What does it do?
This is a B1-format simplex seven-colour inkjet press intended primarily for folding carton work in runs of one to about 1,500 sheets. The press is a collaboration between Heidelberg, which makes the main press platform, and Fujifilm, which largely builds the inkjet print engine. The inks are water based and food-safe (conforming to Swiss Ordnance).
What market is it aimed at?
Montserrat Peidro-Insa, Heidelberg’s senior vice-president heading the digital print business unit, says: “It allows folding carton converters to improve their competitive edge by increasing margins in their increasingly short runs and by developing new business models only possible with an industrial digital production system.
“As with any other of the market segments in the printing industry, such as commercial or labels, packaging and specifically folding carton converting, is adopting digital printing and digital workflows in order to open new business and margin streams.” Simplex applications including calendars and book covers are also targeted.
How does it work?
The press is a 106cm wide single-pass inkjet with a print resolution of 1,200x1,200dpi. Speeds are up to 2,500sph, or 4,500sph with lower linear resolution.
The main platform (framework, feed, delivery, media transport, etc) is based on the XL 106 offset litho press. The inkjet print engine uses Samba greyscale print heads from Fujifilm Dimatix, and has a lot in common with the engine used in the B2 format Fujifilm Jet Press 720S. All colours are applied in quick succession over a large format drum, with driers positioned afterwards. According to Peidro-Insa, “the print engine is a co-development between the two companies, therefore the input of Heidelberg is of key relevance, especially in terms of jetting control, compensation algorithms, printhead alignment and many other factors indispensable for the system to operate”.
The Saphira inks are exclusive to the Primefire and are completely different formulations to those on the Jet Press, she says. A wide-gamut seven-colour inkset is used, where Jet Press has four. The inks are said to match 95% of Pantone colours.
There is extensive automation on the press, including XL 106 Preset Plus feeder with Intellistart 2 setup. Heidelberg’s Prinect Press Controls are used and the Prinect Digital Front End accepts and processes PDF files, which can incorporate variable data.
There are three standard configurations offered, with different workflow levels: standard, high performance and full variable data. An interchangeable UV or water based varnish unit can be fitted inline.
What’s the USP?
Peidro-Insa says: “Primefire 106 is the first B1-size digital print offering industrial standards of production and quality, expected by any carton packaging converter used to offset technology.”
How easy is it to use?
“Operators currently using Primefire are regular offset operators with a bit of understanding of basic digital processes,” says Peidro-Insa. “The majority of the processes are automated and Heidelberg intends to keep on improving its user interface based on the feedback of the beta customers.”
Maintenance is highly automated, she says. There are short daily and weekly routines to standardise quality, plus a quarterly engineer visit as part of the package.
What training and support is offered?
The standard yearly service package includes a two-week training programme for operators. A printhead maintenance and exchange package is also offered.
What does it cost?
A standard configuration is around €3m (about £2.66m).
How many are installed?
Currently two beta units are installed, at MPS and Colordruck Baiersbronn, both in Germany. Production machine shipments will start in the first half of 2018.
SPECIFICATIONS
Max sheet size 75x106cm
Media weight range 170-450gsm
Media thickness range 0.2-0.6mm
Printheads Fujifilm Samba greyscale piezo, single-pass
Resolutions 1,200x1,200dpi or 1,200x600dpi
Speeds 2,500sph (1,200x1,200dpi), 4,500sph (1,200x600dpi)
Inks Heidelberg Saphira aqueous pigment
Colours Seven – CMYK plus orange, violet and green
Inline coating Optional UV or aqueous
Price About €3m (about £2.66m)
Contact Heidelberg UK 020 8490 3500 www.uk.heidelberg.com
ALTERNATIVES
Koenig & Bauer VariJet 106
The full name of this B1 inkjet carton press includes ‘powered by Xerox’ at the end. Announced at Drupa 2016 and due to be “finalised” early this year, this is a joint venture between Koenig & Bauer (using the Rapida press platform) and Xerox (using Impika inkjet technology), so it’s similar in concept and capability to the Primefire. It uses aqueous inks suited for use with coated stocks (inline primers may be needed). Planned options include an opaque white unit, inline litho and screen printing units, cold foiling plus finishing units including grooving/perforating and die-cutting.
Max sheet size 75x106cm
Max print area 730x1,050mm
Media thickness range 0.2-0.6mm
Max resolution 1,440dpi
Max speed 4,500sph
Inks KBA aqueous
Colours Seven
Price TBA
Contact Koenig & Bauer 01923 819922 uk.koenig-bauer.com
Landa S10
Landa’s S10 is a B1-format simplex digital press aimed at carton applications. This uses the Landa Nanography technology, which is basically an offset inkjet process suited to a wide range of substrates including plastics, using water and resin based inks that contain extremely small pigment particles. It’s claimed to be faster than the Primefire, but more than five years after announcement so far there is only one confirmed beta site and this isn’t running with the full quality control package. A second beta site in the US was due at the end of 2017, but Landa won’t confirm whether it has been installed yet.
Max sheet size 75x105cm
Max print area 730x1,032mm
Media thickness range 0.06-0.8mm
Max resolution 1,440dpi
Max speed 6,500sph (13,000sph planned)
Inks Landa NanoInk aqueous pigment
Colours Four (CMYK) or seven (CMYK plus orange, green and blue) plus one additional
Inline coating Optional UV or aqueous
Price TBA
Contact Landa 07551 880013 www.landanano.com
USER REVIEW
“If we do development work on our production machines it costs a lot. The Primefire allows us to produce smaller volumes more efficiently to be more agile and flexible, and reduce our costs” 4/5
Steffen Schnizer Managing director and senior vice-president sales global beauty and personal care, MPS, Obersulm, Germany
