MIMAKI SHOWCASES REVOLUTIONARY PRINTERS AT FESPA

1284

The company showcased five new revolutionary printers, proving its commitment in bringing truly innovative and productive products to the market. Three of the five new machines were launched for the first time, and the interest on the Mimaki stand was massive. The five new machines on display:
         
Textile:
TS500-1800:
This is the fastest dye-sublimation printer in the world – printing at 150sqm/hr. It is the new flagship sublimation inkjet printer from Mimaki, using new SB300 sublimation ink and degassing module, for unparalleled performance and productivity.

TS34-1800A:
A new inkjet dye sublimation printer, specifically for the sublimation transfer market, with two newly developed, staggered print heads for high quality printing up to 32sqm/hr. This improved productivity through unattended continuous printing makes this the best value for money textile printer on the market.      

UV:
UJF-3042HG:
The desktop LED UV inkjet printer with new maximum height for printing materials up to 150mm thick. 6-colour printing is now possible, with the new addition of two ink slots and white and clear. The MCT Mimaki Circulation Technology is a newly developed white ink circulation system that prevents pigment sedimentation and reduces ink waste. This printer can print directly onto rigid substrates such as phone covers, USB sticks, golf balls, pens, fridge magnets, ID cards and more. With the new higher head clearance, the printer will enable even more printing possibilities.

SOLVENT UV:
JV400-130/160SUV:
Revolutionary new ink technology that combines the flexibility of solvent with the durability of UV cured inks can now deliver a smooth, glossy result, which is incredibly durable, vibrant and flexible. The Mimaki JV400-130/160SUV is ideal for banners, pull-ups and displays – or any application where a combination of vibrant colour and a long lasting, scratch-resistant print is important.

LATEX:
JV400-130/160LX:
The first latex printer from Mimaki. The JV400-130/160LX latex printer with newly developed environmentally friendly latex ink and superior technology makes this printer the most competitive printer in its class.

Mimaki JV400LX Latex printer surpasses the competition due to:
-Lower operating costs that save energy so you can make more money.
-Lower curing temperatures of between 40-60 degrees celsius, compared to 80-100 degrees celsius.
-Longer lasting Piezo print heads, lasting between 1-2 years compared to competitor Thermal print heads, which need replacing every 4 litres.
-Wider choice of media available to print on due to lower curing temperature, preventing deformation and shrinkage on heat-sensitive media. Customers no longer restricted to a limited-range of OEM-approved media.
-Exceptional print quality thanks to minimum dot size of 4 picoliters, and the ability to use variable sized ink dots for smooth gradation. Competitor offers dot size of 12 picoliters with no variable dot printing.
-Maximum print performance is made possible with Mimaki’s original RIP. The new RasterLinkPro6 enables three ink layers in one pass with white and colour inks. This RIP software is included in the price. Competitor latex printers have to use third party RIP.

On the first day of FESPA, 21 February 2012, the title of the FESPA Daily News was Mimaki Throws Down The Latex Gauntlet. Mimaki made headlines again on day three of FESPA with HP welcomes Mimaki’s entrance into the Latex printing market.

The new JV400 LX printer and LX-100 latex ink developed by Mimaki was under focus at FESPA, as it appeared to have many advantages over the competition. The groundbreaking JV400-130/160LX printers allow end-users more choice, for less money. Better quality, better value, better options, better savings and better environmentally friendly technology, resulting in lower production costs, greater efficiency and greater opportunity for profit.

In addition, Mimaki developed the first white latex ink on the market. This was an attractive development to many attendees, as it allows printing onto clear substrates with vivid effects, and double-sided effects now possible.

According to many exhibitors, the first day of FESPA was unusually quiet, but this was not the case for Mimaki. Throughout the show, crowds gathered on and around the Mimaki stand, which was cleverly designed to showcase the new JV400-130/160LX and JV400-130/160SUV machines positioned on a stage.

The new releases from Mimaki are leagues ahead of the competition, clearly setting the company apart from the rest. The latex printer release seemed to cause the biggest stir. However, when Dr Nicholas Hellmuth (FLAAR Report) was asked his opinion on the new latex technology from Mimaki, he responded that he was more excited by the JV400-130/160SUV printer, the new Mimaki Solvent UV ink technology.

Printing at 18sqm/hr, the JV400-130/160SUV is a revolutionary inkjet printer using groundbreaking solvent UV ink technology, developed by pioneers Mimaki. The JV400SUV printer produces a very glossy effect, and also has the benefit of fast curing time so users can start post-production immediately after printing. The JV400 SUV and Latex Series printers deliver maximized performance with Mimaki’s new user-friendly RIP, RasterLink6.

On the textile side, Mimaki reinforced their solid reputation as leaders in digital textile printing. Mimaki has been leaders in the textile inkjet printing business since the late 90’s and is committed to further innovation in this market. Mimaki has an outstanding product range, not only for dye sublimation but also more traditional textile inks, such as reactive and now, new pigment inks.

On display in the textile section of the stand was the new TS34-1800A textile printer (launched for the first time at ITMA in Barcelona last year). The talk of the town, the TS500-1800 is the world’s fastest printer for transfer paper. The new Mimaki Degassing Module (MDM-20) eliminates gasses and bubbles inside the ink, enabling the printer to use bottled inks instead of conventional degassed ink packs, reducing ink costs considerably.
The new Sb 300 dye sublimation ink, supplied in 2-litre bottles, also offers a more affordable alternative to conventional ink.

Overall, the atmosphere on the Mimaki stand was electric, and show attendees commented that they were impressed with the new technology from Mimaki. Most importantly, Mimaki is listening to customers and focusing on lowering costs. In an increasingly competitive environment, in a tough economic climate, lower operating costs together with technological advancements is a hard combination to beat for printers looking to purchase or upgrade to a new printer. Word on the FESPA Mimaki stand was that over 100 machines would be sold, as the response from the marketplace was overwhelming.

Mimaki’s new slogan Mimaki delivers… was spot on, and many attendees, including competitors, were seen on the Mimaki stand, curious about the buzz, and were even spotted at the Mimaki party Night Of The Tiger. This year, Mimaki seemed to have caught the competition off-guard, and surprised the print industry with their revolutionary new releases. True to form, there will no doubt be new developments from competitors to follow.

DRUPA, the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world, held every four years in Dusseldorf, is weeks away. With more exciting releases from Mimaki rumoured to be launched at DRUPA, the competition should be concerned and end-users are undoubtedly going upgrade to Mimaki, the leaders in innovation. Mimaki delivers.

For more information about Mimaki at FESPA, see interview with Mike Horsten, Marketing Manager of Mimaki Europe: http://www.signlinktv.co.uk/video/504/Fespa-Barcelona-2012-Interview-with-Mimakis-Mike-Horsten http://www.signlinktv.co.uk/video/504/Fespa-Barcelona-2012-Interview-with-Mimakis-Mike-Horsten.

Previous articleTAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SCREENS AUTOMATED WEB TO DELIVERY WORKFLOW AND DIGITAL PRINT ON DEMAND SOLUTIONS AT DRUPA 2012
Next articleKODAK TO LAUNCH INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AT DRUPA 2012