… but all for one? Hardly. Opinion continues to be divided when it comes to the value of buying hybrid flatbed/roll printers. But what can you actually get for your money? We asked a cross-section of manufacturers to scope out their own current offerings.
You know the arguments: hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll printers are versatile, have a relatively small footprint for the breadth of work they can undertake, can be useful for testing out new applications for new markets/trying new materials etc. But, then again, they can only do one thing at a time, and plenty of you would rather have two single machines so you can run flexible and rigid media simultaneously. Well, you get what you pay for as they say. So just what can you get for your money when it comes to hybrid machines nowadays? Here’s what came in from the myriad manufactures invited to present their hybrid systems. Not all of those with offerings responded, suggesting that hybrids are perhaps slipping down some companies’ sales/marketing agendas, while others are clearly continuing development and introducing new machines.
From Agfa
System:
Anapurna H2050iLED (2.05m wide
Anapurna H2500iLED (2.5m wide)
Anapurna H3200iLED (3.2m wide)
UK distributor/s:
Agfa UK, Litho Supplies, I-Sub Digital, SEDO (Southeast Drawing Office) and Antalis. (commission agent)
System footprint:
With loading tables fully extended, 7m x 8m work area.
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
H2050iLED Draft Mode – 104m2, High Quality Mode – 15m2
H2500iLED Draft Mode – 115m2, High Quality Mode – 17m2
H3200iLED Draft Mode – 129m2, High Quality Mode – 19m2
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
Anapurna UV inks, C,M,Y,K,Lc,Lm plus white
Print resolutions:
360 x 720dpi – 720 x 1440dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
1 – 2 minutes
UK starting price:
Anapurna H2050iLED = £ 122,000
What spec do you get for that (key points):
Anapurna H2050iLED (Incl. loading and unloading tables), Asanti Production S/W, Asanti PC Workstation, starter pack of inks, 12 months warranty, installation, training, delivery
Top spec UK price:
Anapurna H3200iLED = £175,000
System:
Jeti Tauro H2500LED (2.5m wide)
UK distributor/s:
Agfa UK, Litho Supplies, I-Sub Digital, SEDO (Southeast Drawing Office) and Antalis. (commission agent)
System footprint:
With loading tables fully extended, 11m x 10mm work area
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
Express Mode – 275m2, High Quality Mode – 43m2
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
Jeti UV inks, C,M,Y,K,Lc,Lm,white plus varnish and primer options
Print resolutions:
635 x – 1016 x 1200dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed –roll-fed):
1 – 2 minutes
UK starting price:
£375,000
What spec do you get for that (key points):
Jeti Tauro H2500LED incl. loading and unloading tables), Asanti Production S/W, Asanti PC Workstation, starter pack of inks,12 months warranty, installation, training, delivery.
Top spec UK price:
Jeti Tauro H2500LED with three-quarter automation = £540,000
Best selling hybrids in the UK:
Anapurna H2500iLED and the Jeti Tauro H2500LED
From Mimaki
System:
Mimaki UJV-160
UK distributor/s:
Hybrid Services
System footprint:
3,300mm x 4,300mm
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
1200 x 1200dpi, 8-pass, uni-direction – 5m2/hr
600 x 600dpi, 4-pass, bi-direction – 12m2/hr
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
Mimaki LED UV inks, 4-colour plus white
Print resolutions:
600dpi, 1200dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
Immediate
UK starting price:
£36,995
What spec do you get for that (key points):
Printer with roll-feed and flatbed capability, RasterLink Rip software, 12 months warranty, inks
Top spec UK price:
–
Best selling hybrid in the UK:
Mimaki UJV-160
From Mutoh
System:
ValueJet 1626UH
UK distributor/s:
Colourgen
System footprint:
7.4m2 (in rigid setup)
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
0.38m2/hr, 1440 x 1440dpi, uni-direction
9.5m2/hr, 720 x 720dpi, bi-direction
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
Flex and rigid inks – 4-colour plus white and varnish
Print resolutions:
Up to 1440 x1440dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
1 minute
UK starting price:
£30,515 plus ValueJet Table (need two) £1,956.55 each.
What spec do you get for that (key points):
ValueJet Hybrid 1626UH rigid/roll-to-roll single head printer (64in), 6 channels plus 6 cleaning cassettes for initial wash (no ink, no software, no take-up system)
Top spec UK price:
As indicated above but above but optional motorised take up system (30kg) costing an extra £981
System:
ValueJet 1638UH
UK distributor/s:
Colourgen
System footprint:
8.2m2 (in rigid setup)
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
0.37m2/hr, 1440 x 1440dpi, uni-direction
22.71m2/hr, 720 x 720dpi, bi-direction
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
Flex and rigid inks – 4-colour plus white and varnish
Print resolutions:
Up to 1440 x1440dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
1 minute
UK starting price:
£ 39,995 plus ValueJet Table (need two) £1,956.55 each.
What spec do you get for that (key points):
ValueJet Hybrid 1626UH rigid/roll-to-roll single head printer (64in), 6 channels plus 6 cleaning cassettes for initial wash (no ink, no software, no take-up system)
Top spec UK price:
As indicated above but above but optional motorised take up system (30kg) costing an extra £981
Best selling hybrids in the UK:
ValueJet 1638UH
From Roland
System:
VersaUV LEJ-640
UK distributor/s:
Roland DG
System footprint:
2.59m2
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
4.1m/h, 720 x 1440dpi – 12.4m/h, 360 x 720dpi
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
EUV, EUV3, EUV4 – CMYK,Wh,Gl – EUVS (stretch) CMYK,Wh. Wh and Gl available as standard
Print resolutions:
360 x 720 / 720 x 1080 / 720 x 1440dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
1 minute
UK starting price:
£39,999
What spec do you get for that (key points):
VersaWorks Dual Native PDF RIP, Media take-up device, Media feed tables x2.
Top spec UK price:
£41,998
Best selling hybrids in the UK:
VersaUV LEJ-640
From swissQprint
System:
Nyala LED
UK distributor/s:
Spandex
System footprint:
14.35m2
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
Fine art mode – 32m2/h, speed mode – 206m2/hr
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
UV-curing CMYK, light CMK, orange, green, violet, white, varnish, primer
Print resolutions:
Addressable 360 – 1080dpi, visual up to 2160dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
10 minutes
UK starting price:
£215,000
What spec do you get for that (key points):
Flatbed/roll-to-roll option, CMYK configuration, delivery, installation.
Top spec UK price:
£345,000 including further options
System:
Impala LED
UK distributor/s:
Spandex
System footprint:
14.35m2
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
Fine art mode – 28m2/h, speed mode – 180m2/hr
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
UV-curing CMYK, light CMK, orange, green, violet, white, varnish, primer
Print resolutions:
Addressable 360 – 1080dpi, visual up to 2160dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
10 min
UK starting price:
£185,000
What spec do you get for that (key points):
Flatbed/roll-to-roll option, CMYK configuration, delivery, installation.
Top spec UK price:
£295,000 including further options
System:
Oryx LED
UK distributor/s:
Spandex
System footprint:
11.84m2
Bottom and top printing speeds (with modes if applicable):
Fine art mode – 9m2/h, draft mode – 65m2/hr
Ink type and range of colour/varnish options:
UV-curing CMYK, light CMK, orange, green, violet, white, varnish, primer
Print resolutions:
Addressable 360 – 1080dpi, visual up to 2160dpi
Changeover time (from flatbed – roll-fed):
10 min
UK starting price:
TBA – launches in November 2017
Top spec UK price:
TBA
Best selling hybrids in the UK:
The Impala models.
