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VUTEk QS3200r dedicated roll-to-roll printer launched at SGIA ‘07

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There had been a lot of talk about a new roll-to-roll VUTEk UV-curable inkjet printer, since NUR holds over 70% market share for roll-to-roll UV (with their NUR Expedio series). Finally at SGIA 2007 the VUTEk QS3200r was shown to the public.

But so far no dedicated flatbed has been shown. The reason is probably that where as the QS3200r was essentially a basic VUTEk frame and basic standard VUTEk tension roller set, a dedicated flatbed would require a completely new design concept. Currently the flatbed market is held by Gandinnovations (Jeti 1224 and 2030), Inca Columbia Turbo, NUR Tempo Q, and Oce Arizona 250. The newer Gerber ion will take over the market too (if it's cationic UV ink actually functions).

Testing of the VUTEk QS3200 is not yet accomplished since the printer is new

I have inspected the Gandinnovations roll-to-roll UV printers in a successful printshop in Lisbon. I have also inspected the Gandinnovations Jeti 3224 RTR roll-fed UV in the Toronto factory and demo room.

On two occasions I have been in the NUR factory, in the NUR R&D facilities in Lod, Israel, to test their roll-fed printers: Expedio 3200, Expedio Inspiration, Expedio 5000 and Expedio Revolution.

At VUTEk, I have inspected only their QS2000, QS3200, and clever dye-sub/solvent switch over system, 3360 Fusion. The QS3200r is too new and was not available for testing during my three visits to VUTEk earlier this year.

During early 2008 it was possible to send three days testing the Durst Rho 351R, their dedicated roll-to-roll successor to the Rho 350R.

Presently (March 2008) I am finishing a fourth visit to Israel printer manufacturers, this time at HP Scitex. It had proven more effective to evaluate a printer at the factory and headquarters demo room than at trade shows.

VUTEk dedicated roll-to-roll QS3200r at SGIA 2007.

Competitors are gearing up, such as the HP Scitex XL2200

HP Scitex exhibited their HP Scitex XL2200 at SGIA '07, but the word on the street is that the X2 MEMS-like printheads have serious issues and are nowhere near ready for actual production.

NUR pointedly reminded visitors to SGIA that you can obtain any NUR Expedio 5000 Revolution now (as opposed to the smoke and mirrors of an HP Scitex XL2200 that was, in reality, nowhere near ready for actual production. The X2 printheads simply don't last long enough; they constantly have to be replaced. Even manufacturing them to get them into the printer is an issue). So HP now offers four versions of the successful NUR roll-to-roll printers under the HP logo:

HP Scitex XP5300 = NUR Expedio Revolution 5m,

HP Scitex XP5100 = NUR Expedio,

HP Scitex XP2700 = NUR Expedio Inspiration,

HP Scitex XP2100 = NUR Expedio 3200

Gandinnovations has its Jeti 3224 RTR roll-fed UV printers available since last year. A third-generation Gandy roll-to-roll production printer, the JetStream (JetSpeed), was shown at ISA '07.

So far the NUR/HP Scitex UV printers hold over 70% of the market of dedicated R-to-R UV printers.

The Gandy roll-to-roll hold probably 25% of this market but their new Jetstream will increase this share.

Durst holds leadership in roll-to-roll printers at the high-end (for those printshops that need specially high resolution, or who need white, and varnish).

VUTEk has reportedly sold only a few units.

All Chinese-made roll-to-roll printers together probably have less than 1% of the market.

Then Matan has shown two models of dedicated roll-fed machines in Europe and launched their Matan Barak 5000 for the US and Latin American market at Graphics of the Americas 2008. These printers are so new they have not yet entered the statistics of market-share. I predict these Matan printers will do okay because they are clearly made from the ground up for high production roll to roll. There is no 5-meter VUTEk model and the 3.2 VUTEk model is not really dedicated from the ground up: it is a roll-fed version of their earlier combo-version QS printer. This is not “bad” but all the competing printers are roll-fed from Day One.

Now, in 2009, Spuhl has finally released its long-awaited high-end 5-meter roll to roll UV-curable printer, the WP Digital Virtu RR50. FLAAR will be inside the factory the day of its release to inspect the printer inside and out as well as testing it. Why wait until a printer shows up at a trade show: might as well check it out right away.

So the advent of the VUTEk QS3200r is a form of documentation that grand-format solvent printer hegemony is gradually being joined by roll-to-roll UV. Roll-to-roll UV is not totally replacing solvent printers, but shops that already have solvent are adding roll-to-roll UV-curable systems. And shops that never wanted lethal solvent printers in their shop to begin with, are now considering roll-to-roll UV-curable systems. UV ink is obviously not benign, but it's dangers are not as in-your-face as is the carcinogenic aspect of full-solvent grand-format printers.

So for billboards, building wrap, banners, posters, and general outdoor signage, roll-fed UV is a trend that's growing. As a result FLAAR will be issuing more reports on dedicated roll-to-roll UV printers.

Indeed the market for all this signage is growing at such a rate that HP has come out with an entirely new environmentally friendly ink, HP latex ink. VUTEk has its bio-ink, but I have never been to the InkWare facility where it is made. Until that is possible I am being trained in the new latex ink for outdoor signage, starting with three days in Israel with additional training scheduled for Barcelona and other HP facilities elsewhere in the world. This is how it is possible to bring our readers information which is more helpful that a PR release or a slick “Success Story.”

I would also wish to learn to what degree Seiko printheads require frequent spitting and/or frequent purging, and how much ink and/or flush liquid is used by Seiko heads compared with Spectra printheads (used by Gandinnovations) or Ricoh printheads (used by Matan).

VUTEk dedicated roll-to-roll QS3200r printing some samples at SGIA 2008.

Here is Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth holding a sample printed by the VUTEk QS3200r at SGIA 2008.

Most recently updated Feb 5, 2009.

First posted November 5, 2007. Updated March 10, 2008.