Augend Technologies RF20 UV-curable printing press

Every year, more and more offset and screen printing companies are using UV-curable inkjet printers for short-run print jobs. Indeed many screen printing shops come to FLAAR to ask for consulting on which UV printer to consider. FLAAR also provides complete services for understanding basic aspects of UV-curing wide format inkjet.

So when a new “printing press” appears that uses UV-curing technology, we have a natural interest. At FESPA '07, although I had hoped to see the inkjet printing presses of Screen, they showed only UV-printers for signage (Screen Truepress Jet2500UV ) and industrial use (Screen Truepress Jet650UV ), not for “printing press” replacement. But there were two inkjet “printing presses” at FESPA '07 that were new: the Augend RF20 UV and the solvent version, the F16 Digital Ink Jet Press.

Augend Technologies RF20 UV-curable printing press at FESPA 2007.

 

With all the new models available at ISA and FESPA 2010, FLAAR is offering personalized consulting at each trade show. You can walk-the-floor with the Senior Editor of FLAAR and get his comments on any and all printers, inks, RIP software, color management, substrates, applications, etc. So if you wish to learn about the difference between combo, hybrid, and dedicated UV printers, how latex ink compares, about textile printers, etc. contact FLAAR to obtain consulting. You can also get consulting before ISA or FESPA anywhere in the world: Dr Hellmuth was in Dubai and India last week as consultant, and will be in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and China as consultant in the next two months. He was consulting in Korea and London in late 2009.

Comparing the HP Scitex TJ8500 (TURBOjet) with the Augend RF20 UV-curable printing press

Although from outside, and inside too, these two printers are very different, in some respects they share a crucial feature: roll-to-cut-sheet. The HP Scitex TJ8500 is a UV-curable version of the solvent ink Scitex Vision TURBOJet. It is a roll-to-cut-sheet system.

The Augend RF20 UV-curable printing press also has an in-line cutter, so could be considered as comparable to the HP-Scitex TJ8500 in this respect.

Access to information is easier for the Augend RF20, including at FESPA '07 it was possible to walk inside the printer (courtesy of the managers of Augend). They opened the door at the side of the printer and took me inside. Since this was only the first version, it is best to write the evaluation review when the final improvements are finished. Plus, for a machine of this size and complexity it will take about two days to learn features and capabilities of this remarkable system. This is not realistic at a hectic trade show.

I rate the courtesy and enthusiasm of the Augend personnel in their booth as notable; it has been equally good at every trade show in the past as well. Remember, when you buy a printer, you are joining a family, so it helps if you can interact with the manufacturer's managers and personnel.

As soon as it is possible to visit either the Augend demo room in Belgium, or visit a beta test site, we will update this web page and produce an entire FLAAR evaluation.

Beginning last year, it is feasible to do in-depth reviews of large complex UV printers when there is access to all printer documentation (site-prep guide, User Manual, etc), access to the demo room, and general access to having our questions answered.

Augend Technologies booth at FESPA Germany 2007.

What happened to the Augend RF20 UV-curable printing press?

There was one trade show after FESPA '07 (one of the VISCOM Madrid shows) where Augend Technologies was listed as an exhibitor. But their printers never showed up.

I have not seen any Infiniti Europe or Augend Technologies printer in 2008. If they miss FESPA 2009, any appearance after that will be too-little, too late. Considering all the money they must have invested, I hope their projects survive. But when I looked for their web site in April 2009, the site had ceased to exist. Sad after all the time and effort the Augend managers put into their project. It would be a helpful footnote to history to learn what factory in China was attempting to produce this. I did not notice this printer when I was in the Honghua factory in July 2007, but since the factory was about 10 stories high, perhaps it was on a floor or area that I did not visit.

In the meantime a smaller company in the Czech Republic has been able to produce a UV cured printing press that actually functions. I have inspected this printer twice at its factory and once at VISCOM Italy 2008. This is the GRAPO Shark. This UV-cured printing press will be at FESPA Digital Europe for sure.

 

Most recently updated April 27, 2009.

First posted June 18, 2007.