Product watch: Top five of the week

Fujifilm's Acuity Advance Select is the product of the week for me since it has a Chennai connection. Sriraam Color Lab in Chennai was the first buyer of the Acuity Advance Select.

 

At the time when the machine was installed, Lakshmanan Ramani of Sriraam Colour Lab, said, "We've launched our new gallery with a unique 3D printing possibility that allows us to cater to outdoor 3D signage." The Acuity is a versatile UV printer with four, six or eight- colour channels including white and clear options. It produces near-photographic quality print at up to 32.8 sqm/hr on a wide range of display and signage materials.

 

Finally, the Acuity LED 1600 is an established hybrid roll-fed printer featuring a low-energy LED curing system, and is suitable for rigid and very thin flexible materials.

 

Ryobi is number two because of a fully loaded six + coater UV press Ryobi MHI which is heading to Kolkata by the year end. Watch this space for more. And look out for PrintWeek India's Kolkata Special in the month of July.

 

Speaking of Kolkata, there is the seven colour KBA at Nexgen in Kolkata. The fully loaded KBA Rapida 105- seven colour + coater. This UV press with an inking unit temperature control, which includes three UV interdeck and three end of press UV dryers is bundled with densitronic for inline density controls, ink agitator, nonstop feeder + plus delivery. It is a complete combi press which is being installed even as you read this.

 

Aditya Surana of Indo Polygraph who represent KBA in India says, "What is very interesting for us to see is, mostly the developments were either in the West or in the North when it comes to packaging. South has been traditionally dull and East India was negligible. After TCPL ventured into Guwahati, we are seeing lots of enquiries and interests. I would say Nexgen has taken a big step because they have got a 7-colour press. And looking at them, there are people who are definitely going to have these fully loaded machines." Surana concludes by saying, "Installations in India will be something new as far as India is concerned."

 

Gandy's Gladi8tor is a semi-automatic system, capable of printing a 6x10ft panel in less than 90 seconds. The semi-automatic loading system ensures productivity of 500-600 panels a day. A true UV flatbed printer incorporating a vacuum table, the new Gandy Digital Gladi8tor is available in two print widths. The Gladi8tor 1224 has a print size of 1.22 m (4 ft.) X 2.44 m (8 ft.) and the Gladi8tor 2030 has a print size of 2 m (6 ft. 6″) X 3.05m (10 ft.). In India, Gandy has two Pred8tor units installed at Sign Wave in Pune and Colourmate Digital in New Delhi. The company has also installed its earlier Jeti range of flatbed printers at Xedon Media, Coimbatore, and Creatique Espore in Delhi.

 

And finally, I have included two HP products. Both I saw on Youtube. This is the HP Scitex 17000 Corrugated Press and HP Latex 3500. The corrugated press is powered by HP Scitex HDR Technology can. It can increase digital print productivity for cost-effective corrugated packaging printing. The new press prints at speeds of up to 1,000sqm per hour for economical, high-volume production of industrial-grade corrugated boards.

 

Prints made with the HP HDR230 Scitex Inks on a representative coated media have been independently certified as having Good Deinkability. The HP Latex 3500 Printer handles high-volume, dedicated application production, boosting productivity and helping to reduce production costs. With heavy-duty roll handling up to 300 kg (660 lbs) and 10 litre ink supplies, the printer enables more unattended operation such as overnight printing. Additionally, dual-roll split spindles offer easier, safer handling of oversized rolls; in-line slitters reduce bottlenecks in finishing; and built-in LED lights support on-the-fly proofing.