Mimaki CF3 series, CF3-1631 and Mimaki CF3-1610

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These new Mimaki CF3 cutters are the same of the equivalent Mimaki JF-1610 and JF-1631 flatbed UV-cured printers. These CF3 cutter series began to be displayed during 2007. I first noticed the brochures at VISCOM German ’07. A month earlier, the Mimaki cutter brochures at GraphExpo ’07 in Chicago was still advertising the CF2 series cutters.

Being able to cut from CorelDraw is a start, but whereas sign printers and CO2 laser engravers may use this software, graphic designers who come from the world of art definitely do not use CorelDraw; they prefer Adobe Illustrator and other programs. The Mimaki CF3 brochure also mentions Illustrator but definitely features CorelDraw.

Mimaki CF2 series flatbed cutting plotters

I see these at every Mimaki booth at major trade shows in Europe and across the US, but when I visit printshops I see only Zund or Kongsberg cutting plotters. So I don't yet have a printshop where I can do a site-visit case study of the Mimaki CF2 cutting plotter.

The Mimaki CF2 series consists in the CF2-T, CF2-TF, CF2-RT, CF2-TD, and CF2-RC. I will need to spend some time to understand the differences.

Previous Mimaki models were the CFR-1220 and CFS-1313.

FLAAR enters each new digital technology carefully and thus slowly. We are just beginning to look at the flatbed cutters. Our first step was spending two days at the Zund factory in Switzerland, where we studied the Zund flatbed cutters.

Mimaki CF2 1215 showed at GraphExpo 07

Reviews and evaluations will eventually begin on the Kongsberg flatbed cutters, and on the Gerber M-series flatbed cutters. At DRUPA 2008 I saw the digital cutting tables of Aristo, but do not see these when I visit printshops in the US.

The increase in sales of UV-cured flatbed printers increases demand for flatbed cutters.

Mimaki offers its own UV-cured dedicated flatbed printers, their JV-1610 and JV-1631. But there are other brands whose combined sales are predicted to be over a thousand units: Oce was gearing up to sell over 1000 of its Oce Arizona 250 until the Gerber Solar ion flatbed printer was announced in early October '07. The new Oce ion (if it's cationic ink chemistry actually functions with the new UV-curing lamps), will eat into projected Oce sales significantly.

Mimaki CF3-1610 cutter at VISCOM 2007.

The Mimaki CF3-1610 cutter showing some samples at ISA 2008.

When you have questions about XY flatbed cutters

If you have questions about flatbed cutters, you ought to contact individuals who have experience both with flatbed cutters as well as with UV-curable flatbed printers. After all, it's UV-printedfoam boards, Coroplast, Sintra, Styrene, plexiglas and many other materials you will need to understand how to cut.

One place that where we know the people personally, is Global Imaging (toll free 800 787-9801). They know about the reality of UV-curable flatbed printers, and know XY cutters.

They also know image capture at a professional level (medium format digital cameras, as an example).

If your printshop needs to acquire information for serious production workflow, might as well start at the top (the CEO of Global Imaging): Greg Lamb, glamb@globalimaginginc.com.

This cutter also was exhibited at VISCOM Italy 2008. Mimaki CF3-1631.

 

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