Wide Format Digital Press Capacity Boost At Inca

Manufacturing output at Inca is being increased to reduce lead times on the Spyder wide format digital presses.

Manufacturing output at Inca is being increased to reduce lead times on the Spyder wide format digital presses.

Inca said that demand has been phenomenal since the introduction of the Spyder 320 and has proved even more popular following the addition of a series of new models earlier this year.

New models in the Spyder 320 range include an entry-level model and 320+ versions with either a six-colour set, or a white option.

Inca also launched a new version of the Spyderrun software that is claimed to provide a top speed of 80 square metres an hour.

The Spyder presses are sold through Fujifilm Sericol, which also supplies the Uvijet inks that are suitable for this technology.

Spyder manufacturing grew by 50 per cent earlier this year but now the Cambridge (UK) plant has increased that by a further 66 per cent (a growth of 250 per cent in total).

Each Spyder takes three to four weeks to assemble and is put through full and thorough print quality, commissioning and audit, said Inca.

The Spyder is built slightly more quickly than the Columbia Turbo, which is Inca's top of the range 160 square metres per hour machine.

The company added that all printers have to be able to match a set of challenging quality master files, which feature block colour, fine lines and text, before they are ready for shipping.

The development of sales of the Spyder is part of the growth at the piezo inkjet applications company.

The company was founded with eight staff, which this rose to 30 people by the end of the first year of production in 2000.

Today Inca employs over 160 people, of which a third are in production and 25 per cent in research, development and new product development.

The remainder are in support and managerial functions.

Inca managing director Bill Baxter said: "We have increased manufacturing space by about 75 per cent since we started the company and have moved from an output of 13 machines in our first year to about 100 this year.

Demand for both Spyder and Columbia lines is escalating and we know we have to develop still further in terms of space and additional skilled staff." He continued: "We are determined to keep Inca at the forefront of quality wide format inkjet and it is for this reason about 20 per cent of our turnover goes back in to research and development.".

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