Couldn’t make Sign and Digital or Fespa 2018? Simon Creasy rounds-up the key hardware previews and launches for an armchair update.
It’s been a busy couple of months for the wideformat
sector with back-to-back exhibitions in the
UK and Europe. First up was the Sign & Digital UK
show in Birmingham in April, closely followed by
Fespa in Berlin in May. Together the shows saw a
raft of new hardware devices unveiled – some more
groundbreaking than others.
At the Sign & Display UK the focus was certainly
more on innovative applications for wide-format
technology rather than new kit, although a few
machines were given their debut outing at the show.
InkTec, manufacturer of the Jetrix range of wideformat
printers, unveiled a new entry-level LED-UV
flatbed model called the KX6U-LED, which can print at
speeds of up to 28m2/hr with an option to increase
that to 56m2/hr.
Ben Woodruff, InkTec’s head of UK sales, says there
is a big market for printers transitioning over from
roll-to-roll to flatbed printing at the moment. “There
are a lot of people now that are realising that there’s
a significant saving to be had by printing direct-tosubstrate
and we just wanted to plug that gap in our
range and have a machine that is affordable. The KX6ULED
ticks a lot of boxes and we’re excited about the
prospect of increasing the Jetrix customer base with
this printer.”
Hybrid also used the show to display a new machine.
The Mimaki UCJV300-75 is an 80cm version of the
popular 1.6m model and according to John de la Roche,
national sales manager at Mimaki distributor Hybrid,
the new version features all of the features of its larger
sibling but in a more compact footprint.
“Of the many talents the new model shares with the
1.6m version, the combination of Mimaki’s creative
prowess and the flexible LUS-170 inks delivers huge
application options, including backlit textile graphics,
decals, banners, point of sale and other signage,” says
de la Roche.
It wasn’t just new printers that made a splash at Sign
& Digital UK. In the finishing area AXYZ International
showed off the Trident hybrid CNC combined routing
and cutting system. According to the manufacturer the
Trident is capable of handling a wide range of different
rigid and flexible materials from aluminium, through to
acrylics, plastics, corrugated board and paper.
While some wide-format manufacturers decided to
introduce their latest technology to the market at the
UK signage exhibition, many decided to wait for the
wider European/global audience of Fespa 2018 to
show off their wares. Larger manufacturers seemed
particularly keen to use the Berlin Messe for the
European launch of new devices.
swissQprint used Fespa 2018 as promised to present its new generation 3 LED printers – the Nyala
3, Impala 3 and Oryx 3, together with high-speed
models Nyala 3S (up to 370m2/h) and Impala 3S
(up to 317m2/h) slated for commercial availability
from August.
Adriano Gut, swissQprint product manager, said:
“Mechanical refinements make these new systems
even more stable and precise than their predecessors.
We have completely redesigned the architecture of the
printhead carriage.” A new control system is said to
be the foundation for future developments, some of
which were shown in Berlin. And each of the flatbed
printers has add-on features, including an extended
roll-to-roll option.
One of the biggest launches was Fujifilm’s new
super-wide Acuity Ultra platform. The company says
the launch of the Ultra – which is capable of printing at
236m2/hr and is available in widths of 5m and 3.2m
– was the culmination of “extensive market research”
into the needs of super-wide format printers and the
future challenges they will face.
“With the extra width, the option to print on three
rolls simultaneously and the ability to print at high
speeds with no compromise on quality, the Acuity
Ultra will appeal to larger businesses and major luxury
brands, helping them to boost production levels and
profitability in this highly-competitive sector,” says
Kevin Rhodes, marketing applications manager, Fujifilm
Speciality Ink Systems.
Rival manufacturing behemoth Agfa Graphics also
launched a new UV LED inkjet hybrid workhorse called
the Jeti Tauro H3300, which builds on the success of
the company’s Jet Tauro H2500 device. The company
claims the machine is capable of printing up to 3.3m
wide at speeds of up to 453m2/hr.
“Its extreme speed becomes even more apparent
in the roll-to-roll version, which is capable of handling
heavy master rolls in single or dual-roll mode for a wide
variety of flexible media,” explains Reinhilde Alaert, marketing product manager of sign and display at Agfa
Graphics.
Equally as cutting edge were the new hardware
offerings on display from HP. The company unveiled
two machines that caught the eye – the HP Latex
R2000 and the DesignJet Z. HP claims the former,
which uses HP’s water-based latex inks including
a white ink, is the first hybrid solution for rigid and
flexible sign display printing in one device.
“HP developed this breakthrough technology based
on print service providers’ continued request for an
HP Latex printer to print on both rigid and flexible
materials using our water-based inks,” says Joan
Pérez Pericot, general manager, HP large format
graphics business. “This introduction is another step
forward in how HP creates the best experiences for
our customers, continually reinventing the possibilities
of print.”
The DesignJet Z printer series – the Z6 and the
Z9+ – is available in 24in and 44in formats and was
launched to capitalise on the burgeoning large photo
merchandising market, which grew by 7% in 2017,
according to HP. The beauty of the new series is its
ease of use and the quality of output.
“The new DesignJet Z Printer series radically
enhances the customer experience and reinvents
printing possibilities for both professional photo and
signage to ignite business growth and adapt to future
needs,” says Guayente Sanmartin, general manager
and global head, HP large format design printing.
“We thoughtfully designed the new printers to deliver
impressive photo quality without compromising time
resources and output speeds with the new vertical
trimmer and innovative color technologies.”
Just as impressive was Mutoh’s first ever ‘true’
wide-format printer christened the PerformanceJet
2508UF – or the PJ-2508UF for short. This LED UV
printer has been developed specifically for print
providers that are “looking for premium-margin
jobs, high print quality, added value specialty prints,
productivity and an attractive environmental footprint,”
for the production of a wide range of different signage
and graphics, fine art prints and even packaging
samples.
The company also unveiled the ValueJet 1638UR
– a 64in UV LED roll-to-roll printer suitable for the
production of a wide range of high quality graphics, such
as customised wallpapers, event banners and exhibition
graphics and backlit prints.
“We have seen a considerable increase of sales of our
UV LED printers during the past year,” says Kenji Yasuhara,
Mutoh Europe’s managing director. “The new ValueJet
1638UR will offer both installed-base (eco)solvent users as
well as (offset/screen) printers an opportunity to expand
their current product offering towards specialty applications
and prints with high added value.”
Elsewhere EFI unveiled its next generation hybrid
flatbed/roll platform – the 3.2m Vutek h series which
comprises the h3 and h5 – the h3 has three rows of 7pl
UltraDrop Technology greyscale printheads and the h5
has five. The machines offer 4- or 8-colour+white printing
as well as five-layer print capability in a single pass. The
new h3 model on display at Fespa 2018 has a maximum
throughput of up to 74 boards per hour and the h5 up to
109 boards per hour. Currently in beta, the machines are
slated for commercial availability by the end of June and
will sit between the GS and HS series machines. Also new
from EFI was the Vutek FabriVu 340i aqueous soft signage
printer with inline fixation.
Meanwhile, Roland DG showed a number of technology
previews at Fespa 2018, including the Texart RT-640M, EJ640
Deco and VersaExpress RF-640.
The new Texart machine is a direct-to-textile printer that
will hit the market at below 20,000 Euro. The EJ-640 Deco,
as the name suggests, is a machine developed specifically
for wallpaper print and will be able to handle both coated
and uncoated media. Paul Willems, head of business
development and product management EMEA, said tests
have proved lightfastness of seven to eight years with good
wash and rub ability. The printer is expected to come in
somewhere in the mid 20,000 Euros mark.
The VersaExpress RF-640 is an 8-colour printer (added
red, orange and green) developed to enable the sign market
to better achieve brand/corporate colours. It is expected
to have a list price of between 10,000 – 15,000 Euro.
Timelines have yet to be given for commercial availability of
the new machines.
Sticking with textile printers for a moment, Mimaki
showed an has enhanced Tiger 1800B MkII machine that
offers a higher 1200dpi print mode and an Advanced Pass
System (MAPS) to minimise banding. Bert Benckhuysen,
product manager EMEA at Mimaki Europe, said: “The Tiger
1800B MkII printers, available in two models for direct -to
-textile and heat transfer sublimation, are another example
our strategy to be a total solutions provider. To that end we are also making available a new range of pre-treatment
and post-treatment machines, and we are working
towards the development of the Internet of Things for
textiles and apparel markets.”
Kornit Digital launched the new Storm HD6 directto-garment
printing system, which builds on the back
of the launch of the Avalanche HD6. According to the
company, the Storm HD, which is targeted at small
to mid-size businesses, was launched because “the
world of retail as we know it is changing. High demand,
short and tailored runs – everyone needs to be able to
comply and deliver”. As a result, Kornit has designed
the Storm HD so that it can produce runs of between
one and 500 copies.
Not to be outdone, Inca Digital showcased its
flagship wide-format machine – the Onset X3 – the
SpyderX and the new Onset M, which is built on the
same architectural platform as the Onset X series
and has been specifically developed as a short run
B1 solution. According to John Mills, CEO Inca Digital,
the company previewed a proof of concept version of
the Onset M at Fespa 2017 so it was fitting that Inca
gave the machine its official commercial launch at this
year’s show.
Another company using Fespa 2018 to unveil a
proof of concept device was Ricoh, which showcased
an as yet unnamed latex printer. It’s understood
the device will come in two widths – 1.3m or 1.6m
– and the machine will have a top speed of 40m2/
hr on banner material. Beyond that details are fairly
scant. According to a company spokesperson more
information on the new machine will be shared
sometime this summer.
While the global printer manufacturers rolled out a
number of impressive new devices at Fespa 2018 there
was plenty of other interesting machinery on display to
catch the eye too. Bullmer showed three cutting machines
in its Premiumcut range, which comes in widths of 1.6m,
3.2m and 5m, and offers a range of tools for cutting
textiles corrugated materials and packaging as well as
routing. The company also launched the single-ply cutter
EasyCut, which it says is a robust, space saving device.
The machine runs in combination with the Scanner Tech
scanning beam and AMV unwinding cradle as a versatile
solution for sportswear and furnishing as well as other
applications.
“The USP and reason for the scanner is that it is much
faster than using the reference dots to align the cutting
with the print, which is especially relevant on the wider
machines,” explains David Bell, managing director at
Assyst Bullmer. “The 5m wide cutter with a traditional
camera takes around 30 seconds to capture the
reference marks and the scanner takes all reference info
in under two seconds. The scanner also allows the cutter
to automatically cut around the printed image simply
following the contour.”
While new hardware launches usually attract more
attention at trade shows the big push this year from many
manufacturers was to focus on innovative applications.
Ricoh produced a range of items on its devices, from
custom wall boards and banners, through to hats and
bags, and Agfa Graphics utilised virtual reality glasses
and touchscreen technology to offer interactive sensory
experiences that showcased its next generation inkjet
printing devices, including the new Jeti Tauro H3300 LED.
OKI also focused heavily on the applications front, with
its ColorPainter large-format printers producing wallpaper
at the show. Rob Brown, head of industry print UK at OKI,
says the company hadn’t really targeted this area before,
as the vast majority of the work historically produced
on its ColorPainter range was for the signage industry,
however, the machines were recently voted best in class
for wallpaper prints at the BLI Awards so the company
wants to push this application to existing and potential
new customers.
The other thing Brown says was particularly noticeable
about this year’s Fespa 2018 was the interest registered
in the smaller format and added value devices the
company manufactures, such as the Pro9000 Series
Envelope Print System, which it displayed at the show for
the first time.
“Historically Fespa was a wide-format show, but we
were showing all of our machines and there was an
equal amount of interest in our toner-based products
and smaller-format stuff than there was in the widerformat
machines so that was a bit of an eye opener for
us,” says Brown. “I’m not sure what drove that level
of interest. Whether it was because we were showing
something that was different [to the vast range of
wide-format devices on display], or whether people are
wanting to try and find something additional that they
can offer their customers.”
