New Mimaki printer/cutters “define the future” of sign and graphics
Mimaki has launched the UCJV300-160 and UCJV150-160 roll-to-roll LED UV printing and cutting solutions. These two systems add creativity to the production of signs and display graphics, while maintain Mimaki’s signature affordability and ease of use, says the company.
Mimaki also introduces a new environmentally friendly ink, LUS-170, which is guaranteed to ensure vibrant, eye-catching print results. These new printing and cutting systems, representing the future of sign and display graphics production, are expected to be available for customers in the fourth quarter of 2017.
"The UCJV Series is available in two models; the four colour UCJV150-160 and the UCJV300-160 that can accommodate up to seven ink colours in cost effective one litre bottles," says Ronald Van den Broek, General Manager Sales at Mimaki Europe. "Each can produce a wide variety of print and cut applications offered by many signage, commercial and packaging print service providers. LED UV curing technology enables PSPs to utilise an expanded range of materials including uncoated print media; and many thin film substrates that may be too heat sensitive for latex or solvent high heat fixation systems."
Mimaki’s exclusive distributor is Hybrid Services, whose National Sales Manager, John de la Roche said: “This new printer/cutter really does define the future for sign and graphics production; the application opportunities are endless and creative professionals will reap enormous benefit.”
One graphic - two views A new feature on the UCJV300-160 is the four-layer day / night printing, which offers an enhanced print capability that allows designers to build layered, transformative graphics for backlit applications. "It's possible to produce a dynamic graphic that morphs its image or colour scheme depending on the light source - a distinctive capability that enables print companies to produce high impact, high margin output while maintaining low operational costs and reduced production time,” says John.
Integrated cutting The new UCJV Series features integrated cutting functionality that can deliver volume production of labels, decals, window clings, floor graphics, POP displays and vehicle markings in a single unit. UV ink technology also prevents common problems such as film separation and other issues related to post-cutting that can occur with solvent and latex inks, says the company. Prints from the Mimaki UCJV Series are
instantly cured at even the highest production speeds, allowing users to print rapidly and immediately move to the finished product.
Adding value with white ink Combining white and coloured inks on the UCJV300-160 model adds value to applications that use transparent or semi-opaque films. Compared to alternative inks such as solvent and latex, UV-curable inks deliver greater opacity with less ink consumption per square metre of coverage, while maintaining image vibrancy and density. High opacity white ink also facilitates block-out printing within a single print, to easily and efficiently create window graphics that can be viewed differently from either side, such as a 'push / pull' door sign.
New RasterLink6 plus RIP software The new UCJV Series printers will ship with updated RasterLink6 plus RIP software. This new, feature-rich version of the Mimaki RasterLink RIP software includes an ID Cut function to make printing and cutting easier and faster. The barcode, read by the registration mark sensor on the UCJV printer/cutter, contains cutting and rotation information allowing the UCJV to automate the cutting process. This function is particularly useful when running nested print-cut jobs, as the cutter continuously reads the data for both single and combined jobs.
Mimaki RasterLink6 plus software also includes a FineCut plug-in for Adobe Illustrator, allowing a print preview for four-layer printing that enables operators to preview the transition day / night effect before printing. RasterLink6 plus now also supports PDF 1.5 and above.
Core technologies The new UCJV Series printer/cutters feature a range of Mimaki Core Technologies, such as their Advanced Pass System 4 (MAPS4), which uses an advanced algorithm pattern to reduce visible banding.
Mimaki Circulation Technology (MCT) continuously agitates the white inks to prevent settling. Two features; Nozzle Check Unit (NCU) which monitors nozzle outages and automatically activates a series of recovery functions; and Nozzle Recovery System (NRS) which automatically assigns operational nozzles when an outage is detected, ensure “optimum print quality is maintained”.