What does it do?
Claimed to be the fastest in its class, the W3200UV is a large-format, high-throughput and high-resolution UV flatbed printer with a high-opacity white ink option. It can take rigid board or paper sheets up to 3.2x1.6m format and up to 50mm thick, or multiple smaller sheets at once.
When was it launched and what market is it aimed at?
Screen showed Truepress Jet W3200UV at Fespa last June. It’s largely aimed at industrial printers who want to print directly onto display panels and the like, including foam, metal-foam sandwiches and plastics.
The first beta site was The Larger Profile in Letchworth, which went on to become the first paid-up user. The printer is built in Cambridge by Inca Digital and sold and supported by Screen, which owns Inca. Fujifilm has marketing rights to earlier Inca printers, and showed a “technology demonstrator” of the same machine, called Avoset, at Fespa. But it seems Fujifilm does not currently plan to bring it to market.
How does it work?
The W3200UV is a travelling bed printer, where the bed moves under the head carriage gantry, which builds up the image with 10, 14, 18 or 22 passes, depending on the speed and quality required. The Larger Profile has the top model, with eight ink channels for CMYK, light cyan, light magenta and two white inks.
It prints 14-picolitre drop sizes with a thin-film UV-cured ink designed with flexibility in mind. Built-in automatic cleaning features mean the printer is ready to use much more quickly in the mornings than older designs, a claim confirmed by The Larger Profile director Gary Orsman.
Sheet loading and unloading is manual, with retracting registration pins for easy positioning and a multi-zone vacuum bed for different sheet sizes, or more than one sheet at once. A mechanical sensor detects unevenness and stops the linear motor immediately to prevent head crashes.
A lot of The Larger Profile’s work is on acrylic sheets and it experienced static build-up problems until it installed a third-party overhead neutralising bar.
What’s the front-end?
A number of RIP/workflow front-ends can be used, but Screen particularly recommends the Caldera RIP. “The Caldera is fast and easy to operate, it really works for us,” says Giorgio Damiano, The Larger Profile’s creative designer and pre-press operator. “We can set up defaults and click and drag to make up layouts for the printer. We can go to print with a job in maybe 10 seconds.” Screen can also provide modules from its Equios workflow automation suite, such as PDF Polisher and font checking.
How does it differ from previous models?
It’s a brand new model, not part of Inca’s Onset and Spyder families. This is the first Inca Digital Printer with a white ink.
How fast/productive is it?
Screen says that a “realistic production speed” is 85sqm/hr, which Orsman can confirm: “Even for top quality with maximum passes, we rarely drop below 66sqm/hr,” he says, reporting a 40sqm/hr speed with white.
What is the USP?
Mainly the ability to achieve high quality images at “realistic” production speeds. Features such as the mechanical unevenness detector and the self-cleaning start-up routine are also unusual and useful.
How easy is it to use?
“Once you’ve gone through initial training it’s very straightforward,” says Damiano. He likes the self-cleaning feature in particular.
What training and support is on offer?
The price includes a full training and service package, according to Screen UK sales and marketing manager Bui Burke, highlighting Screen’s extensive network of UK-based service engineers.
How much does it cost?
About £250,000 with an eight-channel configuration.
What is the sales target?
According to Screen Europe vice-president technology and solutions Tim Taylor: “There are 10 installed so far globally with one in the UK.” Another UK sale is imminent he says, adding: “We are targeting tens of units over the next 12 months.”
USER REVIEW
“We bought it for the white ink, the speed and the quality. Where most suppliers quote speeds that are way above what the machine can be used for, this one really can be used at 66sqm/hr and it will go to above 80sqm/hr.” 4/5
Gary Orsman Director, The Larger Profile
SPECIFICATIONS
Max sheet size 3.2x1.6m
Max media thickness 50mm
Speed 60-85sqm/hr (with 18 or 10 passes)
Colours Choice of four, six or eight channels: CMYK; CMYK, light cyan, light magenta; CMYK, white, white; or CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, white, white
Printheads Modified Fujifilm Dimatix, 14-picolitre drops, non-greyscale
Resolution 600dpi native, 1,000dpi apparent
Footprint 6.2x2.4m
Weight 3,500kg
Price About £250,000 for an eight-channel model
Contact Screen Europe (UK) 01582 725400 www.screeneurope.com
ALTERNATIVES
Durst Rho P10 200
Durst specialises in high-end inkjets. This one has almost entry-level pricing for Durst, and stresses high speed too. It’s wider than the W3200UV and the belt feed means unlimited lengths are possible with continuous feeding as there’s no need for taping. There’s also a roll feeder.
Max media width 2m
Max media thickness 40mm
Speed Up to 200sqm/hr (100sqm/hr production quality, 65sqm/hr photo quality)
Colours CMYK standard, with light cyan, light magenta, orange, green, violet and clear options
Printheads Durst Quadro 10 array technology, 10-picolitre drops
Max resolution 1,000dpi
Price About £260,000
Contact Durst Image Technology UK 01372 388540 www.durst-online.co.uk
EFI Vutek QS3 Pro
Similar in speed and price to the Screen printer, the QS3 Pro is a hybrid UV inkjet for both rolls and rigid sheets. It has a belt transport that doesn’t need taping or masking, unlike the W3200UV, and the 3.2m width means it can handle longer sheets. Greyscale 600dpi mode prints very good quality, faster than the 1,000dpi mode.
Max media width 3.2m
Max media thickness 50.8mm
Speed About 70sqm/hr at 600dpi and about 45sqm/hr at 1,000dpi
Colours Six colours plus white, with three-layer white sandwich capability
Printheads Greyscale with 0-36 picolitre drop sizes
Resolution 600dpi, 1,000dpi or greyscale
Price About £260,000
Contact EFI UK 1246 298000 www.efi.com
