Creation LongJet LJ-2504, Creation LJ-2508U, Creation LJ-2512U

Most Chinese companies start with a solvent printer and jerry-rig it with UV-curing lamps and UV ink. Infiniti and Flora each went this route. Actually so did ColorSpan, but at least they understood what parts of their 72S “Gator” solvent printer to change before they ran UV ink through it.

Creation LJ-2508 UV-curable flatbed printer at Shanghai 2007.

The resulting ColorSpan sold more than twice as many as the nearest competitor, the Zund 215.

But so far too many Chinese UV printers don't work adequately. Even the DuPont Cromaprint 22uv has recurring issues (based on interviews with an owner, and based on comments that other Cromaprint 22uv owners have made to people in the industry). The first Chinese UV printer that may be well-enough constructed to hold up is possibly the Teckwin TeckStorm but regrettably the TeckSmart 1600uv and its variable-droplet sibling, the TeckThunder have issues that have resulted in most distributors not having interest in carrying those hybrid models.

As with most Chinese printers it comes in many versions: LongJet LJ-2504U, LJ-2508U, and LJ-2512U. On the company web site the printer looks like a hybrid UV, meaning a simple retrofitted solvent printer. This means adding simple flatbed tables at the front and at the back. But my notes and memory stay that one of their printers was a hybrid with moving transport belt.

FLAAR inspected this UV combo flatbed printer over a several day period at the Shanghai '07 international printer trade show. One year later the same printer model was simply more rusted and the combo belt was more worn out looking. By 2009 there was no booth of Creation in the main west halls (at least not one that I noticed during four days).

At present the Creation is a combo model, not a hybrid. Combo models have conveyor belts (transport belts). These belt systems have been problematical on early versions of the DuPont Cromaprint 22uv, and on Grapo Octopus even today.

Even on quarter-million dollar VUTEk PressVu 200/600, owners report skew when they try to print heavy 4x8’ boards such as MDO boards. The first iteration of the Grapo Octopus had skew, and the owner of a Chinese-made DuPont Cromaprint 22uv told me that four times he needed his combo transport belt replaced. Supposedly DuPont has fixed this issue.

Once the Creation LongJet LJ-2504, Creation LJ-2508U, Creation LJ-2512U improve, FLAAR will update and revise our comments. I will need to inspect the factory, do test prints in their demo room, and inspect their printers in printshops, screen printing shops, or comparable installations.

The Creation UV printers are made by Creation Mechanical & Electrical (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. in Mainland China.

Creation LJ-2508 UV-curable flatbed printer.

Comparing prices of UV-curable inkjet printers

Buying these low-cost UV printers by price comparison is not the best way to compare products. The cheaper printers are cheap because they are cheap. You get what you pay for. And you are usually the beta tester when you buy a cheap printer, finding out what parts break and which features don't function.

So far we have inspected three Chinese printer factories, but we are learning that it is even more crucial to visit several printshops that actually own and use the printer. So for IP&I, we visited their factory (in Korea) and also inspected two printshops that Cube 260uv printers.

Very impressive. There is a difference between night and day in a well designed UV printer that is made to last.

Creation booth at Shanghai 2007

 

 

Most recently updated July 13, 2009.

First posted October 9, 2007.