The two new eight-channel machines, the EFI Colors 340 and EFI Power 340 are capable of top speeds of 850sqm/hr and 1,564sqm/hr respectively and can handle fabrics from 30 to 450gsm.
“These two new printers are specifically designed to meet the most stringent quality and productivity needs in soft signage for companies that want to truly differentiate themselves in a highly competitive marketplace,” said said Scott Schinlever, COO, EFI Inkjet.
Capable of printing direct to fabric or via transfer papers using the same inkset, the Colors machine can produce up to 450sqm in PoP quality mode while the Power engine offers 816sqm compared to the 165sqm/hr of the FabriVU 340 and 340i, which the new engines join in EFI’s soft signage portfolio.
Running waterbased dye dispersal inks, the Colors and Power devices are available in myriad head configurations.
The Colors 340 is available with eight heads (double CMYK), 16 heads (quadruple CMYK) and 24 heads (quadruple CMYK plus two lights or penetrating agent).
While the Power 340 can run CMYK with either 16 or 32 heads, Schinlever said that either of the new machines could “often replace multiple soft signage printers, producing more premium signage work with a single footprint”.
They can be configured with a standard unwind unit for 400mm diameter rolls or heavy duty unit for rolls up to 900mm and a rewind can either be a 900m heavy duty system or revolving turret. Dryer options are either gas or electric one-chamber units.
The two new machines feature a sticky belt feeding mechanism and were a collaboration between EFI’s R&D teams in Germany, Italy and the US. They leverage technologies from EFI’s textile specialist subsidiary Reggiani and are made at its manufacturing base in Bergamo, Italy.
However, EFI Display Graphics senior product manager Mike Wozny said the two printers were designed squarely for display graphics soft signage production and as well as featuring a range of attributes targeted at those applications. They are also configured with Fiery ProServer Premium, which he described as “EFI’s most advanced digital front end for display graphics production, including soft signage”.
Both machines are available for order immediately.
Separately, EFI has launched a new suite of cloud-based applications for its Fiery cut sheet printer digital front ends.
EFI IQ is a range of free and paid for productivity boosting and analytics applications.
Apps include IQ Dashboard the launch pad for all EFI IQ applications; Data analytics package Insight; Alert and reporting package Notify; award winning colour enhancement package ColorGuard and EFI Manage for users with multiple Fiery DFEs.
“Print operations generate an overwhelming amount of data,” said Toby Weiss, EFI Fiery senior vice president and general manager.
“Our objective with the EFI IQ Suite is to make data readily available in a form that makes it easy for users to take action. That way, customers can optimise production in real time with a goal of creating the most efficient and effective digital printing operation possible.”
IQ capabilities including dashboard metrics and notifications can also be received on mobile devices via the EFI Go app.
