Fujifilm’s influence was all-pervasive at drupa2016 in Düsseldorf, particularly in inkjet. It was hard to pinpoint any one game-changing breakthrough, there were so many from both Fujifilm and its many inkjet partners such as Heidelberg, Screen, Inca, Durst and others.
The reach of inkjet was apparent all over drupa but, scratch the surface and it will probably reveal the involvement of Fujifilm Inkjet Technology. The largest aqueous ink production facility in the world is Fujifilm’s USA facility where aqueous, pigmented and dye inks are manufactured. UV inks come out of the former Sericol business in the UK. One ink breakthrough shown is the RAPIC (Rapid Coagulation, without dot bleed) ink primer used in the Heidelberg PrimeFire digital inkjet press, co-developed with Fujifilm. RAPIC coating enables inks where water is used as the dispersant but, as the inks coagulate quickly on the primed substrate, normal coated offset stocks can be printed. Sharpness, colour vibrancy and detail are superior to other methods.
Equally, UV inks made in the UK by Fujifilm Speciality Inks are in use of many UV wide format presses around the world. Printheads from Fujifilm Dimatix – notably the Samba and Q series – are used by many OEM customers.
Inkjet Technology abounds
The spread of inkjet technology was awesome at drupa, nowhere more than on the Fujifilm stand. Applications of this remarkable digital method were to be seen in every corner, from soft furnishings to fashion fabrics, wallpapers and ceramic tiles, corrugated cartons to flexible packaging and of course the customary general commercial sheet and book sector.
As Fujifilm Senior Director of Business Development at Fujifilm Dimatix, Bailey Smith noted, “Our Samba printheads are now full silicon MEMS technology with Versadrop and we can demonstrate them operating at up to 300 metres per minute.” He also mentioned a new jettable metallic ink to go along with CMYK, enabling many shades and hues of metallic printing.
Examples of diverse inkjet-printed items were presented on behalf of five major corporations; JAL, Kirin, Seiko, Subaru and Yamaha. None were plain A4/A3 sheets, all were innovative. Wide format inkjet is a particular strength of Fujifilm, with the world’s highest productivity flatbed UV, the 900 sqm/hr Inca X3 featuring full automation on the show floor.
Much attention was focused on two new roll/hybrid machines, including the Uvistar 320 Hybrid roll/flatbed machine at 3.2 metres wide and featuring Dimatix Q-class printheads for true greyscale colour reproduction. Capable of up to 195 sqm/hr, it features 8 ink channels plus a ninth option for white ink.
The second new super wide printer was from the Acuity family, the 3.2 metre LED 3200R LED-UV which as the name implies, features low-energy LED-UV curing of compatible inks – just like the immensely popular 1.6 meter Acuity LED 1600. It can print up to 110 sqm/hr and has 8 ink channels including white and a clear overcoat for high gloss spot varnish effects.
Packaging on-demand
Not all Fujifilm hardware is available in Australia but it’s worth mentioning the company’s innovations, such as the next-generation 540mm wide digital web press for flexible packaging. Using LED-UV curing, the new press features EUCON (Enhanced Under Coating and Nitrogen purge) – enabling printing on non-porous filmic substrates and odourless results for food-grade packaging. The high-grade flexible packaging produced fully supports heat-sealing and high-temperature sterilization of pouches. Initially available in Japan, one is operating at Kinyosha Printing.
Heidelberg’s PrimeFire 106 B1 size press, co-developed with Fujifilm – was seen for the first time, due to begin shipping in 2017. Using many of the successful features of Fujifilm’s B2 digital inkjet press, the Jetpress 720S, the PrimeFire 106 is targeted at short-run folding cartons and capable of up to 4,500 sheets per hour, using Fujifilm Dimatix Samba printheads and Vividia - RAPIC ink system.
Fujifilm’s own Jetpress 720S, not available here, received several new orders making this machine the most popular B2 digital inkjet press in the world, at well over 70 installations.
For labels and packaging, what is available here are Fujifilm’s Flenex FW water wash-out plates for finished flat-top plates in under 40 minutes. Flenex plates are available for both digital and light-exposure systems and are compatible with UV, solvent and aqueous inks.
Superia & XMF flagships for offset
While most of the excitement surrounded Fujifilm Inkjet Technology, the company by no means ignored commercial offset and workflow, with demonstrations of XMF workflow innovations in plenty and two new modules released – XMF Controller for streamlined job entry and open MIS interface and XMF Ensemble which brings in a suite of very advanced tools from third-party partners.
The resource-saving SUPERIA range of plates and chemistry was expanded to include the all-new Superia ZD processless plate, now available in B1 as well as B2 sizes. Superia now covers violet, thermal lo-chem/ZAC and thermal processless in B1 format. A new super-fast B1 thermal CtP device, the 8900Z capable of over 70 B1 plates per hour was also featured.