roll capabilities were added with the investment in a VUTEk GS5000r 5m printer.

The recent installation at RMC Digital of the VUTEk GS3250LX followed considerable research into the best machine for the company's purposes and, having visited EFI's customer experience centre in Brussels, the decision was made to opt for LED curing. Impressed not only with the greener benefits of moving away from mercury arc lamps, but also the new inks that proved to give greater elasticity and the white offering excellent opacity.

"We were thinking about upgrading and, although we looked at other machines on the market, it was an easy decision to stay with EFI. Not only are we familiar with VUTEk printers and Fiery XF RIP software, we also wanted the benefits of the company's 'cool cure' LED technology," states Nicole Spencer, operations manager at RMC Digital. "We also need to be able match colour across all our devices, and this is simple to achieve with our VUTEk machines. The LED curing also means we can print direct to materials that we haven't been able to consider before because the heat of the conventional lamps could cause buckling and surface damage."

The Hull-based company has a nationwide client base and provides a complete design, manufacturing and installation service for its customers. Specialising in double-sided block-out and 'night and day' graphics, RMC Digital also produces a wide range of general displays, wallpapers, floor graphics, scaffold wraps and canvas prints.

UK-based Xtreme Graphics, known as XG Group, has installed two new MTEX direct to textile 3.2m wide digital printers, bringing its total fleet of MTEX printers to four.

Two years ago, the company bought the first MTEX 3200 3.2m wide direct to textile printer. A year later, due to high demand for their superb quality textile printing on flags and lightweight banners, XG Group purchased another. Both machines were soon printing in three shifts so this year, following the launch of the new MTEX 5032 at FESPA Digital London, the company purchased two further MTEX printers.

The fourth MTEX 5032 printer was installed by manufacturer POD Iberia and its UK distributor Digital Print Innovations in less than four hours.

Earlier this year, XG was hailed for printing one of the largest ‘crowd surf’ banner ever seen in Britain. It was produced to mark the 55th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster and measured 30m wide by 20m high. The banner featured the final line up of the ‘Busby Babes’ from the game against Red Star Belgrade in 1958, with the words “We’ll never die.” The giant surf banner was dye sublimation printed using their MTEX print fleet at 3m wide onto 115 gsm FR knitted polyester. These drops were subsequently sewn together to form the finished banner.

Warren Verwey comments, “Our drive and determination to be the best in the market drove the introduction of the first MTEX 3200 over two years ago. Now we have seen demand for high value, lightweight and durable flags, banners and displays shoot through the roof and both our original machines were working non-stop. The installation of the new MTEX 5032 earlier this week is testament to the quality and importance we place on the growth of this market place. I can tell you I was very pleased that the technicians were able to unpack and install the 3.2m machine with in-line sublimation in less than four hours because it meant minimal disruption and we were up and running by the end of the day. Amazing service.”

Eloi Ferriera, CEO of POD Iberia adds, “Warren was a keen supporter of the MTEX brand and product from the very beginning. It is important to us as a company to work closely with all our distributors like DPI in the UK and MTEX customers such as XG to ensure that they have the best service and experiences possible. We know that our products excel in the industry and the fact that XG have just installed their fourth, reinforces this position. We look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of digital textile printing with customers like this around the world.”

Mid-November is always the time of year when yuletide business starts rolling in at CEWE. Considering that the seasonal trade accounts for a quarter of annual sales, Europe’s largest photo finisher has tooled up accordingly: yet another swissQprint inkjet printer went into operation at the end of October 2013, making a total of five identical Impala large format printers at the company’s two production plants in Germany.

It was only a year ago that a fourth Impala joined existing machinery at the Germering plant and quickly came up to speed. Large format photo products were already fast-selling Christmas gifts last season. CEWE reckons with even higher demand this time around, not least as a result of launching its “CEWE Wandbild” brand of large format photo prints. Acquisition of a fifth machine is the company’s provident response, ensuring there will be no exceptions to meeting customer wishes on time. Customer confidence and satisfaction are cornerstones of CEWE’s success story, which opened a new chapter when large format prints were introduced in 2011. All of that rests on the proper infrastructure, utterly reliable logistics, and unfailing quality.

Reliable Swiss inkjet systems fit the scheme perfectly. They are capable of printing with consistent high quality directly onto acrylic glass, rigid foam panels, aluminium composite boards and similar rigid materials. Canvas is also an option: all of the machines are equipped with a roll to roll option that instantly converts the flatbed printer into a high-precision roll printer. CEWE uses eight of the Impala’s nine colour channels: four standard CMYK process colours plus light Cyan, light Magenta and light Black for natural-looking skin tones. Last but not least is the white channel on every machine. This is used to apply a mask or foundation coat, essential for reproducing vivid colours on acrylic glass.

A quintet of identically configured printers makes for vastly easier order processing. Any job is assignable to any plant, for optimum utilisation of capacity. Against this background and in view of the anticipated volume of business, this fifth printer acquisition, too, can be expected to pay for itself within a very short period of time.