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EFI-VUTEk QS3200 and VUTEk QS2000 UV-curable inkjet flatbed and roll-to-roll printer

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EFI-VUTEk released this Vutek QS2000 and VUTEk QS3200 UV-curable inkjet flatbed printers in advance of SGIA ’06 trade show to get people talking.

What is interesting is that not a single independent outside assessment was available. This is precisely what print shop owners enjoy the FLAAR Reports. There are thousands of photo labs, screen printing shops, sign shops, and general digital print shops that are trying to figure out whether to select a Durst Rho 600, or the new Durst Rho 600 Pictor, or the ColorSpan 9840 UV (now the HP Scitex FB910).

We will have our eyes and ears open at SGIA; the new Vutek QS2000 UV-curable inkjet flatbed printer will not likely be at the Indoor/Outdoor trade ’06 show in Istanbul this week: but FLAAR editor will be there, checking on all the Chinese UV printers such as Digirex, a rebranded Yishan UV printer.

We have now inspected the VUTEk QS2000 and/or QS3200 printers at trade shows in Spain, Berlin, Shanghai '07 as well as in 2008, though EFI-VUTEk cancelled their booth at Graphics of the Americas 2008 (reportedly EFI laid off employees and had to drastically cut expenses during early 2008). But at trade shows there are always several dozen other UV-curable wide-format inkjet printers to inspect, so the only way to concentrate on a particular model is to make time and effort to visit the main headquarters demo room and factory.

So during Spring 2007 FLAAR visited the VUTEk world headquarters for general familiarization. Then FLAAR returned in early summer for a full day of testing and detailed inspection of the printer inside out. To do this it is essential to visit the factory, since this is where you can see inside the printer and inspect the build quality.

VUTEk QS2000 UV-curable inkjet flatbed printer

We have also recently inspected the factories of NUR in Israel, IP&I in Korea, Zund in Switzerland and three Chinese printer factories (while in China for the Shanghai summer trade show). The report on the Zund 250 is already available as are reports on the NUR roll-fed Expedio. The value and benefit of these reports is that we are independent and cover as many different brands and models as are feasible.

Now that the FLAAR Reports on the VUTEk QS2000 and QS3200 is available, it is accessible via credit card.

Here is the VUTEk QS3200 UV-curable inkjet flatbed and roll-to-roll printer.

Just realize that there are about six levels of detail and comprehensiveness of a FLAAR Report, depending on how much access we have to look inside and test the printer. The report on the VUTEk QS 3200 and QS2000 is at a high level because of the courtesy of VUTEk managers in facilitating three visits to their world headquarters this year so that we could visit the factory, undertake tests, and study the printer inside out in peace and quiet of a demo room (trade shows are a bit hectic).

VUTEK QS2000 UV curable Injekt flatbed printer at Drupa 2008 in efi booth

Compare the VUTEk QS3200, QS2000 with Durst Rho and L&P Virtu

Now in 2008 we have extended our UV combo flatbed printer comparisons by spending a week at the two Durst factories: Lienz, Austria and Brixen, Italy.

Then it was possible to spend a day at the Leggett & Platt (L&P) Virtu factory of Spuhl in Switzerland on the day after FESPA Digital.

The result of these additional factory visits are two new reports: Durst Rho 800 Presto (combo flatbed and roll-fed) and Durst Rho 351R (dedicated roll-to-roll UV).

Sorry, no report yet on the VUTEk QS3200r (roll-to-roll UV); have been at so many other factories that there has not yet been an opportunity to visit the VUTEk factory; have been at the HP Scitex demo rooms in Israel (March 2008), at HP printer world headquarters in Barcelona during April 2008 (for the fourth time), and are in the process of moving our office as FLAAR expands.

Sample printed on a VUTEK QS3200R at Drupa 2008

Our next factory visit is to L&P Virtu HD8 in the US (later this summer). We are also doing a site-visit case study of the installation of a Virtu HD8 in a printshop of a friend. The Virtu models have features not available on any other combo, so if you are looking at a UV printer with transport belt system, the HD8 and RS25 or RS35 have technical aspects that allow you to print with 1-pass quality that I did not believe until I saw it accomplished on my own images in the factory demo room.

L&P is continuing their printer production program, indeed Spuhl is already preparing to launch their new dedicated 5-meter roll-to-roll printer. As soon as this printer is released FLAAR will cover its features.

 

Most recently updated April 7, 2008.

First posted August 30, 2006. Updated Sept. 26, 2006, July 20, 2007, Oct. 3, 2007.