Hardware

FUJIFILM Dimatix is using its dazzling new 72 square-meter booth at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre to exhibit the full line of Piezoelectric drop-on-demand (Piezo DOD) inkjet printheads from its four major printhead product lines, and as a gallery to display a wide array of commercial samples of the many materials FUJIFILM Dimatix printhead products help produce.

In addition, APPPEXPO 2010 serves to spotlight the FUJIFILM Dimatix DMP-3000 Materials Printer and the launch in Asia of the new D-Class printhead family - the latest additions to the company's materials deposition product family - and to showcase live demonstrations of the DMP-3000 producing printed electronics.

"China has proved a steadily growing market for FUJIFILM Dimatix since our Spectra Nova and Galaxy printheads were introduced here. Our growth here escalated with the introduction of our Skywalker printhead, and more recently has surged from design mandates for our new, high-performance Q-Class based Polaris 512-jet models," said Marc Torrey, Vice President, Marketing for FUJIFILM Dimatix.

"Our new booth in Shanghai at APPPExpo 2010 reflects our growing presence in the Chinese inkjet printing market, and allows us to demonstrate that FUJIFILM Dimatix offers developers in China the most comprehensive range of printheads spanning the broadest spectrum of industrial applications of inkjet technology."

Printhead Products

FUJIFILM Dimatix printhead products on display include:

• The company's familiar Dimatix Spectra Nova, Galaxy, Skywalker and new Polaris Q-Class printheads used for wide-format printing, marking, coating and industrial decoration.

 

Other FUJIFILM Dimatix products being exhibited - many for the first time in Asia - are the:

• Dimatix PerformaTM brand printheads for high-performance graphics printing applications, including the Q-Class based Sapphire and Emerald printheads with VersaDropTM grayscale operating modes;
• Dimatix InspiraTM brand printheads for specialty printing applications; and the
• Dimatix EnduraTM brand printhead products used for materials deposition.

 

The hallmark of all FUJIFILM Dimatix Piezo DOD printhead design is that every jet can operate concurrently and at a high throughput rate without trading off drop placement accuracy - thereby enabling precision jetting at full production speed.

In addition, the durable materials FUJIFILM Dimatix uses in their manufacture allow the company's patented printhead products to jet the broadest range of inks and other fluids at sustained high frequencies.

 

Novel Booth Decor

The FUJIFILM Dimatix booth will also showcase commercial samples printed by Dimatix' OEM customers from around the world - demonstrating how Dimatix Piezo DOD inkjet technology can be used for applications limited only by the imagination.

In all, nearly 25 different applications of inkjet technology will be on display.

For example, the FUJIFILM Dimatix booth lounge area features glass tabletops printed to look like wood and marble. Other items in the booth include fired ceramic tiles, glass panels, wood and 3-dimensional models all printed or decorated using Dimatix inkjet technology. To demonstrate textiles, the rug and conference room drapes will feature inkjet-printed designs, mannequins will be outfitted in inkjet-printed apparel, and attendees will see upholstered chairs with fabric printed using Dimatix inkjet technology.

 

Materials Deposition

Also on display will be the new FUJIFILM Dimatix DMP-3000 and DMP-2800 Materials Printers demonstrating prototyping of printed electronics. The new DMP-3000 is a non-contact, fluid deposition system capable of jetting a wide range of functional fluids using any of several Dimatix fluid deposition printheads interchangeably. Used for an expanding range of materials deposition applications and developments, the DMP-3000 has a printable area of 300 x 300 mm and maintains a positional accuracy and repeatability of ± 5 µm and ± 1 µm, respectively. More than 500 Dimatix Materials Printers have been installed worldwide.

FUJIFILM Dimatix is also unveiling its new D-Class D-128/1 DPN and D-128/10 DPN printheads for the DMP-3000. Based on Dimatix' proprietary Silicon MEMS (Si MEMS) technology, the new D-Class printheads have 128 individually addressable channels and are designed for non-contact printing of functional fluids for applications such as displays, electronics and biotechnology. The new D-Class printheads utilize driver per nozzle (DPN) capability to compensate for any channel-to-channel variability.

The 1-pL D-128/1 DPN can produce conductive lines and features that are virtually invisible, or allows biomaterials to be printed at twice the previously achievable density in a true production mode. The 10-pL D-128/10 DPN with its larger drop size is used for coarser feature generation. Both of the D-128 DPN printheads are designed to aid in the orderly progression from experimentation to scale up using the DMP-3000 printer.

 

Presence Throughout the Show

In addition to the products on display in the FUJIFILM Dimatix booth, many of the company's OEM developers will be exhibiting and demonstrating Dimatix inkjet printhead technology in more than 20 booths around the show floor.

"Owing to its superior speed, quality and versatility, our implementation of Piezo DOD inkjet technology is superbly positioned to dominate not only wide format print production and specialty printing, but also a broad spectrum of high-growth industrial applications such as product decoration and materials deposition," said Marc Torrey.

"We are seeing continued strong demand in China for our high-performance and high-throughput printhead products. We look forward to exhibiting at APPPEXPO 2010, and invite attendees to see our broad product range and diverse applications they address."

 

ArtSystems offers unique large format demonstration resource for HP Partners

ArtSystems has completed installation of the two new HP Scitex large format printers at its Nottingham based demonstration suites.

The HP Scitex FB500 and LX600 both debuted at IPEX 2010 in May.

The HP Scitex FB500

A 64inch 6 colour UV curable ink printer with a range of media handling options enabling to print on a wide range rigid and flexible media. The HP Scitex FB500 has an extensive range of options such as extension tables and white ink making it one of the most flexible printers in its class.

The HP Scitex LX600

An augmented version of the original L65500 104 inch Latex ink printer, the LX600 now offers dual roll media handling and enhanced firmware to enable it to print dual roll print jobs.

‘We now have both these units in our demo suite, so our partners are able to use them to show their customers and have full one to one demonstrations without the pressures of visiting a show.’ states Andrew Edwards, Sales Division Manager

To launch the new printers in their demonstration role there is a series of Think Big with HP days from the 15th June to the 1st July where resellers will bring clients to see the new printers in action.

Fujifilm Acuity confirms its first class image at Cameo Photography

Cameo Photography in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, is planning to expand its wide-format digital imaging service following the installation of an Acuity HD 2504 from Fujifilm.  The flatbed, UV printer is specifically designed for print applications that require fine detail, high resolution images on rigid or flexible substrates.

"We specialise in commercial and industrial photography but an important part of our business is providing high-quality, wide-format printing to a wide range of local companies," says director John Moffett.  "Most of this is repeat work rather than people coming in off the street for a one-off job.  Previously, we had been using two roll-fed solvent printers, but the new Acuity HD 2504 is already handling around 80 per cent of all our wide format work even though it was commissioned only in January."

Cameo has purchased its new printer complete with the roll-to-roll option and a ColorGate RIP. "Previously, if a thick substrate was required for the job, we had to print on to vinyl and stick this to another material," says John Moffett.  "The Acuity HD 2504 has eliminated a process by allowing us to print directly on to the substrate, more quickly and with better quality.

"It's still early days but we've used the Fujifilm machine to print on to a range of materials including PVC, card, paper and vinyl, and we've been carrying out trials on different substrates such as stainless steel," says Mr Moffett. "The results have all been superb. With clients that include jewellery makers, we have to be able to offer a quality that cannot be faulted in any way, a quality that's guaranteed with the Acuity.

"We've had excellent service from Fujifilm going back to the days when we were producing conventional photography that needed processing chemicals. This level of first class after-sales care has certainly continued following the installation of the Acuity HD 2504, with Fujifilm quick to help whenever we've had a query," he concludes.

The print heads on the Acuity HD 2504 can produce variable size dots, with droplets as fine as six picolitres, ensuring sharp, precise images with smooth transition and quarter tones.  When jetting larger droplets, the Acuity delivers dense, uniform solid image areas.  With the potential for resolutions higher than 1,200 dpi the Acuity HD 2504 delivers clean, legible type as small as 6 pt, plus exceptionally smooth skin tones and the best solid colour coverage of any other printer in its class.

Fujifilm's variable drop technology uses up to 35 per cent less ink than fixed droplet six-colour printers, resulting in cost effective productivity throughout the life of the printer.  The zoned vacuum table ensures that irregular shaped materials or those with uneven surfaces are held securely during printing, so that registration is accurate even during multiple passes.  The Acuity HD 2504 prints edge-to-edge at speeds of up to 174 sq ft an hour.

Large format piezo inkjet printer manufacturer Mutoh Belgium nv announces release of a new high volume printer, called Viper TX 100.   The Viper TX 100 is Mutoh’s first 2.6 meter (102”) wide direct-to-fabric printer.  The new Mutoh engine incorporates a built-in switchable and rotatable print bed, enabling both direct-to-fabric printing and transfer paper printing (sublimation) in one machine.  The printer is ideally suited for volume producers of soft signage, garment/apparel and industrial applications such as home furnishings.  Incorporating Mutoh’s proprietary Intelligent Interweaving print technology, the Viper TX 100 printer allows quality production speeds up to 36 m²/h.  Top speeds up to 76 m²/h can be obtained.  The machine will be presented to the wide public at Mutoh’s booth at the oncoming Fespa 2010 show, Hall B2 – 160.

“Today’s expanding demand for textile prints such as soft signage, home furnishing and apparel is driving growth for digital printing in the wide-format graphics industry”, says Arthur Vanhoutte, President of Mutoh’s European operations.  “At the same time, the obvious benefits of using environmentally friendly water-based inks for printing on recyclable materials to produce exceptional quality, durable and washable prints for a wide variety of applications continue to push this technology forward.   Our new TX 100 direct textile printer will open up a host of new business opportunities for print providers requiring a versatile floor-to-ceiling production oriented printer that will complement their existing screen printing and/or digital imaging equipment”, concludes Vanhoutte.

Setup for direct-to-fabric printing, the TX 100 can print on fabrics with open or closed structure.  This is made possible by the incorporated ink gutter.  After rotating the print bed, the TX 100 is ready for sublimation printing onto the thinnest available transfer papers.  Either way, production versatility ranges from customized one-off projects to speed-intensive volume printing.

The printer utilizes Mutoh worry-free water-based direct disperse inks (for direct-to-fabric printing) or Mutoh high-speed dye sublimation inks (for transfer paper printing), available in bulk 1 liter bottles. No forced ventilation is required when using these inks, as there are no harmful VOCs that permeate the working environment.   The Viper TX 100 printer is ready for connection to Mutoh’s optional continuous ink delivery and refill system, developed for speed-intensive and volume-oriented users.

Prints are instantly acclimatized and dried with the aid of three built-in, digitally controlled heating elements.  They totally remove all water from the printed paper, preventing ghost images during calendering.    The heating elements are controlled individually, to a maximum of 70° C.

Robustly built, the latest textile printer from Mutoh incorporates 8 high end 360 nozzle print heads and 16 ink channels, offering print resolutions up to 720 x 720 dpi.   Using Dynamic Variable Dot Imaging Technology, each ink droplet is individually adjusted to provide high speed and high quality with low ink consumption.

The Viper TX 100 printer has an electronically, software controlled adjustable head height that ranges from 1.2 mm up to 4.0 mm, allowing users to print onto various transfer papers and textiles and offering maximum substrate compatibility.   Special fabric retainers have been developed to deal with fabrics of which the edges carry loose fibres or tend to curl up.

To compensate for media expansion (e.g. transfer paper) during printing, Mutoh’s patented ETT-system (Extra Tensioning Tool) keeps the media under a constant tension, minimising cockling and enabling high accuracy transfer of images.  Additionally, the ETT system easily adapts to support different media roll sizes.

Unattended roll-to-roll printing is made possible by the integrated fully motorized heavy-duty unwinding/winding system for media rolls up to 100 kg.  This system provides accurate unrolling, adequate tensioning and straight winding of finished prints.   Special design media flanges on the (un)winder system maximize grip on the inside of the media core.  This power grip mechanism provides increased grip on the cores without disturbing the media tracking.

 

Challenge

 

• Big Print, a large format graphics production house, needed to offer a wider range of capabilities to its customers to remain competitive with larger shops.

 

Solution

 

• The company chose to beta test the new HP Scitex FB500 Printer, which offers significant cost savings and the ability to create high-quality prints on virtually any rigid and flexible media.

 

Results

 

• Big Print is experiencing significant cost savings thanks to the printer's versatility and speed.
• The HP Scitex FB500's use of new HP Scitex FB251 White Ink helps the company provide innovative solutions for clients like Target.
• Big Print now relies on the HP Scitex FB500 to offer a range of applications that attract and keep customers.

 

 

Small commercial printers have to be extra savvy when it comes to major business decisions. Smart choices are a must if they want to keep up with larger competitors. No one knows that better than Big Print, a large format graphics production house based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

From wall murals and vehicle wraps to tradeshow graphics and fine art reproductions, the small shop is always looking for new ways to deliver big results for print buyers. That's why owner Herb Fick jumped at the chance to beta test the new HP Scitex FB500 Printer.

"For smaller shops like us who want to grow business in a difficult environment, it helps to be able to offer a full range of capabilities to customers," says Fick. "When you need to please people who need high volume at a low cost, the HP Scitex FB500-and the cost savings it offers-is a big plus."

Along with the significant cost savings offered by the new HP Scitex FB500, the printer's ability to create high-quality prints on virtually any rigid and flexible media,(1) and its use of new HP Scitex FB251 White Ink,(2) is expanding the possibilities of what Big Print can offer.

An easy decision

After using solvent- and aqueous-based solutions, Fick believes the decision to add the new HP Scitex FB500, which uses HP UV-curable inks, was an easy one to make-especially because of the savings.

"When you cut the need for extra materials and cut out steps on every product, it's a no-brainer. You're going to save money," explains Fick. With the new HP Scitex FB500, Big Print avoids costly, time consuming steps like lamination.

"UV inks are durable. You can print directly onto the substrate without printing on an adhesive-backed material that you have to mount on a board, and you don't have to coat it," says Fick. "So you're saving labour steps and materials. That means you're going to save money."

Fick also points out that because UV inks cost less per square foot, you can save even more over solvent and aqueous printers.

Unmatched versatility

Cost savings aren't the only thing that attracted Big Print to the new HP Scitex FB500. The printer's ability to print on almost any rigid or flexible material with good ink adhesion was also a big draw. Even thick, heavy or long substrates are now a snap to print on.(3)

"With the HP Scitex FB500, you can print on substrates up to two inches think," says Fick. "You can literally take the front door of a house, take the hardware off and print a high-resolution image on it. It's amazing."

Plus, the printer's ability to load, print and collect media simultaneously, along with its fast print speeds and dry times, lets Big Print meet even the most demanding deadlines.

"To gain and keep customers, you need to be able to turn projects very quickly," says Fick. "With solvent printers you have to account for drying time, but not with the HP Scitex FB500 and HP UV-curable inks. That's a huge advantage."

Wow with white

Along with cost savings and unmatched versatility, the HP Scitex FB500's use of new HP Scitex FB251 White Ink(2) adds to the versatility Big Print can offer its clients. "A lot of very creative things can be done with white ink that can't be done with any other colour," explains Fick.

One of the best examples of this is in the company's work with the Target Corporation. While planning a recent awards presentation, organisers realised they needed a way to shade the windows in the event space while maintaining the ambiance. With the HP Scitex FB500 in its shop, Big Print provided the perfect solution.

"We printed the Target logo using the white ink on a frosted polycarbonate film to create a tone-on-tone effect," says Fick. "The end product subtly branded the room and diffused the light. It was a phenomenal solution. Target was very pleased."

He adds, "The new white ink allows us to print on coloured substrates that we couldn't have used otherwise. Being able to print on a large variety of materials allows us to provide a wider range of solutions to our customers, and that helps us grow our business."

This added versatility, along with the cost savings offered by the printer, is the reason Fick believes the new HP Scitex FB500 will help Big Print continue to hold its own against larger competitors-and why the company plans to purchase the printer once its trial period has ended. Fick explains, "If you want to compete now and in the future, you're going to have to move in to UV flatbed printing, and the HP Scitex FB500 is a great choice."

 

(1) Flexible media printing with an optional HP Scitex FB500 Roll-to-Roll Update Kit.

(2) Use of white ink requires a separate purchase of the HP Scitex FB500 White Ink Upgrade Kit.

(3) HP Scitex FB500 Extension Tables are required for long materials.

 

 

Start-up company achieves successful first year with several HP large format printers

HP today announced that Oxigen, based in Fátima, Portugal, has installed Portugal's first HP Scitex XP2300 Printer, in addition to an HP Scitex FB950, an HP Designjet L65500 and an HP Designjet L25500 Printer, in order to serve customers in the advertising and communication industries.

The company, established in May 2009, aims to produce high-quality digitally printed, wide format materials to clients in Portugal, Madeira, the Azores and most recently, Spain. It has rapidly established itself in the marketplace as a highly responsive supplier of innovative and unique products, which are produced in an environmentally responsible way.

"As a new company on the market we needed to ensure that our equipment was the most advanced, high-quality and environmentally sound that we could find, so that we could offer customers something new and competitive," said Miguel Vicente, Executive Manager, Oxigen. "Our range of HP printers ensures that whatever the job, we can print it quickly, with minimal waste and in an environmentally responsible way, yet still ensure a very high quality."

The range of large format printers available from HP is accelerating the conversion from solvent to UV and Latex ink technologies. These dedicated inks provide versatility across a very wide range of substrates from paper to plastics. Whatever the media, fast-drying HP UV-curable and Latex inks deliver outstanding application versatility and long-lasting colour.

The HP Scitex XP2300 Printer is a 3.2m-wide UV printer, ideal for high-speed production environments producing durable outdoor signage. Featuring industry-leading print speeds of up to 233 m2/hr and a variety of advanced capabilities designed to maximise productivity, eliminate workflow bottlenecks, and reduce ink and media costs, the HP Scitex XP2300 Printer enables customers to cut operating expenses and increase profits.

Miguel Vicente continued, "The XP2300 allows us to guarantee the printing of large format jobs for all types of outdoor signage, with particularly good results when printing double-sided jobs. It enables us to keep costs to a minimum, as we can use 3m wide PE - instead of PVC, which is lighter, cheaper and better for the environment - our customers certainly appreciate that."

Oxigen's other HP printers also reflect its commitment to providing fast turn-around, high-quality printing with the environment in mind. The L series machines ustilise Latex Printing Technologies, including HP Latex Inks and HP Wide Scan Printing Technology, in addition there is a range of recyclable substrates(1) available. Compliant with industry-leading certification, Nordic Swan, HP Latex Inks do not produce ozone emissions during printing and contain no hazardous air pollutants(2). This means improved working environments for print service providers and a greater range of places - especially indoor locations - where graphics can be used.

The HP Scitex FB950 Printer is a robust flatbed UV printer that delivers high-quality prints and high productivity on virtually any rigid(3) or flexible media(4) for the production of durable outdoor and indoor applications, including POP/POS signage, tradeshow graphics, interior decorations, banners and street furniture.

Miguel Vicente concluded, "The FB950 is a great addition to our portfolio. A very productive machine, its efficient media loading and the ability to print multiple sheets at the same time allows us to accommodate a wide range of customer requests."