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Make your investment work smarter
HP Scitex has always been a big name in the super-wide format market and its latest machine, the FB7500, has been specifically designed to target the screen market. Developed to offer high efficiency, this machine features three-quarter automated loading, reducing loading time between sheets by up to 85 per cent. HP Scitex X2 piezoelectric printheads also maximise uptime as they are easily accessible for replacement or calibration without the need for a service call.
With print speeds of up to 500m2 per hour, the HP Scitex FB7500 is said to be the highest productivity digital flatbed printer in its price class and its ability to produce longer runs of work cost-effectively means it has raised the crossover point between screen and offset printing and digital production. All these factors make it ideal for print service providers in fast paced production environments.
Going green gracefully
With super-wide format printing technology constantly changing, companies are always looking to upgrade their equipment to meet market demands. One such company is retail display specialist, McKenzie Clark, which upgraded its wide format roll to roll printer to a Durst Rho 320R. The new machine works alongside the company’s Rho 800 UV flatbed and is designed to provide a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative to Fujitrans.
Managing director of McKenzie Clark, Graham Clark, said: “We produce about 60,000m2 of Fujitrans a year, mainly for our cosmetic clients who demand high quality. For some time they have been asking for an environmentally friendly, lower cost alternative. Although the quality of inkjet printing has been progressively improving, until the Rho 320R came along, it has not offered a similar quality or matched the productivity of the Lambda.
“The Rho 320R has a six-colour option and the quality of skin-tones and graduations is good. We can now offer a cost effective alternative to the Lambda using a 100 per cent polyester opal film. The UV inkjet printed film is also more durable and less open to damage during installation, particularly to clients installing themselves. With the white ink printing option we can provide white text or white underprint to create an opalescent effect. Results printed on Madico Clearlite optically clear film are superb and many of our retail and interior clients are using this on shop windows and interior glass partitioning.
“We continue to invest in eco-friendly technology and were recently asked to produce the display at the World Retail Congress using recycled and recyclable materials and the lowest possible carbon footprint. The resultant display, printed on our Rho 800, underwent a carbon smart audit to establish its low carbon footprint and measure the benefits of recycling.”
Upgrade your efficiency
Another name to look out for in this market is EFI, particularly the introduction of its 3.2m UV roll-to-roll QS3250r. The new machine boasts innovations that customers will recognise as keys to making their print business more profitable, with a wider range of materials, applications and new features including automated laser-aligned double-sided printing and platen temperature control.
An automated laser system simplifies the process of printing double sided images, enabling enhanced registration for double-sided banners, while reducing production time and minimising waste. The new platen control unit accommodates printing on low-cost and heat-sensitive materials and the QS3250r is said to offer worry-free printing on a range of flexible media up to 3.2mm thick at speeds up to 172m2 per hour. Plus, with resolution up to 1,080dpi, this printer is ideal for point-of-purchase displays, indoor and outdoor posters and signage, fleet graphics and high-margin wallpaper applications.
EFI Vutek senior vice president/general manager, Dick Wissenbach, said: “Aside from constantly growing, the superwide printing market is also evolving. With its resolution and speed, the QS3250r has expanded the number of capable applications for UV roll-to-roll printing at a cost-effective price.”
Grasp new opportunities
Our final new entrant comes from Fujifilm, in the form of the Uvistar series of UV inkjet roll to roll printers, developed on the back of a partnership with inkjet printer manufacturer, Matan. Using Fujifilm Sericol’s specially developed Uvijet QK inks, this new machine can print on rolls of up to five metres wide, altering the way that material for both billboard and POP applications will be prepared in the future.
European marketing director at Fujifilm Sericol, Keith Harley, said: “The billboard industry is on the cusp of a major makeover. Traditionally-pasted billboards will be replaced in the coming years with frame holders in which a poster printed on woven polyethylene (PE) can be clipped or stretched. Several systems are already on the market and demand is set to grow exponentially.”
Described as both flexible and cost-efficient, the Uvistar is available in four different models with throughput speeds in excess of 300m2/hour. A multi-roll system with an intuitive user interface is said to provide fast and efficient start up with low media wastage and the ability to handle rolls of varying widths up to five metres. In combination with the new Fujifilm Sericol Uvijet QK inks, the printers can produce jobs on a range of flexible media, including PE, with no curing or ink starvation issues and excellent inter-coat lay down for backlit and solid prints.
Keith continued: “A major advantage of the Uvistar platform is that it can print on huge rolls of polyethylene as well as the usual media in combination with the Uvijet QK inks, producing an end result that is environmentally friendly, cost effective and opens up a new revenue stream for our customers.”
www.hp.com
www.mckenzieclark.co.uk
www.durst-online.co.uk
www.efi.com/vutek
www.fujifilmsericol.com
