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Bedigital PUV2050RF is an attractively rebadged GRAPO Octopus

GRAPO Octopus(PUV2050RF) at FESPA Digital trade show, 2007.

First bedigital exhibited the “Vancat” back in 2004. This did not stay around with that name long enough for me even to notice it. But when bedigital began to exhibit the GRAPO uv-curable printers, these were more noticeable.

The original GRAPO Octopus used Xaar printheads; the newer version Octopus II features KonicaMinolta printheads. Otherwise (aside from minor improvements), this is essentially the same printer as before (just with different heads). Bedigital calls it the PUV2050RF.

Potential skewing on several brands of UV printers that use transport belts

Bedigital PUV2050RF showed at FESPA trade show 2007.

GRAPO is a capable manufacturing company, I have spent several days in their factory, and their printers always received good marks. But increasingly print shops are reporting issues with transport belts. I have heard problems about skewing of MDO boards on VUTEk’s transport belt on their PressVu 200/600, many months of issues the original transport belt of the DuPont Cromaprint 22uv (now resolved with improved conveyor belt), and now an even more serious set of problems with the GRAPO transport belt for certain rigid materials. So the issue is not just with GRAPO; it’s a basic problem with trying to move every kind of size, weight, and smoothness vs roughness of under-surface on a single kind of transportation device: in this case a conveyor belt.

We describe these issues in the FLAAR Reports, which are PDFs so can easily provide more information than can fit on a single web page.

In some cases this is a problem of the local dealer, if their tech support is not as good as that of the manufacturer. I would have to visit the printshop in person to know for sure (the problems are in Australia). But the reports I have received from the owner are very detailed about the problem of the belt “wandering.” You can obtain the information in the updated FLAAR Reports on the GRAPO and bedigital UV printers (both described in the same report because they are the same printer).

Conveyor belts can also melt and have other issues, in fact Zund decided not to use any more conveyor belts after their experience with over 400 belts on their model 215. Now Zund uses a unique form of hybrid as well as a dedicated flatbed (all is described in the FLAAR Report based on two days of testing this Zund 250 printer in the factory in Switzerland).

As soon as the GRAPO transport belt issue is resolved, which we will need to inspect either in the factory demo room or on-site at an end-user, we will revise and update our reports.

In the meantime, the GRAPO Octopus (and hence the bedigital PUV2050RF) is acceptable for roll-fed materials. The reported issues with excessive skewing are with rigid materials.

 

Bedigital PUV2050RF at VISCOM Italy trade show 2008.

 

Samples printed by the Bedigital PUV2050RF.

 

The Bedigital PUV2050RF was exhibited at FESPA Digital trade show 2008.