Hardware - Industrial Print

New for this year's Sign & Digital UK (Birmingham, UK), ISA (Las Vegas, US) and FESPA (Hamburg, Germany), Agfa Graphics introduces the latest model in the popular :Anapurna range to the wide-format market - M1600. This new UV -curable printer both delivers the productivity of the :Anapurna M2050 engines in a 1.6 metre width at a maximum speed up to 46m²/h, and :Anapurna M1600 users benefit from white ink printing and the company's flexible G2 inks. :Anapurna M1600 is designed for applications on the latest rigid substrates including mirrors or plexi-glass and roll to roll substrates that demand more flexibility including banners and exhibition graphics.

Reliable white printing

The new :Anapurna M1600 answers customer demands for the white ink printing capabilities already proven in the competitive :Anapurna Mw and :Anapurna M2050 whilst producing the additional speed associated with the :Anapurna M2050 and :Anapurna M2. The white ink function offers print service providers new possibilities for printing on transparent material and offers an ideal solution for backlit or combined front and backlit applications. Digital white can even be used as a spot colour to focus on certain parts of an image. And to ensure maximum reliability while printing with white, the :Anapurna M1600 has a dedicated white ink mixing and circulation system .

Efficient Production

Designed as a robust production unit, :Anapurna M1600 combines quality output with ease of use for all types of applications up to a width of 1.58m and 4.5 cm thickness on rigid media. Flexible media handling and a two-zone vacuum table, give additional strength for dealing with a wide range of substrates varying in size and thickness.

Built on the proven :Anapurna M2050 platform, it offers the same consistent high output quality for applications where detailed rendering, graduated tints and sharp text are essential.

":Anapurna M1600 is a production workhorse designed to guarantee consistent high quality output even under peak workloads," said Willy Van Dromme, Marketing Manager for Wide Format Inkjet at Agfa Graphics. "This system gives the best-fit printing mode because every application requires a particular balance between speed and quality. We also made the :Anapurna M1600 it easy to use. Media loading and changing from rigid to flexible materials is fast and straightforward, and the system features a very intuitive operator interface. In fact we integrated all the best features from the :Anapurna M2050."

The :Anapurna M1600's four-colour (CMYK) plus white capability and its 12 picolitre print-heads produce high quality solids and tonal rendering at up to 720 x 1440 dpi with vibrant colours and a wide colour gamut typical for UV curable inks. White is printed in-line with the other colours, so printing pre-white, post-white or spot white is carried out in the same printing pass.

The :Anapurna M1600 welcome addition to Agfa Graphics' wide-format portfolio is indicative of the company's continuing investment and commitment to the digital print market which now includes solutions for all applications and budgets.

Today, Inca Digital Printers announces the launch of the Inca Onset S40, the latest addition to its market-leading Inca Onset range of wide-format UV flatbed inkjet printers. Positioned between the flagship, super high productivity Inca Onset at 750sqm/hr (8,073 sqft/hr)* and the Inca Onset S20 at 310 sqm/hr (3,340 sqft/hr)*, the new Inca Onset S40 prints at up to 470 sqm/hr (5,059 sq ft/hr)*.

Alongside the other products in the range, the Inca Onset S40 has been engineered to provide outstanding levels of performance, ‘best-in-class’ quality and flexibility at low cost per print. It meets the high-volume, fast-turnaround production needs of specialist display print companies, using up to 168 new-generation, user-replaceable, printheads (28 per colour) on a full width print bar delivering a 27 picolitre drop size. This, combined with Inca’s precision ink drop placement, produces superb 600dpi print quality with the option of four or six colours using Fujifilm’s UVijet OB ink.

With the addition of the Onset S40 to the Inca Onset range there are now 18 different Onset configurations available, offering a choice of productivity levels and ink options. This enables companies to pick the right model, at the best price, performance and, therefore, return on investment (ROI) for their business.  Supplied by Fujifilm, Inca’s exclusive global distribution partner, the new Inca Onset S40 will be shown publicly for the first time worldwide on the Fujifilm stand (Hall A4-B10) at Fespa Digital Hamburg, 24-27th May 2011.

Offering the features associated with the Inca Onset range, including wide colour gamut, satin and controllable gloss levels, variable job management and the option of automation, the Onset S40 produces superb POS-quality display graphics economically at throughput speeds of up to 470 sqm/hr (5,059 sq ft/hr), equivalent to 94 full bed sheets/hr (3.14 x 1.6m) and onto substrates up to 50mm (2in) thick. A choice of uni-directional, bi-directional and super high quality print modes can be selected depending upon specific job requirements. As a result, the versatile Onset S40 is ideal for the production of single and double-sided display POS, exhibition graphics, backlit/frontlit displays, outdoor signage printing and cosmetic/fashion graphics etc.

At this throughput level, production efficiency is important to ensure maximum productivity and cost-efficiency with minimal downtime in order to deliver the best ROI. As a result, the Inca Onset S40 is compatible with Inca’s flexible automation system which offers customers the choice to operate in manual, semi or three-quarter automation from the same configuration, as well as Inca’s Print Run Controller (PRC) software module.

The first Onset S40 in the world has been installed at Kolorcraft (www.kolorcraft.com) in Ossett, UK. The POS specialist has rigorously tested the new printer over the past few months, experiencing significant benefits to its business by being able to mirror its retail client’s objectives and maximise their budgets.
 
“The success of the Inca Onset and Onset S20 printers worldwide over the past three years has raised the quality bar in digitally printed graphics and demonstrated the considerable market for fast turnaround, quality display graphics on a wide range of materials and at a competitive price. It quickly became apparent that there continues to be a strong market for an Onset with all the features and functionality that it offers,” says Dr Linda Bell, Inca Digital CEO. “The Onset S40 is the logical next step for us in our printer portfolio. It fits nicely into the market and is highly competitive. Many companies are starting to invest in multiple Onsets, and we are giving them the flexibility to mix and match the models to suit their customer’s needs and production requirements and provide room for growth.”

* With automation

EFI is bringing to this year's Sign & Digital UK the fruits of its experience across all wide-format inkjet technologies and RIP and production solutions. To add to its leading UV-curable solutions for display producers and sign-makers, the company is demonstrating for the first time its trend-setting EFI VUTEk TX3250r 3.2 m dye sublimation fabric printer, which is a result of the growing demand from users wanting the ability to print onto greener textile materials.

Thanks to dye sublimation technology, the TX3250r dyes fibre directly so the textile retains the original look and feel that users prefer. It offers brighter colours than other textile printing methods and is completely odourless. Selected printed textiles can be folded without leaving folding marks.

EFI's new fast drying ink enables the TX3250r to print at speeds up to 100 sq.m. direct to textile and transfer paper (for dying polyester-coated rigid or flexible substrates). Flags can be printed at this high speed in high definition and with excellent colour saturation on both sides.

"We are very excited to be adding the TX3250r to our leading portfolio of superwide format products," said EFI VUTEk's general manager Scott Schinlever. "It is an outstanding example of EFI bringing innovation to the market. The TX3250r offers unrivalled print quality and saturated colours for wide-format textile at production speeds, so our customers can tap into high-growth applications."

The new printer's industrial design makes it suitable for 24/7 operations. It evolved from EFI's original VUTEk® FabriVu printer concept, which was introduced in 2002 as the first industrial inkjet textile printing solution. Designed to print direct-to-textile or indirect via a transfer process, and incorporating sublimation dyes from Hilord that produce rich, durable colours on all polyester-based materials, the new EFI VUTEk TX3250r is easy to use as the key element of an integrated production system.

Used in conjunction with the Klieverik calender, the resulting output can be used for a broad selection of end applications, including soft signs, banners, point-of-sale and flags. In addition, the new solution from EFI also accommodates the growing popularity for home and commercial décor, including wall coverings and furnishings.

Running continuous demonstrations in a production environment at Sign & Digital UK, EFI's complete fabric solution includes finishing on a Solent industrial sewing machine and is complemented by a range of textiles from leading supplier Georg + Otto Friedrich, many of which are recyclable. These are produced specifically for wide-format digital production, offering a soft hand, durability, colourful finishes, and the extra benefits of light weight and ease of installation in a variety of end applications.

Sign & Digital UK will also see EFI's latest software options for sign-makers and display producers, designed to enhance accurate, colour-managed workflow. These include the latest version of the Fiery XF RIP, as well as management solutions such as PrintSmith Sign, which are designed to help businesses run more efficiently. The company will also feature full details of its families of UV-curable printers and complementary products.

Contact Photographic Services Ltd (CPS), which specialises in high quality digital display printing, has become the 2000th company throughout the world to invest in Océ’s multi award-winning Arizona print production system. 

Exceptional print quality and speed, plus the ability to print white ink for the first time digitally, is already opening new expansion opportunities for CPS, which was founded more than 20 years ago and employs 15 people from its Manchester-based headquarters. This is the third Océ Arizona for the large format specialist, which first purchased an Océ Arizona 250 GT in 2007 before taking an Océ Arizona 350 GT two years later and now upgrading to the super-fast Océ Arizona 550GT.

Océ’s Arizona is the world’s biggest-selling flatbed print production system and outsells all its competitors put together.  Central to the global success has been exceptional print quality, which now means it can be used for silk-screen printing preparatory work.

“People know our reputation for fine art finished products, said Andrew Bruce, head of printing at CPS Ltd. “We do a lot of museum work, which stipulates extremely high quality printing, and now more and more of our work is being printed on the Océ Arizona, which has a fantastic print quality and is super-fast. Really fine detail is achieved and 6pt text can be read easily. One of the additional benefits is that we now can do white ink on the machine. The registration between the colour and the white is exceptional, which was the case when we did full-size colour proofs for Dulux on the Arizona.”

CPS, which has been an Océ customer for 15 years, was using the latest Arizona within 24 hours of it arriving in Manchester. “We needed to print 42 8ft by 4ft panels, which was done on the same day,” said Andrew Bruce. “The same job on the Arizona 250 would have taken four days and about two and a half days on the Arizona 350. Production speed has rocketed and the quality is just as good.”

Steve Phythian, Managing Director of CPS, said: “Business has been steadily increasing and things are looking extremely positive for 2011, which is why we took the positive decision to invest in another Océ Arizona production system. The digital side, in particular, is progressing really well. This is an extremely important future for the industry.”

Dominic Fahy, Océ UK’s Imaging Supplies and Display Graphics Business Group Director, said: “CPS has been a loyal Océ customer, realising the outstanding quality and productivity of the Océ Arizona that is adding real value to their business as they continue to expand. The Arizona range is excellent and provides near-photographic quality output. This in combination with the best direct service support organisation in the industry helps enable our valued customers like CPS to invest again and again in confidence because they know Océ is a professional and capable solution provider.”

Owing to a relatively strong national economy and astute business planning, commercial imagers and digital print providers across Canada made sizable investments in capital equipment—specifically, wide-format digital imaging platforms—over the last 12-15 months, evidenced by the significant number of Durst Rho UV production inkjet printers installed during that period, Durst Image Technology US LLC said.

This development suggests that production digital imaging has become a primary—if not the primary—printing technology for Canada's vibrant signage and display industries. The newest Rho printers equipped with the most advanced imaging and workflow technologies are at work in imaging businesses located in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and a variety of communities in between, Durst said.

"You'll find our Durst printers at Canadian ICON Digital in Richmond Hill, Holland & Crosby in Toronto, SCL Imaging in Scarborough, Sherine Industries in Surry, British Columbia, and Airos Studio outside Vancouver—along with a number of other Canadian print providers from coast to coast," said Christopher Howard, senior vice president, North American Sales & Marketing.

"These are just the most recent additions to a growing list of Canadian print providers choosing Durst over production digital printing platforms from other manufacturers," Howard added. "And we are being joined by more in the near future, such as Impact Imaging in Mississauga and Cowan Graphics in Edmonton. Our customers in Canada demonstrate a great deal of initiative and creativity in selecting our most innovative platforms to take on brand new applications that their clients are asking for, and growing their businesses in the process."

Durst has been instrumental in bringing advanced digital printing technologies to market—improving image quality, media handling, workflow productivity, ink options and the ability to print on a wide variety of surfaces. These technologies are "standard equipment" on the Rhotex 320 for textile, fabric and "soft signage" printing; Rho 500R and 320R roll printers; Rho 1000 and Rho 900 flatbed / hybrid printers, and the Rho 161 TS for producing reflective traffic signs.

 

Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division has announced that King International Corporation (KIC) of King, NC has installed an Inca Onset S20 UV flatbed press to increase capacity and respond faster to customer demands for high quality point-of-purchase display graphics. KIC has been in business since 1977 and specialises in screen printing, but in 2006 began integrating digital technology into its workflow.

"By 2007, 20 percent of our business was digital and with the integration of the Onset S20, 40 percent of the work we are producing today is digitally printed," said Chris Smith, CEO, King International Corporation. "Since its installation in November, we have been very happy with the speed, quality and the increased capacity the S20 has provided to my business overall. One of the outstanding reasons I chose the Onset S20 is because it offers the best quality-to-speed ratio on the market."

At the 50,000 square foot facility, KIC specialises in decals, stickers, magnets, overlays, POP signage and other printed plastics, in addition to promotional items and custom services and applications including anything from printed ceiling tiles to floor graphics. With the ability to produce 40 percent of the shop's work digitally, KIC is realising the economic benefits that the Onset S20 presents. Using the Onset S20 instead of screen printing has reduced man hours and the manual labour typically associated with operating a screen press. Furthermore, the increased capacity is allowing KIC to acquire more work. The Inca Onset is one of two flatbed printers at the plant.

"Prior to installing the Onset S20, if a customer asked us to produce 100 large POP display posters in two days I couldn't have done it," explained Smith. "Now I can accommodate these last minute, fast turnaround orders offering my current customers additional service that I previously wasn't able to supply. At KIC it's very important that we provide personalised service with unmatched quality and value for on-time production and delivery. The Inca Onset S20 is helping us stand by this promise."

With a full bed print array across the 5x10-foot print bed, the Inca Onset S20 has print speeds of over 3,600 square feet or 68 beds per hour of high quality point-of-purchase display graphics with substrates as thick as two inches. In addition to the CMYK configuration, the S20 offers a choice of white or light cyan and light magenta. The S20 also gives printers flexibility to set the desired gloss level on a per job basis directly from the operator console.

"A major factor in choosing the Inca Onset S20 was the attentive service I knew I would receive from Fujifilm and Inca," Smith continued. "I am a long-time Fujifilm ink customer and this is my first digital printer purchase from them. I am very satisfied with the results."

Smith also believes the Inca Onset S20 distinguishes KIC from other printers and shows that they are on the cutting-edge of digital print technology allowing them to offer their customers the highest degree of top quality service possible. "We expect that the Inca Onset S20 is going to help us secure new, larger accounts," Smith said.

"Fujifilm is more than just a leader in inkjet printing technology; we are a service organisation dedicated to helping our print partners identify the solutions that will help grow their business and compete more aggressively in an evolving market," said Mitch Bode, general manager, Graphic Systems Division, Fujifilm North America Corporation. "The Onset S20 will provide KIC the capability to win more business."