B2 sheet-fed inkjet press launch at Ipex 2010

Fujifilm Europe will showcase its B2 sheet-fed digital inkjet press, the Jet Press 720, at the Ipex 2010 exhibition from 18-25 May, a the NEC, Birmingham, UK.

The development of the Jet Press 720 has progressed successfully, including some customer trials, following its first appearance as a technology announcement at Drupa 2008, said Fujifilm.

Fujifilm said that the Jet Press 720 meets modern print firms' requirements since the world-wide economic recession began and print volumes have declined, along with the average run length per job.

The Jet Press 720, according to the company, also meets the requirement of printers and print buyers that are looking for more efficient print production and value-added services, such as personalisation for a wider range of applications.

The Jet Press 720 will be suitable for traditional commercial printers looking to improve competitiveness for short-run work and digital printers who are looking to offer a wider range of digital print services.

The press is claimed by Fujifilm to be ground-breaking in that it takes the advantages of digital print technologies one step further and is set to open new markets for digital print through a combination of features that are claimed to be unique to the Jet Press 720 inkjet digital press.

The Jet Press 720 makes use of SAMBATM printhead technology for single-pass inkjet printing developed by Fujifilm Dimatix.

This piezoelectric MEMS1 fabrication technology achieves claimed resolutions of 1,200 dots per inch (dpi) x 1,200dpi with four levels of grey scale, a specification unobtainable from any other digital printing system, added Fujifilm.

As with any inkjet system, however, the performance of the ink through the printhead onto the printed sheet is critical to providing quality.

Fujifilm said it has, therefore, made use of the company's chemical technology to develop water-based inks, which enable bleed-free images to be produced.

The quality is enhanced through Fujifilm's unique anti-curling and rapid coagulation ink, which prevents paper curl and dot gain.

Fujifilm said that the repeatability from sheet to sheet is achieved by the achieving registration accuracy of an offset press (the paper handling is identical to offset) and combines it with the inherent stability of an inkjet printing system.

This is further enhanced through the use of a CCD sensor which scans every sheet and makes any necessary alterations in real time.

Because of the SAMBATM technology, the Jet Press 720 can print a B2 sheet in a single-pass, resulting in production speeds of approximately 180 sheets (A4 size equivalent) two per minute or 2,700 B2 sheets an hour.

According to Fujifilm this will move the break point for the cost effectiveness of digital as a print production technology further into the traditional litho area.

Fujifilm estimates that the Jet Press 720 will be particularly competitive for print runs under 2,000 sheets.

Productivity is further improved as the B2 printed sheet emerges from the press completely dry, thanks to the drying process that occurs once the paper is imaged.

This means that 1,000 copies of a 32-page brochure can be printed and ready for finishing in half the time taken for the same job to be produced on a traditional offset press.

The company also claimed that the Jet Press 720 has been designed to make digital print production much more flexible as the machine fits into existing sheet-fed pressrooms without the need for any alterations in terms of paper handling and finishing.

The standard B2 coated paper can be used, removing the requirement to use specialised (and expensive) digital paper.

This means, for example, that a B2 printer can take advantage of current B2 paper stocks, simplifying inventory and stockholding and reducing costs.

As the B2 sheet emerges from the Jet Press 720 completely dry, the range of finishing options available are wider than with many other digital print technologies, it is claimed.

Once imaged, the B2 sheet can be treated like an offset sheet, dropping into existing finishing equipment, with special finishes possible.

Fujifilm added that with the Jet Press 720, a printer has the flexibility to print a very cost-effective, short-run job without variable data and then produce another job requiring variable data on the same machine immediately afterwards.

The press makes B2 print production more efficient as it removes the need for the pre-press equipment and time associated with plate production.

It eliminates the requirement to run up to colour with the associated make-ready material waste and reduces the time required to wait for the printed sheets to dry in preparation for finishing.

The advantage of digital print in terms of optimising the number of printed copies produced and minimising the amount of unnecessary over-runs is a key benefit of the Jet Press 720, added Fujifilm.

The number of make-readies is also reduced.

On some short-run jobs on traditional sheet-fed presses, the number of make-ready sheets can represent a significant percentage of the total run, up to 25 per cent in some cases.

This problem is reduced with the Jet Press 720 as few make-ready sheets are required.

Secondly, the Jet Press 720 removes the need for a number of the pressroom chemicals used on a typical offset press, for example founts, sprays and potentially harmful VOC washes, and it removes the requirement for water.

The Jet Press 720 requires only two consumables in addition to the water-based ink, including a wash for the inkjet printheads and a solution used for pre-coating the paper prior to printing.

Fujifilm estimates that the carbon footprint of the Jet Press 720 compared to an equivalent B2 sheet-fed press is approximately 25 per cent less.

In addition, early internal studies by the company indicate that paper printed with its water-based inks on the Jet Press 720 can be recycled.

These internal studies are subject to further external qualification, but potentially represent an advance in the drive to reduce the environmental impact of inkjet printing.

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