PrintWeek India’s pick of wide-format products at Drupa - Part two

Presses

Agfa
Hall 8a, Stand B64-1 and B64-8
Agfa is not revealing the details of its line-up for Drupa until nearer the time, but with a vast array of kit on offer for wide-format printers, it will definitely be worth stopping by to see what does eventually get chosen for Düsseldorf. One area where rumours suggest there will be some developments is with the M-Press Leopard, but we shall have to wait and see how much truth there is in the whispers.

Canon/Océ
Hall 8a, Stand B8-1
With two leading wide-format manufacturers sharing a stage, the attractions are plentiful on stand for those interested in this sector. A highlight on stand will be the new Arizona 318 GL model, but machines also on show include Océ’s Arizona 360GT, Arizona 550XT, CS9160, PlotWave 350 and ColorWave 650 alongside Canon’s imagePrograf iPF8300, Canon imagePrograf iPF8300S, and Canon imagePrograf iPF9100. The hope from the companies is that visitors to Drupa will be looking to develop their businesses through investment in both the long and short terms. “Those who invest now for the future in a stable market will be very successful going forwards and enjoy additional growth opportunities,” says Dominic Fahy, Océ UK’s business group director, Display Graphics and Imaging Supplies. “The Canon Group, of which Océ is an important part, is focused on being the number one in the market for wide-format and, therefore, will develop strategies to achieve that and, given the substantial investment in R&D, you can expect many surprises and even more significant increases in the strength of the product portfolios that are available in the future.”

D-gen
Hall 6, Stand D81
The Korean textiles printer manufacturer will be using Drupa to showcase its printers, inks and consumables. The company will be highlighting the credentials of its press range that includes the Teleios GT four-colour and eight-colour machines and the Atrix GT series.

Durst
Hall 6, Stand B39 and C60
Durst is promising that some “exciting” developments will be on show on its Drupa booth, but at the time of going to press, it was playing things very close to its chest. However, one launch we do now know about is the new Rho P10 series, which got its US debut at ISA in Orlando last week. The company says the P10 machines are the “most versatile, productive 10-picoliter UV printers available with 1,000dpi resolution”. The printers are designed specifically for large-format print providers looking for a way to output a wide range of hand-held and eye-level materials, including backlit signage, point-of-sale displays and small packages, cost-effectively and at production speeds. The P10 Series is comprised of the Rho P10 200 2m (80in) and Rho P10 250 2.5m (98in) flatbed/hybrid printers, plus the Rho P10 320R 3.2m (126in) roll-to-roll printer. “Once again, Durst has raised the bar with this exciting new family of 10-picoliter, production-level digital printers,” says Christopher Howard, senior vice-president of sales and marketing for Durst US. “They’ll introduce Durst quality and productivity to a whole new segment of sign-makers and print providers, and provide new options to wide- and grand-format print providers who might already be Durst customers.”

EFI
Hall 5, Stand C1
EFI is keeping the majority of its Drupa launches firmly under wraps, but it has decided to let slip the details of one machine, the latest addition to its range of UV-curable wide-format inkjet printers, the R3225, which is designed for soft-signage applications. The 3.2-meter roll-to-roll, UV inkjet printer offers “superior image quality, low total cost of ownership, and access to the widest range of flexible substrates at production speed”, according to the manufacturer. Using true eight-level variable-drop grayscale technology, EFI claims the R3225 produces minimal VOC levels compared to solvent-based printers and less heat than latex, reducing owner energy costs.

Epson
Hall 5, Stand A1-1 and A1-2
After its launch at Fespa, Epson is taking the four-colour SureColor SC-S30600 to Drupa and will be demonstrating multiple large-format applications on the booth. This printer features the latest Epson TFP Micro Piezo printhead and uses Epson’s new UltraChrome GS2 inkset to deliver flexibility for multiple POS, display, signage and décor applications. Epson says it comes in cheaper than any printer in its class and has the lowest energy consumption. Also on show will be the latest models in the range of 24-64in width aqueous inkjet Epson Stylus Pro printers, which the company says demonstrates considerable flexibility for pre-press and in-house agency proofing, short-run display and package prototyping applications.

Fujifilm
Hall 8b, Stand A25-1 and A25-3
In the Wide Format Print Zone area of its stand, Fujifilm will be showcasing its range of flatbed and roll-fed inkjet printers. Highlighting the “productivity, quality and performance” of the Inca Onset S40 will be a particular aim, according to the company, along with a demonstration of the “quality and flexibility” of the company’s new Acuity LED 1600 hybrid printer. Completing the range will be the Acuity Advance platform and Uvistar II roll-fed printers, alongside the company’s Euromedia range of media.

Gandy Digital
Hall 9, Stand E43
Gandy will launch its new 2x3m printer, the Domin8tor, which will sit alongside the current 8x4m flatbed printer the Pred8tor. A “true flatbed” with a zoned vacuum bed area, the Domin8tor has four colours, with the option of a fifth white or clear ink, and a variable dot size. The Pre8tor, meanwhile, is a flatbed/roll-to-roll hybrid with six-picoliter variable dot size giving greyscale capability and avoiding the need for more than four colours.

HP
Hall 7a, Stand E7
HP has been particularly busy with its pre-Drupa plans, unveiling 10 new or updated products at its own press conference in Israel in March. For wide-format print providers, the company has announced a white ink option for its Scitex FB7500 and FB7600 industrial flatbed printers as part of a series of enhancements to its large-format print portfolio. The FB225 white Scitex ink is designed to work with the company’s recently-launched FB225 process colour Scitex inks, which can be used on the manufacturer’s FB7500 and FB7600 industrial flatbed printers. HP also revealed that from May, companies using its FB7500 and FB7600 machines can invest in an automatic loader from manufacturer Hostert. This automatic media loader is claimed to help improve turnaround times when producing long runs.

Memjet
Hall 5, Stand E28
The printhead technology manufacturer will represent itself at the show, a welcome visible presence as normally its inkjet solutions are hidden under the bonnets of its OEM partners’ machines. It will be giving special attention to its Waterfall printheads, which each comprise 70,400 nozzles and are capable of firing up to 750m drops of ink per second.

Mutoh
Hall 9, Stand A44
Mutoh is keeping its cards close to its chest for the show, but it says that its recently launched products will definitely get an airing on its stand. These will include the ValueJet 1324 54in and ValueJet 1624 64in printers, which are targeted at the sign and display market and are suited for the production of long-term outdoor posters, signs and banners, backlit signage, point-of sale displays, vehicle graphics, as well as high-quality durable prints for indoor use. Incorporating new printhead technology and Mutoh’s award-winning Intelligent Interweaving print technology, the printers deliver typical production speeds of 14.5m²/hr and top speeds up to 29m²/hr.

Ricoh
Hall 8a, Stand B46-1 and B46-3
Ricoh will showcase the newest addition to its wide-format colour inkjet range: the Ricoh Aficio CW 2200SP. It is designed to address the growing CAD market and features Ricoh’s Liquid Gel ink. it is aimed at a variety of industries, including manufacturing, architecture, engineering, construction, regional planning, building and product design. Ricoh says it will also meet the needs of corporate print rooms and quick print operations. “Drupa 2008 was Ricoh’s de-facto debut in production printing but Ricoh has 35 years of heritage in wide-format plotters,” says Gareth Parker, value proposition manager for Production Print at Ricoh UK. “Wide-format print for the CAD or display sector is well recognised as a useful revenue generator and growth tactic for commercial printers. It delivers extra profitability quickly and with the addition of this new plotter Ricoh has further extended its ability to support customers’ growth.” Parker adds that the colour print quality of the Ricoh Aficio MP CW2200SP, along with features such as an in-built colour scanner that allows hand-drawn documents to be digitised, means Ricoh expects it to find a place in print-for-pay environments.

Roland
Hall 9, Stand E4 and E7
With new product features and the central theme ‘Roland Adds Value to Print’, Roland says it is highlighting a plethora of print applications during Drupa 2012. The VersaCamm Print&Cut series with metallic and white inks and the complete range of Eco UV machines will be on stand, including the VersaStudio BN-20 and VersaCamm VS series. Print&Cut systems, which range from 500mm to 1,620mm wide, can be equipped with four, six or eight colours including metallic silver and white and are targeted at general sign-making applications, such as window decoration, vehicle stickers, displays, posters, pop displays, labels, signs and heat transfers. Other than machinery for sign-making applications, Roland is focusing on the different markets where large-format digital printing offers new opportunities, such as design, packaging, prototyping, label and proofing industry, especially in relation to the efficiency of Print&Cut systems and special colours.

Xaar
Various Stands
At Drupa, Xaar’s technology will be at the heart of a variety of new and market-leading digital inkjet printers demonstrated by its OEM partners including: Agfa Graphics, Durst, EFI, FFEI, INX, Jetset and SPG Prints. Xaar’s patented TF Technology combined with Hybrid Side Shooter architecture inside the Xaar 1001 have been the choice for many print applications. Fluids flow directly past the back of the printhead nozzles, which ensures they are continuously primed to deliver maximum production uptime. The company adds that its Drop Optimisation technology delivers consistent drop formation to deliver high-quality binary and greyscale print.

Must See

GMG ProductionSuite

  

Visitors to GMG’s stand will be able to check out the firm’s “best-in-class production solutions”, including GMG ProductionSuite for high-volume wide-format users.
The company has marked its foray into the wide-format print sector with colour management software that can drive more than 800 print and cutting machines.

GMG claims the product is “the most complete solution in the market” for indoor and outdoor advertising, sign and super-wide format printing.
According to the company, the modular GMG software, which comprises GMG ColorServer and SmartProfiler, achieves quick and efficient colour results to match prints produced by other printing processes and on different substrates.
Brand new for Drupa is also a spot-colour simulation tool for packaging printers that it claims marks a “breakthrough” in calculating profiles for simulating the combined printing of both spot and process colours.
GMG managing director Ian Scott says: “Many of our innovations are the result of valuable user feedback. Thanks in particular to our close relationships with our clients, our solutions are not abstract laboratory developments, they are tools that offer very specific customer benefits, and therefore offer real advantages in productivity.”