Agfa’s bold move into industrial inkjet – news commentary by Andy McCourt
Last week at PacPrint, Agfa’s worldwide sales manager for wide format, Dave Varty, gave Print21 Online the heads-up that something big was afoot at FESPA – more of a digital imaging show these days but still servicing a sizeable screen market worldwide.
Agfa has been involved in wide format since its OEM agreement with Mutoh for the Grand Sherpas and it also featured the EPSON 7600 in its proofing line up. However, industrial wide format covers much more than this and is estimated to be a $4 billion market, growing faster than any other sector of the graphic arts.
Observers will contrast Agfa’s digital move with the unfortunate insolvency of its former photo division announced last week, but it is important to note that Agfa divested its consumer photographic interests last year and is connected in name only. With over $200 million spent last year on R&D for its digital industrial inkjet initiatives, Agfa’s all-digital strategy to bolster its strong position in graphic arts prepress speaks volumes about the pace of change in the global imaging industry.
"We became market leader in prepress by offering complete innovative solutions to our customers, wherever in the world. It is our intention to do the same for inkjet", said Stefaan Vanhooren, President of Agfa’s Graphic Systems Group (and interviewed in May issue of Print21 magazine.)
This commitment to lead the world in industrial inkjet has launched with a four-pillar approach:
Twelve sold before launch
The partnership with Thieme has already produced a winner – the M-Press, a 1.6m x 2.6m hybrid flatbed UV digital press suited to short and long runs. Twelve companies have already placed orders for delivery later in 2005, with more expected at FESPA. M-Press uses Agfa’s Universal Print Heads – co-developed with Xaar – and Agfa’s own UV ink, called Anuvia. It is this combination that apparently yields the saturated, sharp colours that screen printers are used to in the analogue world. The ability to add in-line screen process spot colour and varnish stations is unique to M-Press.
Also new is the Agfa Anapurna 100; a 100 inch (2.54m), 100 m2/hr UV-curable inkjet machine targeting the billboard and signage market. This model will also be marketed by Mutoh as the ‘Cobra 100.’ The printheads and inks will remain Agfa. A 64” model running green solvent in is also planned.
The established Grand Sherpa range – also co-developed with Mutoh Europe – has received a boost with the addition of 65” (1.65m) and 90” (2.29m) Universal AM models running mild ‘green’ solvent inks. These are slower but higher resolution machines capable of 6-40 m2/hr.
The Aussie connection
In a surprising move, Australian-owned global paper distributor PaperlinX has signed an agreement to distribute Agfa’s wide-format range and consumables.
"We're excited to add Agfa's wide-format inkjet portfolio to our assortment of products and services," said PaperlinX Display Europe's Business Unit Director, John Summerside. "We are an Australian owned Group who pride ourselves by offering next or even same day service to our customers right across Europe and believe the users of Agfa technology will welcome this unrivalled service and benefit from it."
To cap off a busy week for Agfa, a Swiss pharmaceutical packaging firm, Tryckeriet Flexmed AG, has ordered a Dotrix high volume industrial inkjet press. Agfa acquired Dotrix from Barco in 2003.
My call
Agfa is here to stay in inkjet. After a few years of ‘faffing around’ the edges of wide format with OEMs and not enough Agfa-original content, the Mortsel imaging machine has taken a serious and well-researched position in the market. The profitable combination of printheads and ink is at the core and no doubt Agfa’s previous life as a Bayer subsidiary has left a legacy of industrial chemists to produce excellent consumables. Media supply for wide format is notoriously fickle and, although Agfa coats its own for the aqueous ink machines, it looks like a pragmatic decision has been made in appointing PaperlinX Europe to distribute machines and consumables.
The new products are well differentiated and with the commitment of supply partners Thieme and Mutoh, able to reach global markets quickly. This will expand the usage of Agfa’s inks – provided they can keep their own ink in their own machines. However, Dave Varty indicated Agfa will sell its ink to third parties for use in other machines – further expanding global tonnage.
Agfa’s dogged commitment to prepress has paid off handsomely. This same commitment to industrial inkjet, albeit a late entry, could just earn it a frontline grid position in the wide format Grand Prix race.