Hardware - Industrial Print

W.A.E Group, the Leeds based sign and display graphics company, has invested in an Agfa :Jeti 3312 roll-to-roll wide-format printer to cope with extra demand created by a new nationwide retail display contract. 

W.A.E. recently started to work for a retailer who has plans to significantly increase the number of its stores in the UK. “Our two existing roll-to-roll printers could not cope with the extra workload so we had to look around and liked what we saw from Agfa,” explained Paul Austin managing director, W.A.E. Group. “In particular, this model of :Jeti can take substrates up to 3.2m in width, which enables us to simultaneously print two rolls side by side. I am delighted with our purchase,  the :Jeti is performing very well and copes with all the work we can throw at the machine.”

Agfa is not new to W.A.E. For the past five years the company has been outputting work on their Agfa :Anapurna XL. This :Anapurna was initially brought in to print directly onto pre-coated plywood board for a number of property development contracts. Over the years the :Anapurna has printed on a whole variety of different substrates and still performs very well.

Paul Austin concludes, “When deciding which new wide-format machine we should invest in, I was mindful of the very good service and support that we had received from Agfa.”

[photo shows Paul Austin with his new Agfa :Jeti printer]

Caravan Industries has become the first company in the Middle East to invest in an Inca Onset large format flatbed printer.  It placed the order for the Onset S20 on the Fujifilm stand at drupa 2012.

Caravan Industries is one of the biggest sign printers in the Middle East, and the largest in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, printing large format work for many prestigious businesses in this region.  It is already a Fujifilm customer, having previously invested in an Acuity Advance HD 2545 and an Inca Spyder flatbed printer.  However, the demand from its customers has increased so much that the time was right to invest in a machine with a much higher production capacity.

Mr Nasser el Rass, owner of Caravan Industries, comments, “We were in the market for a high speed, high quality, inkjet flatbed printer and had narrowed it down to a choice of two. However, when we visited the Fujifilm stand at drupa, had detailed discussions with them and saw the quality of print coming off the Onset S20, our choice was straightforward.”

He continues, “We will be replacing our current roll-to-roll printers with the Inca Onset S20 and have no doubt that we can fulfil about 80% of our production on the new machine. We know both Fujifilm and Inca very well, and have good relationships with both companies, so we have utmost confidence in our choice. The quality, productivity and reliability of the Onset S20 combined with the expertise, service and support from Fujifilm and Inca will help us maintain our leading position in the Middle East.”

The Inca Onset S20, available exclusively from Fujifilm, delivers POP quality production at speeds up to 310sqm/hr or 55 full bed sheets/hr (3.12m x 1.6m) on substrates up to 50mm thick. Aimed at companies with high-volume production needs, this high-speed printer produces superb quality display graphics economically. Engineered to provide superb levels of performance, quality and flexibility, the printheads on a full print width colour bar deliver a 28 picolitre drop size, producing excellent print quality.

The sale of the Inca Onset S20 was facilitated by Fujifilm’s digital distributor in the Middle East, the AlAoun Group, and closed in direct discussions with Fujifilm on its stand at drupa. The printer will be installed by mid July.

Moscow-based Glav Print, a specialist in high quality indoor printing predominantly for the cosmetics industry, is the first company in the World to order a Uvistar Pro8 at drupa 2012. The sale was made through Fujifilm’s Russian distributor AT DESIGN.

Natalia Fomina, president at Glav Print comments, “We have been doing work for indoor printing applications in niche markets over the last 10 years and now we have a lot of customers and orders so we need additional capacity to satisfy them. When we heard about the new Uvistar Pro8 from Fujifilm through our contacts at AT DESIGN we were immediately interested. Having seen the speed that the machine is capable of, combined with the quality that our customers in the cosmetics industry are looking for, and knowing the reliability of all products from Fujifilm, we had no hesitation in placing an order.”

He continues, “We are completely confident that the Uvistar Pro8 is going to broaden our business base, and backed up by the fantastic level of local technical service that AT DESIGN offers us, as well as a reliable supply of inks and spare parts, we are very excited about what this will mean for our business.”

The Uvistar Pro8, launched at drupa 2012, is particularly suited to producing super-wide format print for both display POP and outdoor advertising markets on flexible and rigid media. It has been developed in combination with Fujifilm’s brand new Uvijet QN inks, to meet the growing demands of indoor applications, where viewing distances tend to be closer and rigid materials are more commonly used.

One of its major advancements is the inclusion of a complete set of light colours within the ink set which increase print quality without compromising on print speed. Together with its unique Parallel Drop Size (PDS) technology, this allows the printer to produce high definition Display POP graphics at speeds in excess of 300m2/hour.

Glav Print has ordered the 3m version of the Uvistar Pro8 on the stand at drupa, but has already expressed interest in the 5m version sometime in the future.

Fujifilm Corporation has announced the launch of the latest development in its highly successful series of Uvistar super-wide format printers. Named the ‘Uvistar Pro8‘, this latest platform is particularly suited to producing super-wide format print for both display POP and outdoor advertising markets on flexible and rigid media, and can be seen in action on Fujifilm’s stand in Hall 8b.

One of the major advancements of the Uvistar Pro8 platform is the inclusion of a complete set of light colours within the ink set which increase print quality without compromising on print speed. Together with its unique Parallel Drop Size (PDS) technology, this allows the Uvistar Pro8 to produce high definition Display POP graphics at speeds in excess of 300m2/hour.

Other improvements to the design include an auto media handling system for rigid media; a fully automated backlit printing option; the ability to switch between 4 and 8 colour printing modes, and an intuitive new operator interface.

The existing Uvistar is ideal for outdoor applications where the vibrancy of the inks and the versatility of the associated materials, including polyethylene, work extremely well together. The new Uvistar Pro8 has been developed in combination with Fujifilm’s brand new Uvijet QN inks, to meet the growing demands of indoor applications, where viewing distances tend to be closer and rigid materials are more commonly used.

“We are delighted to be able to introduce the Uvistar Pro8 at drupa,” comments Tudor Morgan, group marketing manager, wide format at Fujifilm. “Since launching the Uvistar, it has been incredibly successful in a short space of time. Now we want to broaden the reach of the machine to indoor as well as outdoor applications. The Uvistar Pro8 certainly does this.”

The new platform will be commercially available from August 2012.

Agfa will be featuring two new options from the company’s UV-curable Jeti 3020 Titan series on its stand at drupa. The new UV wide-format printer is available in 36-head and 48-head-versions and - thanks to its modular design - is very easy to configure.

As a 36-head configuration, the new Agfa Jeti 3020 Titan will be running CMYK plus highly opaque white ink, showing pre- and post-printing options as well as spot white. In its 48-head version the system is configured with eight sets of CMYK LC LM ink for optimum productivity and quality in both rigid and roll-fed modes. Configurations can be adapted in the field inline with business growth. As demand grows, the system can be enhanced to user specifications to incorporate additional colours and printheads for higher speeds.

Productivity, reliability and durability are key components to the Jeti Titan 3020 which has a maximum print area of 3.2x2m in its flat-bed configuration, and the ability to be modified to handle heavy-duty rolls of material with its FTR (flat-to-roll) option. The bed design and construction makes it easy to load and unload media; the Jeti 3020 Titan is able to start printing from the rear or front position and it prints at the same high speeds for roll-to-roll and rigid materials, which makes it one of the most versatile wide-format printing solution on the market.

IntegraColor has announced its addition of a Durst Rho 1000L Continuous High-Speed Production System to its diverse array of print output offerings – which already includes UV and conventional sheet-fed, digital, silk screen, flexographic, web offset, photographic and rotary letter.

This move is another important step in IntegraColor's ongoing strategy to position itself to exceed current and emerging clients' point-of-sale business objectives through innovation, acquisition and expansion opportunities, the company said. The installation is one of the very first in the country.

"We invested in Durst because, out of all of the offerings, we believed that Durst offered the highest quality at the fastest speeds, which will truly allow us to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace," said Donovan Campbell, IntegraColor's Chief Operating Officer. "We believe that a partnership between one of the world's premier digital manufacturers and one of the world's premier point-of-sale providers will benefit our customers as we continue to strive for premium quality and decreased costs."

"Our sales team has already shown samples to both existing and new customers," added Rob Styacich, IntegraColor's Senior Vice President for Sales. "The customers were very impressed by the quality and capabilities of the machine. These additional production capabilities add a new dimension to our overall point-of-sale capabilities which will drive additional sales for IntegraColor."

The Rho 1000L fits nicely within IntegraColor's under-one-roof print solutions model, and will complement its existing 44 print devices. Among them is the world's largest UV sheet-fed press – an 81-inch KBA Rapida – as well as a Durst Rho 800 Presto and two Durst Lambda large-format digital photo printers. The Rho 1000L bridges the gap between IntegraColor's existing digital presses and their screen and sheet-fed presses, the company said.
Rho 1000L

The 98-inch Rho 1000L, with a top speed of up to 4,090 s.f./hr., can be integrated into existing printing processes – such as screen and offset printing – and also equipped with automatic media loading and unloading devices. The system's fast set up times (no masking necessary) and its simple, quick media changes allow complete customer jobs with different materials to be processed in a single operation. The Rho 1000L supports the latest PDF/VT file format, which offers a combination of high-level graphic design features and Variable Data Printing (VDP).

"It's not just business, it's also a pleasure to continue our relationship with IntegraColor, and we're delighted the company has selected the Rho 1000L to continue to move their operations forward," said Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Durst U.S.

"The Rho 1000L and its big brother, the Rho 1000, represent nothing less than a new global standard for productivity, efficiency and image quality in large-format production digital printing," Howard added. "Our customers call the printer a 'game changer' that can transform their printing operations and allow them to compete in new market spaces."