The imiJet BE70, which is available with immediate effect from Friedheim International for around £120,000, is semi-automatic in operation and features an integrated PC that provides built-in help and self-diagnostics, as well as easy job preparation.

The printing process involves a one-person operation via a screen and involves the application of either UV inks or UV varnish to all three book edges.

While the feeding, turning and removal of the book is undertaken manually, the pumping of the ink into the printing unit, as well as the moving of the book under the printing heads and electronically controlled UV lamp, is carried out automatically.

The machine uses four piezo-electric printing heads while two more printing heads (two colours) can be added. The ink amount is adjustable at four levels; 180dpi, 360dpi, 720dpi and variable.

Multi-pass print is possible in one to four passes while the device, which can be modified to suit customers’ specific requirements, is also suitable for variable data printing.

The machine can print up to 300 book edges per hour at 360x360dpi resolution. It can handle a maximum book format of 420x420x70mm and a minimum of 100x100x5mm.

Friedheim International Post Press Division UK & Ireland sales manager Stuart Bamford said the device has already attracted considerable interest from both offset and digital printers.

“The imiJet BE70 is unique because there’s no other machine that can do this other than those that are designed for very large volumes like big catalogues. For the short-run market there’s nothing else available.”