Sepiax believes its new printer will challenge the ones already established on the market.

Austrian wide-format ink digital developer Sepiax is set to battle it out with some of the industry’s biggest names in environmentally-friendly printing, after it confirmed it has developed a purpose-built roll-to-roll printer for its water-based resin surface-bonding ink technology.

Set for launch at EcoPrint, and provisionally dubbed the AQ160, the new printer will use the Sepiax Aquares range of inks, offering another green option for general sign-making and graphical applications.
 

The firm has spent around five years perfecting and testing its ink technology, and believes the new device will get the very best out of the Aquares range.

Sepiax says it has recognised the, ‘continuing industry trend’ that is seeing more companies adopt greener production methods, highlighting the success of HP’s latex printers.

Another major manufacturer, Mimaki, also introduced a new device for the latex ink sector this year, and Sepiax believes the time is now right to bring its own competitor product to market.

“The latest market developments prove that moving away from harmful solvents and reducing power consumption are major steps for the graphics industry,” sales and marketing director, Karl Ebner, exclusively told Print Monthly's sister magazine, SignLink.

Built in Germany, the AQ160 1.5m roll-to-roll printer features specialised heating systems that reportedly ensure ‘perfect curing’ of Sepiax Aquares ink. These systems also include pre-heat, under-plan heat, post-heat, and even an infrared heating device on the carriage.

The is additionally an option of a scanning ‘super dryer’ to assist with the drying of highly hydrophobic materials. Importantly, Sepiax says the device uses only slightly more power than a standard solvent printer, while the use of piezo printheads also claim to reduce costs and the consumption of raw materials.

Sepiax is also planning a UK partnership with Canadian-based Reprographic Technology International (RPI), an agreement that will see the development of dealerships both in the UK and across Europe.

Entry to the UK market for Sepiax has been frustrating, after previous projects with International Graphics Sourcing UK (IGS UK) and B and P Graphics Supplies fell through. However, the new developments certainly point towards a bright future for the company.

“SEPIAX can be seen as the inventor of water-based resin inks for piezo printheads. We now have more than five years of experience with this new ink technology. Our leading position helps to develop this technology to the next level, while others are only now starting to launch their first generation products,” concludes Sepiax chief executive officer, Franz Aigner.