Installed on Friday (14 June), the new system replaces another Arizona – a 360 XT – and precedes the arrival of a Canon Océ Colorado 1650, which will be one of the first UK installations of the new roll-to-roll system since its announcement at Fespa last month.
Large Print Works will invest circa £210,000 in the Canon duo.
The Arizona’s speed capabilities will open up larger volumes and faster turnaround times to Newcastle-based Large Print Works, which has mostly produced a bespoke, shorter-run output for its clients across the events sector until now.
Managing director John Laidler said: “We went around Europe looking at machines that could replace our last Arizona, including HP and Agfa, but it was the quality, speed and familiarity of the system that brought us back to Canon.
“Everyone wants everything at the last minute these days and, with our previous machine, we could not cope with that. We would also be turning around on average 30 panels a day, but the new Arizona means we could start producing up to 200 a day.
“It is certainly the quality and turnaround time that are a lot better now, but our service to clients has also been enhanced simply by having newer tech onsite as well as the addition of light magenta and light cyan to the colour gamut.”
Canon’s Océ Arizona 6170 XTS is a 2.5x3m flatbed system printing CMYK, light cyan, light magenta and white. It prints in three different modes at various speeds – quality up to 72sqm/hr, production up to 100sqm/hr and express up to 155sqm/hr.
The new Colorado 1650 is expected to arrive in July and will join two HP printers – a Latex and a Designjet – as well as a Zünd cutter and further machines for laminating and mounting.
Large Print Works, previously called The Rip until a rebrand in 2016, has a relationship with Canon that extends back to 2008 when the firm took on an Arizona 250 GT flatbed. The new Arizona is the company’s third Canon flatbed system.
Laidler said he was looking to see his eight-staff company turnover increase by 25% across 2019.
