Italy-based Pixartprinting is in the process of installing seven Durst 10 picoliter UV inkjet printers with fine art quality in what is thought to be the largest worldwide installation of these wide format printers. The first roll to roll Durst Rho P10 320R machine was installed in May 2012 and the flatbed Rho P10 200 model the month after. Following extensive field testing of these models, another five P10 systems are in the process of being installed including two more roll to roll Rho P10 320R and three flatbed P10 with feeder and stacker system. All seven machines will be fully operational this autumn.
The new technology with 10 picoliter print heads immediately caught Pixartprinting’s eye so that on May 10th, while the P10 range was being officially launched to the European market at Drupa, the first roll to roll Pho P10 320R was installed in the Quarto D’Altino-based production department and, after just a few weeks, joined by the flatbed P10 200.
Alessandro Tenderini, Pixartprinting's general manager, comments, “The roll to roll is an amazing machine. We are printing on banners and micro-perforated paper with astonishing results. A surprising technology with peerless quality. Many have tried in the past but colour gripping inevitably appeared. Yet Durst succeeded and, I believe, the P10 technology is the change that the digital printing market has been looking for after years of stagnant quality”.
The Rho P10 200 also proved highly satisfactory in Pixartprinting’s tests on all rigid supports offered in the catalogue. “We were pleasantly surprised by the proactiveness with which Durst is meeting our demands,” explains Matteo Rigamonti, Pixartprinting's president. “Rho P10 200 was not originally designed for industrial production. For the number of processes we manage every day the feeder & stacker system – fitted on the previous Durst flatbeds we’ve installed – is an essential plus for us. The Durst R&D department thus immediately started studying the possibility of integrating automatic loading/unloading on the P10 200 so that we have confirmed the order of other 3 flatbeds that will be installed within November. This is the umpteenth confirmation of the fact that choosing the best technology is not enough. It is important to instil true teamwork with technological partners.”
A few weeks after installation, both the roll to roll and flatbed Rho P10 demonstrated good performance in terms of productivity and speed. Alberto Bassanello, Durst Italy's sales manager, continues, “Pixartprinting always seeks technologies that can keep up with fast-paced rhythms. The new Durst systems were immediately put to the test, working 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. And we are satisfied that, despite the severe evaluation criteria, the customer is enthused.”
Alessandro Tenderini summarises, “As for the potential of these technologies, the Rho P10’s Fine Art resolution is letting us explore new application fields - small packaging, counter displays etc, but also new more niche products that can intrigue customers. For example, we launched a promotion offering cardboard bottle racks, a product that has gained high interest, and this month's novelty are stools made out of cardboard which can be personalised with a wide range of images.
Rigamonti concludes, “Our dreams would come true if Durst could apply P10 technology to the Rho 1000!”
[image shows Pixartprinting's roll-to-roll department]
