The continued growth of Agfa Graphics’ presence across all inkjet applications is being demonstrated at this year’s FESPA Digital in Barcelona with a strong range of the company’s wide-format platforms. The top selling UV-curable :Anapurna M2050 is complemented by the :Anapurna 2540 FB which is making its first appearance at an international exhibition. The :Jeti family is represented by the :Jeti 3324 Aquajet Pro direct-to-textile printer and the :Jeti 3020 Titan high-speed system.
Live demonstrations will run on all these platforms, endorsing Agfa Graphics' broad portfolio that appeals to sign-makers, display producers and PSPs wanting reliable, productive and cost-effective solutions for rigid and flexible applications.
In addition there will be showcase presentations of Agfa Graphics' high-end :M-Press Leopard, with its new three-quarters automation option, and the fully automatic :M-Press Tiger industrial flat-bed presses. Both offer a true digital alternative to industrial multi-color screen-printing with the same economical efficiency,not only for short run but also for medium and higher volume applications.
“At this year’s FESPA Digital we are taking the challenge by demonstrating a choice of solutions from ourmost complete range in wide-format inkjet,” states Ingrid Merckx, COO for inkjet at Agfa Graphics. “Next to the :Jeti Aquajet Pro for industrial textile markets that we are showing, we maintain a strong focus potential on the professional UV-curable print solutions."
:Anapurna series
The 2.05m :Anapurna M2050 has quickly become a best seller as a highly cost-effective platform for users producing top quality graphics. Its reliability and excellent quality of output have made it the popular entry-level machine for businesses wanting to benefit from the capabilities of UV-curable output and the ability to print direct to 2 x 3m rigid and 2m wide flexible materials.
Making its debut at an international trade event, the 2.54 x 1.54m :Anapurna M2540 FB is a dedicated flat-bed solution in a photo quality engine. It features six colors plus white, and ensures highly durable prints with excellent adhesion on a multitude of substrates.
Thanks to the revolutionary bed design and a configuration to enhance accurate and reliable dot placement, the :Anapurna M2540 FB features throughput speeds of up to 45 m2/hour. The bed is complemented by a two-table vacuum zone, which each have four different compartments, making it ideal for smaller step-and-repeat and nested applications. Double-sided printing is simplified with the use of its eleven retractable register pins to provide perfect alignment and positioning on both sides of the bed.
As with all :Anapurna platforms, the two machines being demonstrated at FESPA Digital feature the company’s dedicated UV-curable inks which are formulated to provide strong adhesion and long lasting images. The white ink can be applied as a pre- or post-print option or as a spot color to highlight specific image areas.
:Jeti family
The two :Jeti wide-format printers on show include the six-color :Jeti 3324 Aquajet Pro aqueous-based textile printer which features the latest generation disperse inks to produce output onto any polyester-based fabric.The inline infra-red fixation system ensures vibrant, brilliant and durable results which are fade and wash resistant. This 3.2m engine has throughput speeds of up to 65 m2/hour and a true resolution of 400 dpi. Included are a rewind/take up unit, a roll lifter, in-line slitters and a vapour extraction filtration system. Its bevelled media rollers are designed to provide accurate registration for all materials.
The second :Jeti machine to be demonstrated by Agfa Graphics is the :Jeti 3020 Titan FTR which is a combination flat-bed and flat-to-roll engine which offers users high-speed production in a versatile, upgradeable 3.2m platform. This wide-format printer is designed to combine very fast throughput with a variety of ink configurations, including white. The Agfa :Jeti 3020 Titan has several levels of upgradeability so that users can increase their speed and output capabilities at a time to suit their business growth, without having to invest a new printer. At the show is the high-speed-with-white version with 32 color heads and 4 heads for white.
:M-Press showcase
Running showcases on Agfa Graphics' stand for the :M-Press Tiger and :M-Press Leopard will include full details of the new three-quarters automation feature for the :M-Press Leopard with presentations of both these high-end platforms working in an industrial production environment.
The :M-Presses are capable of taking on the full run-length of screen-print. The mathematics speak for themselves as the proven ink consumption on an M-Press is below 5 ml/m2 on average. This is about three to four times lower than with conventional screen-printing (and well below other digital systems in the segment). As a consequence, the variable cost of print with the :M-Press is the same or better than in screen-print.
Thanks to the high speed of :M-Press, the automation and the 48 to 55 zoned vacuum beds, the effective speed on the floor speed equates with the throughput of most multi-color screen-print engines. With the same or lower investment level compared to analogue machines, the fixed costs are equal or lower for the :M-Press because there is no screen making and cleaning phase.
Agfa Graphics is on stand K40 at Fespa Digital 2012 from 21 to 24 February 2012.