Fujifilm and Barberan are introducing a new version of the Nautilus single-pass inkjet printing platform. This model combines digital UV printing with integrated digital varnishing.
With this new large-format machine, the Japanese producer and the Spanish manufacturer of corrugated board printing machines aimed to produce shorter runs on a wider range of substrates than just corrugated board and to offer a satin finish rather than the glossy finish typically achieved with UV inks used in such setups.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunities this new development offers the printing industry," says Oliver Mills, Single Pass marketing manager at Fujifilm Ink. "By offering a fully integrated digital varnish solution for single-pass UV printing, we are providing our customers with new levels of productivity, media flexibility, and creative freedom, paving the way for the next generation of high-speed digital production."
Fujifilm Formulations for Primer-Free Printing and a Satin Finish
To address these challenges, the Fujifilm Ink teams based in Broadstairs, United Kingdom, have developed a new set of UV inks that improve adhesion on various substrates and reduce?or even eliminate, in some cases?the need for conventionally applied primers. It is also possible to print on thinner papers, something that is often difficult to achieve with existing single-pass technologies.
As for the finish, while digital varnishes are already used in multi-pass systems, integrating them into a single-pass architecture required specific development. Fujifilm has successfully developed a satin-finish digital varnish compatible with the single-pass UV printing process.
Nautilus: Focus on Outdoor Advertising
This technology, samples of which were on display for visitors at Fespa last May in Barcelona, is primarily aimed at the outdoor advertising sector, "where the growing demand for localized and targeted campaigns is driving the need for flexible and highly productive printing solutions."
The Nautilus platform can produce more than 1%E2euros%89400 sheets measuring 2%E2euros%89050 x 1%E2euros%89600 mm per hour, with each sheet capable of featuring a different design. When combined with the conveyor and alignment system developed by Barberan, double-sided printing achieves a registration accuracy of ±0.1 mm.
According to Eladio Lerga, Barberan's technical director, " "The Nautilus system stands out for its technological advancements, which are unmatched by any other company in the world."
He adds: "Its exceptional performance, made possible by an innovative ink system capable of delivering remarkable print quality on a wide range of media, as well as its high yield of over 4%E2euros%89000 m 2 "/h, allowing it to compete even with large-format offset printing."
