Page 34 - Print 21 Magazine Sep-Oct 2021

Technology Focus
Fujifilm creating
industry blueprint
In what it says is a blueprint for wide format printing Fujifilm has developed the Acuity Prime, a brand new platform aimed at the workhorse market, while the new Acuity Ultra uses LED technology, and both have Fujifilm-dedicated inks.
Fujifilm is one of the biggest companies operating in the print industry, and has a large development programme which is seeing the release of new
technologies for the wide format, labels and commercial print markets.
Two wide format systems have just been released; the Acuity Prime and the Acuity Ultra, while the L350 label press is due for release here next year, and the new JetPress 790 HS is the high speed B2 inkjet press now available, but also available as a field upgrade for existing JetPress systems.
The swag of new developments underscores the commitment of the giant company to commercial print, and its belief that it will generate a good return, for both itself and its growing number of customers.
Troy Neighbour, marketing manager at Fujifilm Australia says, “Fujifilm has a deep understanding of print, of print markets and the way they are developing, and of technology. Its latest releases, and those it has planned over the next 12 months, are all designed to enable print businesses to exploit opportunities.”
The newly designed Acuity Prime flatbed printer is aimed squarely at the workhorse sector, built to print at high quality on a range of rigid and flexible media.
Built with efficiency in mind, the Acuity Prime features a high quality LED curing system which is air-cooled, and only requires a single-phase 25-amp supply, helping to maintain efficiency.
A new ink system – Fujifilm Uvijet HM – has been formulated to provide excellent
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adhesion to a broad range of substrates, while also producing a wide colour gamut. Neighbour says, “The new ink range is optimised to consistently produce high quality, vibrant images.”
A new jetting primer improves adhesion further for particularly challenging substrates, removing the need for offline pre-treatment of substrates before printing, saving time and money. The Acuity Prime also features a printable area of 1.22 x 2.5 metres and can accommodate media up to a thickness of five centimetres.
Available in CMYK formats with white, and additional clear and jetting primer, the Acuity Prime with Fujifilm Uvijet HM ink offers the ultimate versatility and value by providing the flexibility for print businesses to customise it to their own needs.
Acuity Ultra R2
The launch of the Acuity Ultra R2, is also part of Fujifilm’s strategy to create the new blueprint for wide format.
Like the original Acuity Ultra, the R2 is available in various colour configurations
up to eight channels. The Acuity Ultra R2 uses LED lamps for the 6-color (CMYKLcLm) and 6-colour with white (CMYKLcLm+WW) printer configurations, or UV lamps for the high speed double CMYK configuration, ensuring block free production. This gives printers the option to choose either the ultra- high productivity of conventional UV, or
the comparatively lower operating costs and lower energy use of LED. The Acuity Ultra R2 is available in 3.2m and 5m versions. 21
Workhorse: Fujifilm Acuity Prime
Coming: Fujifilm Digital Flexible Packaging Printing
Fujifilm is entering the flexible packaging market with J Press FP790, a digital inkjet water-based press, which will be available next year.
According to Fujifilm, digital print within the flexible packaging segment makes up less than one
per cent of the overall total output. However it says it is becoming increasingly necessary, as the demand for shorter and more strategic runs, faster delivery times, more SKUs and a more efficient print process continues to grow.
Fujifilm says the new FP790
has been developed to meet the increased demand that can only
be accomplished using a high-end digital production asset. According to the company, the latest press employs environmentally friendly water-based primers and water- based inkjet technologies, which meet or exceed all regulatory requirements for flexible packaging printing.
Laminating, slitting, and bag- making can be processed in the same way as existing analogue printing, so no additional capital investments are required. Maximum substrate width is 790mm, with a speed of 50mpm.
Changeover can be implemented within a “matter of minutes”, contributing to the overall improvement of production efficiency by using the FP790 in combination with existing analogue assets.
Using 1200x1200dpi resolutions with CMYK coloured inks, the FP790 achieves more than 90 per cent of the Pantone colour gamut, while also using two white inkjet channels for delivering high white opacity.