FFEI's modular digital UV inkjet Graphium (pictured) hits the UK in two weeks at Ipex 2014, March 24-29, taking pride of place on the Fujifilm stand S4-E330. For an up-close-and-personal encounter the Graphium is running live jobs on the show floor, showing off its one-pass inline flexo and finishing capabilities for targeting the demanding narrow web market.
Officially launched at LabelExpo Europe last year, with another outing at Print13, this will mark the Graphium's UK debut, and re-introduce the press on the world stage. It prints a 410 mm web width in five colours, using a high-opacity white on top the CMYK. According to FFEI managing director, Andy Cook, the focus is on short-run label work and the Ipex airing will showcase its potential to offer converters and printers new revenue streams.
"Graphium represents a new generation of digital inkjet press aimed at the narrow web market. With low capital investment, high quality print, unparalleled productivity, Graphium brings all of these factors together for a 'cost-in-use' that defines it as the most productive, high opacity digital white press on the market," said Cook.
Live on the Ipex show floor, Graphium will print 200 real-world jobs to hold its 'concept to finished product' pitch up to the public's scrutiny. The front-end will run FFEI's RealPro Toolkit, and jobs will be finished inline with Edale flexo varnishing, die-cutting and slitting along with an AB Graphic International Vectra multi-turret rewinder.
Graphium uses specialist Uvijet Graphium UV curing inks developed by Fujifilm Specialty Ink Systems, combining functional performance, colour gamut and adhesion with reliable jetting necessary for consistent printing. The press runs Xaar 1001 printheads, and features corona pre-treatment, web cleaning, inter-colour pinning and Adaptive Screening Technology.
According to Cook, "The biggest player in the market is HP with the Indigo, but that’s toner based. This is not trying to take them on, it is offering a broader application in terms of what you can print on, how you can print it and what you can do."