HP T300 inkjet web press enters Asia Pacific at CTPS in China

The first HP T300 inkjet web press has been installed at China Translation & Printing Services (CTPS), a book manufacturing exporter based in Hong Kong.

13 May 2011 | By Samir Lukka

Targeted at the industrial production of books, the T300 has a scalable web width of up to 30in (762mm) and a web speed of 122 metres per minute.

The resolution is 1,200x600dpi and the range of media it can handle ranges from 40-350gsm – one of the reasons why the press can handle a wide range of applications. "It is an asset for a multitude of jobs," said Peter Tse, executive director and CEO of CTPS. "It is our intention that this product will compliment  with high-volume production of our 26 full-size offset presses (24 Heidelberg and two KBA presses). In the book market, for example, it can print from one book to one million."

HP believes that T300 gets the edge in the market because of a unique bonding agent incorporated during the production process. "This is a sixth colour that we spray on the substrate," explains Aureilo Maruggi, vice-president and general manager of Inkjet High-Speed Production Solutions (IHPS) at HP.
"Inkjet inks are pigment and water-based. What usually happens is that you lose optical density – you can see through the other side of the paper and you can have very dull colours. It’s a negative result. The bonding agent drops a pigment onto the paper and this is a unique technology."

The T300 has a capacity of up to 70m letter-sized four-colour images per month. Productivity is assisted through an arched paper path, which stabilises the web as it goes through the press. According to HP, this improves image quality and alignment.

The inkjet web press employs modular printheads in 10 rows of seven 4.25in inkjet heads. These snap into an overlapping pattern forming the press’ 29.1in printing width."

At an HP press conference in China, Gido Van Praag, vice president, Graphics Soultions Business for Asia Pacific and Japan said: "Asia Pacific is an exciting market for us with a growth of 48% on a y-o-y basis."