Fiery FS300 Pro, which is built to drive presses across sheetfed, high-speed continuous feed, B1 folding carton and corrugated digital production systems, includes new features in the areas of colour, performance, usability and integration.
The new platform comes with the new, free Version 6 of the Fiery Command WorkStation production print job management system. This is accompanied by a completely redesigned Command WorkStation that is said to “dramatically improve” the job management application.
Productivity enhancements in Version 6 include the ability to manage a variety of printers across the production operation by connecting to Fiery-driven cutsheet, high-speed inkjet presses and, from 2018, wide- and superwide-format printers.
New search tools provide faster ways to interact with jobs while job views can be customised to specific needs, such as by media, to help prioritise print production.
Furthermore, Version 6 features the ability to reprint a job faster and more consistently by using saved rasters on already printed jobs.
“We’ve put a lot of energy and effort into Command WorkStation. With Version 6 we were looking at where printers and print shops are going to be beyond 2018 and what’s going to be happening,” said EFI director of product management and technical marketing David May.
“We also wanted to make sure we were continuing to maintain the easy-to-use interface we had with Version 5 and we were looking for ways to make it more efficient and productive for all of our users.”
New versions of Fiery Impose, Compose and JobMaster are fully integrated and accessed directly through Command WorkStation, which is said to enable users to produce high-value printed products more profitably, in less time and with fewer clicks.
EFI said imposition layout has also been simplified and users can more easily create gangup layout templates to automate job imposition.
Fiery ImageViewer enhancements include Object Inspector and Total Area Coverage features that are said to help to identify imaging problems related to particular object types. Operators can diagnose and troubleshoot colour problems without going back to the source files, saving hours in turnaround time to get jobs out, EFI said.
The new Fiery workstations feature a compact, ergonomic design that EFI said have the comfort of the operator in mind and require 20% less floor space than previous generations. The height of the NX Station LS work surface adjusts by 15cm for optimum user comfort.
Predecessor DFE platform Fiery FS200 Pro will also remain available “for the foreseeable future”, EFI said, though there will be a transition period as new presses start to be shipped with Fiery FS300 Pro going forwards.
Separately, EFI has provided updates on the independent review of its internal financial controls and ongoing assessments related to the timing of its revenue recognition.
In a statement the manufacturer said: “Although the assessments and the review are not yet complete, significant additional progress has been made, and based on the work so far, the company does not currently expect to report any material error that would require a restatement of any of its previously-reported financial results for any period.
“As part of the controls assessment, the company expects to report material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and to report that the company's disclosure controls were not effective in prior periods.”
EFI plans to discuss its postponed Q2 results and Q3 outlook after filing its quarterly report for the period ended 30 June 2017, which it said it plans to do promptly following completion of the assessments and the review.
The company added it is currently anticipating revenue of $255m (£193m) to $260m for Q3. The anticipated growth rates for its business segments are mid to high single-digit growth for inkjet, low single-digit growth for software and low to mid-single digit growth for Fiery.
