Page 56 - Print 21 Sep-Oct 2019

PrintEx
Epson does the print
PRINT21 PANEL: The new SurePress L–6534VW wins Epson a Hot Pick, for coming up with a printer that will increase productivity, decrease labour and maintain the colour quality that has seen Epson at the top of the field for a quarter of a century. The SureColor L Series uses Epson’s proprietary
HOT PICK: SurePress L-6534
Precision Core technology.
Epson launched a host of new printers on stand under the banner of “We do the print, you do the business”, leveraging its Precision Core
technology across a range of applications. The new Epson SurePress L-6534VW
digital UV inkjet label press prints at speeds of up to 50 metres per minute for higher productivity, while delivering what Epson says is precise quality with maximum reliability, flexibility and performance,
and minimum downtime. The entire press, from print heads and inks to LED pinning and curing lamp units, media feeding,
and control system are all developed and manufactured by Epson.
Among the other new solutions on show were the SureColor L Series 60660L
and 80660L 64” signage printers, which extend the award-winning Epson SureColor S-Series into the high productivity market segment, and come with integrated bulk ink systems for improved workflow, reduced running costs, and a lower TCO.
The new models use the same advanced Epson MicroPiezo Print Heads and UltraChrome GS3 ink as the rest of the SureColor S-Series range. Epson says they provide the same operational reliability with comprehensive service cover that is extendable up to five years, and the same print quality with colour gamut, image brightness and gloss levels. They also incorporate new integrated bulk ink sytems for continuous ink supply, which use large 1.5litre bags for extended unattended
production with a lower running cost. Epson also launched the new SureColor F6360, a 44-inch dye-sublimation printer
created for soft signage, merchandise, custom décor and clothing manufacturers. According to Epson the new SC-F6360 is designed to replace small format screen printing, as a flexible low-cost solution that enables repeatable high-quality output production with minimal equipment, materials and mess.
The company says it produces images that are bright and colourful, and durable. It can be used for imaging onto fabric with 50 per cent or more artificial content. 21
Hot Pick: Terry Crawford at Epson receives the award from Patrick Howard
The Kongsberg C24 cutting table is one key attraction, able to hook in to software solutions such as ArtiosCAD for a high level of automation, said Thompson.
“It is the fastest production digital finishing solution on the market today. What sets it apart is the stability of the table itself, and the driving system behind it. The software and the intelligence of it is a big part of that, and how we can feed this table and streamline everything that hits it.
“We can send a file directly to this table, and the table will automatically understand the material it’s built with, it understands which knife, which blade, which speed is needed to produce that file, and it will all happen without the touch of anyone on the table,” he said. Thompson added that the Kongsberg’s system removes the need for expensive operator training.
“It’s great to have an expert running the table, but it doesn’t need to be an expert.
We take that expertise and the packaging intelligence and knowledge we have, and put it into the system itself,” he said.
Beyond just software and hardware, Esko’s service offering is another highlight of the stand, according to Thompson.
“Using our technique of value stream mapping, we’re able to show potential customers where they are on a digital model scale,” he said. 21
Esko connects packaging
PRINT21 PANEL: Esko continues to lead, and its new Kongsberg C24 wins a Hot Pick for nifty features which mean unskilled operators can produce
outstanding results. The table itself decides which knife with which blade for any material from the file sent. No operator makeready or prep is necessary.
HOT PICK: Kongsberg C24
Smart and simple: Scott Thompson with the Esko Kongsberg C24 cutting table
56 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
Esko was demonstrating its new Packaging Connected philosophy, including a live display of the Kongsberg C24 cutting table.
The Packaging Connected motto is an evolution of Esko’s previous Packaging Simplified focus, said Scott Thompson, regional marketing and channel manager at Esko.
“We’ve simplified a lot of our products, we had that goal of simplification of packaging. We’re now into the Connected theme, that’s where we’re taking things now.
“It’s about how we’re helping customers out of that reactive stage and into that intelligent and connected stage. We’re speeding up processes, reducing manual steps, duplicating data entry, and enabling not just internal
but external communication between all stakeholders of a product,” he said.