There are many things to consider that help drive the choice of a grand-format UV-cure printing system. One good approach is to answer the question “What are the demands of the application?” To answer that question the print service provider needs to become educated on a growth path into the future.

They need to understand the total cost of ownership when looking to invest in a high-output printer. Productivity, advanced features, automation and ink yield all drive how much the system will cost to use, whether choosing a flatbed, roll-to-roll or hybrid printer. Here we will discuss some considerations for each platform.

More Than One Way to Go

Some print service PSPs prefer dedicated flatbed or dedicated roll-to-roll printing systems, while others enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid device that can handle both rigid and rolled materials. We at Agfa decided not to shoe-horn customers into a limited platform so we offer all three technologies in our line of UV-curing inkjet printing systems.

We employ a matched-component approach which means that equipment, ink, media, software and peripherals are all designed to work together. Our approach is to provide options that make the most sense for customers, and our portfolio offers roll-printing options on many of our flatbed systems that can be field-upgradeable.

No matter which manufacturer you go with, it is important for printer buyers to first understand what their primary applications will be for the equipment they intend to purchase, while also considering their future growth. Once that is determined, a choice in technology that best fits this anticipated mix of work can be made.

Who is Buying What?

A good example of future growth opportunities is looking at advanced printer features like varnish or primer. Varnish may appeal to the photo and packaging shop looking to enhance or protect an image. Varnish also adds value for PSPs by offering dramatic effects to many applications including P.O.P. displays and trade show graphics.

For providers that output difficult substrates like polypropylene, polystyrene or polycarbonate, primer may be the feature that pays back immediately. For those looking to get into POP, a primer option offers growth opportunity. With a primer option, users can select to have adhesion promoter automatically applied to overcome adhesion and durability challenges.

As companies continue to expand their applications, these options can provide a significant benefit, so it is important to consider all factors when selecting an inkjet system.

PSPs buying wide- and grand-format devices come from various markets. Printer customers range from in-plants to industrial users. Some sign shops purchase grand format devices to expand their current capacity. Some are entering grand format for the first time. Some are small shops moving from roll-to-roll devices to flatbeds and hybrids. In addition, some commercial printers are expanding into wide format.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Flatbeds

True dedicated flatbed systems offer some unique capacities, like front-to-back registration and the ability to image onto more difficult substrates like corrugated material. Some flatbed devices, for example, use multi-zone vacuum systems to hold and control heavy or difficult media. Flatbed systems are also better suited to running multiple small jobs that can easily be laid down on the bed and imaged at once. Flatbeds can also print onto almost any substrate less than 2" thick, opening up new markets for PSPs.

The drawback of a dedicated flatbed, of course, is that it is not designed to print onto rolled materials, often making it awkward to fulfill such jobs.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Roll-to-Roll Printers

Roll-to-roll systems typically accept a broad spectrum of flexible media for indoor and outdoor applications. They are ideal solutions for sign and display makers, printing shops or commercial printers that want to produce high volume signage. Many roll-to-rolls can print on wide varieties of flexible and lower-cost materials, offering a low total cost of ownership for increased profits.

Dedicated roll-to-roll inkjet printers generally are available in six-color, four-color and four-color-plus-white versions. Some roll-to-roll devices offer a mesh option for printing on mesh without a liner. There are also optional trolleys that are specially designed to handle heavy rolls of media. A trolley makes transporting and loading and unloading heavy media easy. We also offer an optional dual roll kit to support printing two 60" rolls of media which doubles productivity.

The drawback, of course is that roll-to-roll devices may not offer flatbed options which limits the kinds of applications the printer can fulfill. A roll-to-roll work-around for jobs requiring rigid media is to print onto an adhesive-backed film and then mount the film onto rigid board. However, this process is fairly labor intensive.

Advantages and Drawbacks of Hybrid Platforms

Hybrid systems offer the advantage of imaging roll-to-roll and rigid media on one device. This can be beneficial if there is limited floor space and a shop has applications for both types of media. Hybrid/belt systems offer the benefit of minimizing the load time between boards. Since operators can essentially butt one sheet against the next, there is almost no lag time with loading boards.

Additionally, hybrid printers can be found in two formats: roll-to-flat (RTF) and flat-to-roll (FTR). In other words, a printer may be built primarily for roll-to-roll printing with optional media tables that can be attached so the printer can handle flat materials. Conversely, a printer may primarily be intended as a flatbed, but have optional equipment so the printer can handle rolled materials. Conventional wisdom holds that choosing between these types of hybrids would depend on which type of printing the shop does most.

If a PSP has significant quantities of both types of output there will always be challenges in trying to reconcile, from a production standpoint, the output of one machine. The changeover can take time, so switching back and forth can be counter-productive. Providers end up trying to balance production of two types of work off one output device. If the volume to support both flexible and rigid exists, PSPs are usually better off with a dedicated unit for each application and can then expand production efficiently.

One drawback to this design is that many times, features such as dual rolls, mesh kits, and front-to-back registration systems—features that are seen on roll-to-roll devices—are not seen on hybrid systems.

Conclusion

PSPs have many platform options from which to choose. The many factors to consider when choosing a printing device range from the experience of the manufacturer and their service offerings to how much ink a system uses. Price is certainly a factor, as is the spatial requirements of the print facility. Shops should also research if workflow software and RIPs available are integrated in the system. Some systems now come with workflow management software that can connect and drive any printing device resulting in reliable and predictable output.

Ultimately the choice must come down to the applications that drive a print service provider's business. This is the building block that will get you started and help you learn more deeply about the UV inkjet market.

Whatever system you choose, be confident that, with the right system, you will be creating the highest quality print output for your customers.