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VUTEk dedicated roll-to-roll QS3200r launched at SGIA ‘07
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.
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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.
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 bought NUR and now all the NUR printers have new names:
- Now the NUR Expedio 5000 and NUR Revolution are the HP Scitex XP5100 and HP Scitex XP 5300.
- The NUR Expedio 3200 and NUR Expedio Inspiration are the HP Scitex XP2100 and XP2700.
- The NUR Tempo Q is the HP Scitex FB6100.
Gandinnovations has its Jeti 3224 RTR roll-fed UV printers available since last year.
Matan has shown two models of dedicated roll-fed UV machines in Europe and launched their Matan Barak 5000 for the US and Latin American market at Graphics of the Americas 2008.
Therefore 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.”
Most recently updated March 10, 2008.
First posted November 5, 2007.
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Dilli NeoPlus |
| HP Scitex XP5100 and HP Scitex XP5300 |
| HP Scitex XP2100 and HP Scitex XP2700 |
| HP Scitex FB6100 |
| L&P Spuhl RS |
| Sun FastJet |
| RIP Software |
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| Caldera RIP software |
Interesting inks & Alternative Inks |
HP latex ink |
UV-Curable ink, OEM (in preparation) |
UV-Curable, third-party ink |
| Encres Dubuit (others in preparation) |
Fine Art Photography Giclee & Proofing (on other FLAAR sites)
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Epson 4880 |
Epson 7880 |
Epson 9880 |
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Most of our updates for 2008 onward are in FLAAR Reports in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. It is more efficient for us to make new information available in PDF format. So if the web page itself is not updated, check out www.wide-format-printers.NET to see if the printer, RIP, or other subject is covered in an update in a PDF download.
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