What does it do?
This is the latest in HPs’ PageWide family of inkjet web presses. It is a relatively compact single-engine duplex CMYK press for 521mm print widths on webs up to 558mm. Speed is up to 152m/minute in colour or up to 244m/minute in black-only. The inks are suited to coated (gloss, silk, matte and dull) paper, plus uncoated, treated and HP-specified ColorPRO paper.
When was it launched and what markets is it aimed at?
The PageWide Advantage 2200 was announced at the US Printing United show in October 2022. Kris Albee, global business and strategic marketing master for HP PageWide Industrial Presses, says it is intended for “higher productivity, versatility, and offset-class print quality.” Also that it is “designed to grow/scale with customers as their applications and business needs change”.
How does it work?
This is what HP calls a ‘single-arch’ configuration inkjet web press, with a paper path that loops back on itself after the first side is printed and dried, going through turner bars to travel back and up again next to the first side, with the second side uppermost. The A2200 can “print on ramp,” ie while the web is accelerating up to speed, and it can also vary the speed in response to signals from inline finishers.
There are six print bars and printhead sockets, wide enough to cover both side-by-side webs at once, instead of 12 narrow bars used on the more conventionally threaded T250 HD model. Albee says the arrangement makes for a more compact overall footprint. Fewer components should also mean higher uptime, he says.
The heads are HP’s own High Definition Architecture type, with 2,400 nozzles per inch for both high resolution and considerable redundancy on the run. They have dual drop weights, boosting tonal range. These are thermal heads so need replacing more often than piezo types, but HP says they can be swapped out by the operator in about five minutes.
The water-based extended gamut HP Brilliant Inks are the same as the T400 and T250 models. HP Optimizer pre-coating binder is used with some stocks to help accept the aqueous ink. It’s only printed where needed under the colour dots.
There are three speed settings: Quality, Performance and Performance HDK. Quality uses dual drop mode for smoother skin and shadow tones and vibrant colours (and also uses less ink). Performance uses larger drops only for higher speeds, while Performance HDK uses higher weights for colour and dual weights for black, improving shadow detail without slowing the press. The A2200 Quality mode at 101m/minute is a third more than the T250 HD’s Quality mode.
The press is controlled and monitored from a touchscreen towards the end of the units. Print is monitored by the HP Color Quick vision system with feedback to the operator.
After printing the web passes through new high efficiency driers and a cooling module. Depending on the choice of media, weight and speed, one, two or three drier zones can be fitted.
Albee says: “Our high-efficiency driers maximise mass transfer of large volumes of air for effective moisture removal at high speeds and use heat efficiently by heating air close to the web and recirculating up to 80%. The ‘cushion of air’ minimises media stress.”
Albee stresses the ability to change paper types quickly, using pre-loaded auto-splicing roll feeders from Contiweb, Tecnau and Hunkeler. “HP customers have the flexibility now to run a variety of jobs with limited paper waste.”
Options include sheeting, stacking, folding and other inline or nearline finishing options. Post print coater options include the H&B Excelcoat ZRW+, designed for the A2200. This can be supplied as aqueous-only, aqueous and UV combo, or upgradeable aqueous that can have UV added later onsite.
What’s the USP?
Albee says the modular design, including up to three drying units, lets the A2200 “print high-coverage, high-value jobs on thick substrates, giving PSPs one flexible press to produce high-volume commercial work with integrated finishing.”
How easy is it to use?
Albee says: “HP digital web presses have a high degree of automation, settings that can be recalled, and consistency – especially colour consistency – natively. Combine this with online training, in-person classes and augmented reality help through xR services, and I’d say digital press operations are a ton easier. Current HP T250 HD customers who have purchased the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 were able to learn basic press operation in less than a day.”
What training and service support is on offer?
“HP flexible service plans range from operator-trained self-service models through to 24/7 support options. We find many commercial customers and really large customers prefer to be trained and essentially pay themselves to service the equipment,” says Albee.
What does it cost?
HP won’t reveal pricing, but Albee says it’s “economically attractive.” It’s pay-as-you-go: “No clicks, the pricing is consumables-based. You purchase inks, printheads and web wipe cassettes as they’re consumed.”
Have deliveries started?
Yes, three have been installed so far, at O’Neil Digital Solutions in California, SG360° in Chicago, Illinois, and DataOne in France. “We have other worldwide installations taking place as we speak,” says Albee.
SPECIFICATIONS
Process Web-fed thermal inkjet
Ink HP Brilliant water-based
Colours Extended gamut CMYK
Web width range 203-558mm
Max print width 521mm
Paper weights 40-300gsm
Max speeds 244m/min (Mono Performance), 152m/mon (Performance mode or Performance Mode HDK), 101m/min (Quality mode)
Nozzle spacing 2,400dpi
Driers Three HP High Efficiency Drying modules plus one active web cooling module
Consumables HP B62 printheads (separate for CMYK), HP Brilliant B60 200-litre ink containers (for CMYK and HP Optimizer), HP 10-pack Web Wipe Cassette
Footprint 6.24x17.6m
Power requirement 400-480V, 3-phase
Price On application
Contact HP 0800 408 4348 www.hp.com
ALTERNATIVES
Canon ProStream 1800
Canon’s ProStream 1000 series of inkjet web presses are developments of the former Océ range. The 1800 is a faster 133m/min version of the original 80m/min 1000 model, which is still available. As with most inkjet webs, both can handle offset coated gloss, silk, matt and uncoated papers, plus inkjet optimised.
Process DigiDot piezo with variable drop size
Ink Water-based
Max print width 556mm
Resolution 1,200x1,200dpi
Paper weights 40-300gsm
Throughput 133m/min
Front end SRA MP controller with integration to Prisma workflow
Contact Canon UK 0844 892 0810 www.canon.co.uk
Ricoh Pro VC70000e
The Pro VC70000e is a 2022 update/field upgrade to the original 2018 flagship Pro VC70000 twin engine duplex inkjet web press, which is still available. Both are intended for high quality applications such as catalogues and magazines, replacing offset on similar papers, as well as books, direct marketing etc. The new model adds hardware and software upgrades for more automation, including Pro Scanner and Supervisor technologies, part of Ricoh’s Automation Suite. There is also a new UC8100 undercoater, to help standardise results on varying paper quality.
Process Piezo inkjet with 2-bit variable drops
Ink Water-based
Colours CMYK
Max web width 520.7mm
Max print width 508mm
Paper weights 40-250gsm
Max throughput 150m/min at up to 157gsm (600x600dpi), 120m/min over 157gsm (600x600dpi), 75/100m/min (1,200x600dpi); 50m/min (1,200x1,200dpi)
Driers Radiant heat drum dryer plus heat rollers and air circulation
Front end Ricoh TotalFlow Print Server R600A DFE
Contact Ricoh 01784 416900 www.ricoh.co.uk
Screen Truepress Jet520HD+SC
The Truepress Jet520HD is an inkjet web press originally announced in 2014, but given a boost with the introduction of new SC inks in 2017, which work with offset papers with no need for pre-coating or optimiser priming. There’s a mono only option.
Process Piezo inkjet with variable drop size
Ink Water-based Truepress SC
Web widths 165-520mm
Max print width 508mm
Resolution 1,200x1,200dpi
Paper weights 40-250gsm
Throughput 150m/min (up to 157gsm paper)
Driers Large and small diameter heated rollers plus constant temperature dryer
Front end Screen Equios (standard), IPDS/AFP controller optional
Contact Screen Europe 0031 2045 67800 www.screeneurope.com
USER REVIEW
“As a long-time customer and partner with the HP PageWide team, we have purchased 13 PageWide web presses and we are quite excited to have installed the very first HP Advantage in the world! Our operators were able to easily learn the latest features and simplicity of operations and were producing millions of pages a week in no time. We selected a two HED dryer configuration and are thrilled with the press’s productivity and the quality of HP Brilliant Ink” Ann Gayou, senior vice president of plant management at O’Neil Digital Solutions, Monroe, North Carolina, US
