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The Mutoh Phoenix 3.3 meter wide printer appears to be a "concept car"
The impressive sized Mutoh Phoenix looks like an experimental "concept car." The spec sheet indicates it can take eco-solvent ink, solvent ink, and UV-cured ink. But this is not a flatbed printer and is not (yet) outfitted with a UV-cured ink lamp system. Mutoh Europe, which is headquartered in Belgium, has been very busy designing and manufacturing new printers such as the Mutoh Spitfire and Mutoh Osprey. At PMA 2005 most manufacturers of water-based printers such as Mutoh and ColorSpan noticed that interest in aqueous-based printers was continuing to wane in direct proportion to the trend to solvent-based and UV-cured ink printers continues to rise. As the interest in water-based printers dries up, Epson wants to control as much of the what little market that remains (those portions not occupied by HP and what is left of Encad). So Epson needs to take over the water-based market share once held by Roland, Mimaki, and Mutoh. As a result, Roland, Mimaki, and Mutoh continue to move into solvent ink. Epson is not going into solvent ink itself because its printheads are not ideal for that kind of ink. Hitachi, Spectra, and Xaar heads handle solvent ink better. So you notice that Mutoh has no new water-based printer other than the Mutoh Viper TX, which strives to compete with Mimaki's popular textile printers.
Mutoh EuropeMutoh Europe exhibits at trade shows in Germany and Italy have shown their multitude of new models of eco-solvent, mild-solvent, full-solvent and water-based textile printers. Mutoh Europe is in many aspects different than Mutoh USA. For example, the Mutoh Toucan LT is sold only in America, not in Europe. FLAAR in 2006During 2006 we will expand coverage to China and Korea. Another goal for 2006 is coverage for the Eastern Europe and the Balkans. We are starting with a workshop in Athens, Greece, organized by Materia Griega, a Greek-Italian trade magazine. Increasingly printshop owners are becoming conscious of the issues of VOCs and other aspects of solvent inks. As a result HP recently announced a new water-based latex ink initiative. Professor Nicholas Hellmuth is being trained by HP for an evaluation of the pros and cons of this novel new ink chemistry. Reports will be issued later this spring and summer when we acquire experience with the new HP latex ink. |
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