Sector: Großformat

Case Study: Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer

Nuneaton Signs

Fallstudie

Nuneaton Signs opts for Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer to maximise business growth

Nuneaton Signs

Nuneaton, UK

Acuity Prime 30

Höhepunkte

  • Nuneaton Signs provides meaningful employment and training for people with disabilities manufacturing traffic and commercial signage
  • The company invested in an Acuity Prime 30 flatbed printer to support business growth and product sales.
  • The Acuity Prime was chosen for its reliability and ability to produce high-quality prints, cost effectively.
  • The printer’s versatility and ability to print to multiple substrates was also a huge part of its appeal.
  • The Acuity Prime’s ease-of-use and quick setup was a crucial factor for team members with disabilities.
  • The Acuity Prime 30 has won Red Dot, Good Design and iF awards for its impeccable design features.

We visited Fujifilm’s Broadstairs site, and were given an extensive demonstration of the Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer, which turned out to be the ideal printer for our business’s requirements.

Daren Hollins | Nuneaton Signs

UK-based social enterprise Nuneaton Signs has invested in a Fujifilm Acuity Prime 30 flatbed printer to support its business growth and product sales. The company, which was established in 1982 in Nuneaton, UK, manufactures traffic signage and signs for a wide variety of commercial applications, whilst providing meaningful employment and training for people with disabilities, which affect 71% of its employees.

Daren Hollins, Head of Procurement at Nuneaton Signs said the company sought a new flatbed printer to speed up the production of its signs and manufactured goods. The company chose the Acuity Prime 30 because of its reliability, its ability to produce high quality prints and because it was in line with the company’s budget.

Hollins explains: “We went out to tender with various companies and we chose Fujifilm because we were impressed with the cost and efficiency of its inks, the cost of this printer and how overall, it was able to deliver in terms of quality and reliability – all while meeting our financial criteria.”

He adds: “It is two-and-a-half times faster than the previous printer we used for the same types of jobs. It is also quick to set up and easy to use – which is particularly important for our team members with disabilities.”

Hollins highlights that Fujifilm’s exceptional ink quality has enabled Nuneaton Signs to print high quality jobs on a variety of substrates. With a focus on the most sustainable substrates, Nuneaton Signs prints on: polypropylene; 100% recycled and recyclable cast acrylic sheets; polyester sheets; premium fibre structure paper board; recyclable aluminium composite material; lightweight foam board and many others. He also says that Fujifilm provided excellent training and support, further enhancing his trust in the brand.

Engineered from the ground up, with the operator in mind, the Acuity Prime 30 – released in 2021 as part of Fujifilm’s new blueprint for wide format – has won Red Dot, Good Design and iF awards for its impeccable design features.

Hollins continues: “We visited Fujifilm’s Broadstairs site (in Kent, UK), and were given an extensive demonstration of the Acuity Prime 30, which turned out to be the ideal printer for our business’s requirements. The service provided by Fujifilm was excellent and efficient. When the machine was installed, it was ready for use – factoring our training – within a week.”

Andy Kent, Division Manager, Fujifilm UK, adds: “We value all of our customers and their business requirements. We’re particularly pleased to see that our printer is supporting Nuneaton Sign’s team members with disabilities – ultimately enhancing their independence.”

Social enterprises like Nuneaton Signs trade for a social purpose and reinvest or donate a percentage of their profits to further their cause. In the UK, there are around 100,000 social enterprises, which employ nearly 2 million people.

Acuity Prime 30

Find out more about why the Acuity Prime 30 can achieve industry leading productivity and quality

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Case Study: Acuity Prime L Wide Format Printer

A1 Signs

Fallstudie

Netherlands-based A1 Signs becomes first company to invest in an Acuity Prime L Wide Format printer

A1 Signs

Apeldoorn, the Netherlands

Acuity Prime L

Höhepunkte

  • The Netherlands-based company develops creative signage, advertising and retail displays.
  • It selected the Acuity Prime L Wide Format printer because of its fast printing speeds, reliability and high quality output.
  • The printer will be used to increase productivity and growth at A1 Signs, helping it to deliver prints to its customers more quickly.
  • The business’s founder was impressed with the Acuity Prime L’s intuitive design, fast start-up time and other advanced features
  • The Acuity Prime L was unveiled at FESPA 2022, following the success of the smaller Acuity Prime 20 and 30 printers.

The decision to turn once again to Fujifilm, and the Acuity Prime L, was an easy one.

Jan Carel Schepenaar | A1-Schilder

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Family-run wide format business A1 Signs has become the first company to install an Acuity Prime L Wide Format printer at its premises in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Established in 2012, A1 Signs manufactures and installs creative signage, advertising and retail displays.

Jan Carel Schepenaar, the Founder and Owner of A1 Signs said he chose the Acuity Prime L because of its fast printing speeds, reliability and high quality output. He was also impressed with the printer’s intuitive design, fast start-up time and automatic printhead cleaning function.

Schepenaar explains: “I hate limits and I like to print on the widest possible substrates. The Acuity Prime L, with its 3200mm x 2000mm flatbed, enables us to do this.”

The Acuity Prime L is a larger version of the Acuity Prime 20 and 30 printers. It offers print speeds of 202m2/hr, is easy to operate and produces high quality results at high speed. It features six vacuum zones and 16 media location pins, and can print side-by-side jobs with its dual zone function, for maximum flexibility.

Schepenaar highlights that the Acuity Prime L’s long-lasting LED curing system is energy efficient, further helping A1 Signs to minimise its carbon footprint.

A1 Signs’ partnership with Fujifilm goes back to 2014 when they invested in an Acuity Select X2 printer. This marked the beginning of a long and successful partnership, and when the time came to replace the original machine, the decision to turn once again to Fujifilm, and the Acuity Prime L, was an easy one.

David Burton, Director, Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet Systems, adds: “Since unveiling the Acuity Prime L for the first time at FESPA 2022, it has received a huge amount of interest. We’re delighted now to be able to celebrate the first global Acuity Prime L installation and we look forward to many more.”

Acuity Prime L

Find out more about why the Acuity Prime L can achieve industry leading productivity and quality

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Nachhaltigkeit in der Herstellung

Fujifilm’s award-winning UV ink factory in the UK has implemented a wide range of initiatives to accelerate change towards a more sustainable operation

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Fujifilm’s award-winning factory in Broadstairs, UK, manufactures high performance inks for a range of markets, including Uvijet wide format UV inkjet inks, and Sericol screen and flexo inks. The company has implemented a number of sustainability initiatives over the last ten years, and more recently the recruitment of Antonina Realmuto as Group Sustainability Director, and Craig Milsted as Sustainability Advisor for the site, has brought about a much greater focus to accelerate change towards more sustainable operations.

When it comes to sustainability and protecting the earth, it’s important for us all to do more. Whether it’s consuming fewer products, opting for products with less packaging, or reducing waste – we must all play our part.

Fujifilm’s ink R&D and manufacturing facility in Broadstairs, Kent, has regularly made the news as a three-time winner of the UK’s Best Factory Award in 2011, 2013 and 2015, but it is for its sustainability initiatives that it is now rapidly creating waves.

Craig Milsted outlines the initiatives that have been implemented so far: “With the recent changes in personnel, including my own role, there is now a renewed focus on sustainability, and therefore a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes to help us operate more sustainably. This work is ongoing, but we have made a number of notable recent changes to our equipment and processes which are enabling us to operate in a more environmentally friendly way.

Big energy savings

“Firstly, we have massively cut back on our conventional energy use and have instead turned to alternative energy sources to help power our site. Back in 2016, we started to buy renewable electricity to power our factory, and in the same year installed many solar panels on the grassy grounds of our site. But in March this year, we expanded our solar power generation with the addition of panels on our site roof.

“We have an ongoing objective to generate more solar power over time and steps towards achieving this goal include reviewing our current processes and equipment. Through these checks, we have found that the solar panels on the roof are more effective than the ones on the ground, so we have repaired and improved those on the grass, while also scoping out new areas on our site where panels can be installed to effectively generate more solar power in the future.

“Our efforts so far have been successful – this year in June alone, our solar panels produced 82,240 kW of power. This is enough to power a typical  UK household for 26 years and is also 181% more power than the 29,185 kW produced in June 2021.

Since 2013, we’ve significantly cut back on the waste produced at our ink factory, and last year (2021), 689.7 tonnes of waste produced on site went for recycling.

Craig Milsted | Sustainability Advisor, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems

“Another way that we have saved on conventional energy is by turning our factory HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems off overnight, which achieved savings of £183,000 – and 1 million kW – per year. We have also upgraded our factory’s gas boilers – some of which were more than 50 years old – with condensing boilers, and replaced gas heaters in the International Logistics Centre with infrared heaters.

“Meanwhile, in our R&D facility, we operate our air conditioning on a timer system to save energy, as well as turning off equipment overnight, where possible, when it is not being used. Additionally, we have installed multiple free-to-use electric car charging points across the site for our team members to use.

Impressive waste reduction

“But it’s not only energy consumption that we have been targeting.  Since 2013, we’ve significantly cut back on the waste produced at our ink factory, and last year (2021), 689.7 tonnes of waste produced on site went for recycling.

“Other initiatives include: 100% of our raw materials packaging is reused and recycled; we return 1000 litre IBCs for cleaning and reuse, rather than disposing of them; and a number of moulded components used as part of our ink pouches are made from recycled materials. Additionally, we now secure our pallets with straps rather than using shrink wrap, which reduces our waste by around 8 tonnes annually. We are also in the process of swapping plastic tape for paper tape.

“In R&D we have also achieved a 50% reduction in glass jar testing; a 38% reduction in end container testing for one litre bottles; a 74% reduction in end testing for five litre cubitainers; and we have cut back on the use of one, two and three litre pouches by 29%, 33% and 20% respectively. We are literally looking at every single part of our operation and making changes to reduce our environmental impact.

Smart cutbacks on solvents

“Overall, thanks to the printers we sell becoming more technologically advanced over the years, less ink is required during the printing process.  This is obviously a better and more sustainable situation in itself. However, you can’t print without ink – it’s the most crucial element of printing. So for the inks that we produce at our factory, previously we would typically use around 140,000 litres of oil-based solvents to clean the vessels used in our ink-making and mixing equipment.

“However, very recently we replaced our oil-based solvent cleaner with an 80% water-based (aqueous) cleaning solution, manufactured by a company called Safe Solvents. Coinciding with this, a first-of-its-kind pot washing machine, also supplied by Safe Solvents, was installed at the factory.

“Suitable for use with the new aqueous cleaning solution, the machine offers a significantly more efficient pot washing solution on our site. The aqueous cleaner and pot wash machine combo makes it possible for us to separate solvent and aqueous waste, and in the future, it could enable us to reuse the pots after they have been cleaned, and then when they are beyond reuse, have the clean plastic shredded and sent for further recycling.

Measuring and analysing is key

“The recently installed pot washing machine at Broadstairs is a world-first, so we look forward to reviewing our credentials in the future and seeing the difference it has made. The most important thing is that we continue to measure and analyse everything, as only by measuring can you improve.

“It really is a painstaking, but ultimately very rewarding process – we have achieved a great deal in the last 12 months with our renewed focus, but we are confident we can continue to make iterative improvements all over the site, across all areas of energy, waste and material reductions, to make this award-winning factory a world-class, sustainable one too.”

Case Study: Acuity Prime Flatbed Printer

Tech:art

Fallstudie

Tech:art reaps productivity benefits with Fujifilm’s Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer

Tech:art

Trofarello, Italy

Acuity Prime

The productivity of the machine is far beyond what we had expected and exceeds any other machine we have seen before within a similar price bracket.

Davide Salvo | Technik:Kunst

Höhepunkte

  • Tech:art was on the lookout for a machine that could handle its growing customer demand for quality, speed and the use of special inks and varnish
  • Ease of use, outstanding print quality, productivity and confidence in Fujifilm were cited as key reasons for investment
  • The Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer exceeded all of Tech:art’s expectations and requirements to meet customer demands
  • Customers have provided positive feedback since the installation and the investment has even led to Tech:art aquiring new customers
  • Aside from the technical benefits, Tech:art was impressed with the sleek design of the Acuity Prime 30
  • Tech:art was very happy with the service and support provided by Fujfifilm and feel confident that they have found a long-term partner

In the few months since the installation, Tech:art has been thoroughly impressed. Davide Salvo, General Manager, Tech:art says “When the machine was first installed, there were some final calibrations to sort, but we just couldn’t wait to use it so we started running production jobs anyway. We were instantly impressed. The productivity of the machine is far beyond what we had expected and exceeds any other machine we have seen before within a similar price bracket.

“We first heard about the Acuity Prime in the summer of 2021 from a Fujifilm sales contact.” Mr. Salvo continues. “We were very impressed by how easy it is to use and the outstanding print quality and productivity it offers. This, along with our confidence in Fujifilm as a brand, ultimately led to the investment decision.”

 

We were very impressed by how easy it is to use and the outstanding print quality and productivity it offers. This, along with our confidence in Fujifilm ultimately led to the investment decision.

Davide Salvo | Technik:Kunst

“We are typically using the machine for interior design applications such as wood, plexiglass, glass and metal as well as signage. We were previously using a competitor’s machine, but it was proving impossible to print with the quality and speed that we now can achieve with the Acuity Prime 30.

“Our customers place very specific high demands on us. They require high quality and fast turnaround times, and more recently, they request work that requires the use of special primers, varnishes and white inks. With the Acuity Prime 30, we have been able to meet such demands and many of our customers have already provided positive feedback on the print quality and the wide colour gamut it offers. They have also been impressed by the strong ink adhesion and the wide range of materials that can be used. In fact, with the addition of this machine, we have been able to acquire new customers. Looking ahead, I see customisation as a major trend within the market this year and I am confident the Acuity Prime will enable us to meet such demands.”

“Aside from the technical benefits, we were also very impressed with the sleek, attractive, user-friendly design. I would not hesitate to recommend the Acuity Prime 30 – it has made our business significantly more profitable due to its speed, and reduced ink consumption levels.”

Mr. Salvo also acknowledges his appreciation of Fujifilm. “We can’t fault the service and support we received from Fujifilm throughout the sales and installation process. We feel confident that we have found a great long-term partner in Fujifilm.”

Acuity Prime

Find out more about why the Acuity Prime can achieve industry leading productivity and quality

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Case Study: Acuity Prime UV Flatbed Printer

Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions

Fallstudie

UK signmaker says the performance level of the Acuity Prime is far beyond any other flatbed printer at a similar price point.

Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions

Gravesend, Kent

Acuity Prime

I don’t believe there is any better way we could have spent this amount of money in terms of the overall quality, print capability and production capacity we’ve just added to our business than with the Acuity Prime

Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions | Sam Cherry

Höhepunkte

  • Kent-based digital print company with over 20 years of experience in sign making
  • Became aware of the Acuity Prime Flatbed Inkjet Printer and booked a video demonstration, where they were immediately impressed and couldn’t believe how well the printer performed
  • The company was formed in 1999 and has built a reputation for service and quality
  • Supplies Local Government Authorities as well as major supermarkets
  • In late 2021, the company was on the lookout for a highly efficient flatbed printer
  • Invested in the new machine in January 2022 through RA Smart – one of Fujifilm UK’s distribution partners

Kent-based digital print company, Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions, has over 20 years of experience in sign making, servicing Gravesend and the surrounding areas of Kent. Formed in 1999, the company has built a reputation for service and quality which has seen it supply major Local Government Authorities as well as leading supermarkets. Late last year, the company was looking for a highly efficient flatbed printer, and upon discovering the Acuity Prime from Fujifilm, they were so impressed that they invested in the new machine in January 2022 through RA Smart – one of Fujifilm UK’s distribution partners.

Ebbsfleet Print Solutions initially booked a video demonstration of the Acuity Prime Flatbed Inkjet Printer, and after being sufficiently impressed by the printer’s capabilities, the company immediately booked in for a live demonstration at Fujifilm’s facility in Broadstairs in late 2021.

It’s our belief that the Acuity Prime flatbed performs at a level above any other printer at this price point

Sam Cherry | Ebbsfleet-Drucklösungen

“We almost didn’t believe what we were seeing during the video demo,” says Sam Cherry, Director of Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions. “The printer performed beyond our expectations, but as it’s a new printer to the market we felt it was necessary to go and take a closer look. We went to Fujifilm’s facility in Broadstairs and liked what we saw so much, we placed our order there and then.”

Cherry believes such was the quality of print produced during both the video and live demos, that he is more than comfortable saying that the Acuity Prime is by far the best printer of its kind. “It’s our belief that the Acuity Prime flatbed performs at a level above any other printer at this price point,” he says. “In fact, the other machines we considered that did offer this level of print productivity were typically double the price.”

The printer was installed at Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions in the middle of January, with Cherry saying that the machine has already made a big impact on operations. “The Acuity Prime enables us to provide a better service to our customers, meeting their deadlines in a world where time is of the essence. We can provide a more streamlined approach along with a great end product. We’ve only been using the printer for a very short time on Acrylic, Foamex and Dibond so far, and are already really impressed with the output.

“I don’t believe there is any better way we could have spent this amount of money in terms of the overall quality, print capability an production capacity we’ve just added to our business than with the Acuity Prime.”

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Acuity Prime UV Flatbed Printer

Find out more about why the Acuity Prime can achieve industry leading productivity and quality

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LED UV is the curing technology of the future, but so is conventional UV

Kevin Rhodes, Marketing Manager, Fujifilm WFIJ Systems, argues that conventional UV still has an important role to play in the future of wide format print.

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LED UV curing technology is energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and extremely well suited to the production of a huge range of applications. It’s a massive area of R&D focus for Fujifilm and it is, quite rightly, seen as a key “technology of the future.” So far, so uncontroversial.

And yet, none of that means to say that conventional UV curing has – or will – become a “thing of the past”. Despite the obvious cost and environmental advantages of LED technology, there is no reason to believe that it will replace conventional UV altogether. It won’t. In fact, both technologies will continue to play valuable roles in the future of wide format print long into the future, and where conventional UV is the more appropriate solution, we at Fujifilm will continue to offer customers that option. This is something we’ve clearly demonstrated with the launch of the new Acuity Ultra R2 – which is available in either LED UV or conventional UV curing formats.

Pros and cons

LED UV does, of course, use far less energy than its conventional alternative. As LED UV lamps have a significantly lower level of applied voltage, LEDs have a lower radiance than conventional UV lamps. LEDs emit light in the visible part of the spectrum from 400 nm to 700 nm or in the near infrared (700 nm and 2000 nm), so only part of the spectral energy they emit is UV light. Because they use a fraction of the energy of conventional UV lamps, they don’t need to warm up or cool down, so they are immediately ready for use and don’t use energy unless they are operating.

Furthermore, LED UV lamp lifetimes are much longer than those of conventional UV lamps (approximately 10,000 working hours compared to 1000+ working hours). As a result, one of the main selling points of LED UV for customers is the fact that it is more environmentally friendly and that costs are lower. There is only one real downside: the lack of safe cure and adhesion of high ink deposits at speed, which for some printers is a substantial issue.

Understanding the relevant regulation

Another common reason cited for the inevitable decline of conventional UV is government regulation. But here, many of the regulations concerning conventional UV are widely misunderstood. The European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances II (RoHS II) regulation bans the use of heavy metals, including lead, mercury and cadmium. As a result, domestic light bulbs that use conventional UV can no longer be purchased, having been replaced by LED UV. For this reason, many assume that conventional UV for business use is on a similar path to regulatory oblivion.

However, this regulation does not apply to larger printing equipment, which is typically classified as ‘large-scale stationary industrial tools” (LSSITs), so the UV dryer modules manufactured for them are exempt from the RoHs II directive. Through the development of UV technology and compliance with the manufacturer’s information on safe disposal, the use of medium-pressure UV lamps containing mercury within the printing industry is deemed safe. As a result, mercury is still widely used throughout the industry and there is no indication that this is likely to change.

Counting costs

The operating costs of LED UV are certainly lower than the costs involved with a conventional UV machine, where increased energy and consumables usage needs to be factored in. But if the extra speed and increased adhesion and block resistance of conventional UV allows a print business to produce more work, the additional business can more than cover all these costs, as well as funding responsible waste management systems to minimise environmental impact.

Heat and speed

Another common belief is that conventional UV cannot be used on heat-sensitive materials, but Fujifilm’s Acuity Ultra R2, for example, features a unique water-cooled vacuum table that allows rapid UV curing on a huge range of thin, heat-sensitive materials. The main benefit of conventional UV that cannot be matched by LED UV is the speed at which it is able to print. Depending on the user, this one benefit can outweigh many of the negatives, meaning that it’s often the option that makes the most sense for many businesses. As conventional UV undoubtedly dominates the market in terms of productivity, it remains the obvious option for printers producing high volumes with rapid turnaround times.

Conventional UV is best for high production, fast-turnaround print. LED UV offers environmental, cost, and energy saving benefits when speed is not as crucial.

Kevin Rhodes | Marketing Manager, Fujifilm WFIJ Systems

The choice is yours

LED UV, of course, has an extremely valuable role to play in the future of wide format print– and we’re very proud at Fujifilm of our extensive range of LED UV curing printers. But it is not a complete replacement for conventional UV. There is still very much a need for both types of technology, depending on the customer’s requirements. The two exist in tandem and will continue to do so. Conventional UV is best for high production, fast-turnaround print, while LED UV offers a multitude of environmental, cost, and energy saving benefits when speed is not as crucial. Until LED can match conventional UV’s performance, specifically its speed and depth of cure, it is unlikely to be a wholesale replacement for conventional UV.

Ultimately, it’s up to the customer to decide on the most appropriate solution for their business, and we will continue to offer them that choice.

Not just a pretty face

What does good product design really mean?

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Following the announcement that Fujifilm’s new wide format printers, the Acuity Prime and Acuity Ultra R2, have won Red Dot Awards for product design, Fujifilm’s Kevin Jenner asks: What does good product design really mean? Beyond a stylish exterior, he argues, it’s about usability, reliability and value. Why would a tradesman buy a Mercedes Sprinter van and fill it with Makita tools? There are cheaper vans and there are cheaper tools, but in those brands he’s buying into a perception of quality and reliability that is going to enhance the work that he does and boost his business.

The cynic might say that brand perception is down to good marketing – and they may well be partly right – but brands that stand the test of time, brands that people have confidence in and keep returning to, time and again, have a lot more than clever marketing behind them. They have outstanding product design.

In our own industry, businesses make important, and often very capital-intensive, buying decisions all the time. Machines reach end of life and need to be replaced, and business owners weigh up what their customers want against what is needed to deliver it, and then they make a choice. Cost is a major consideration in these decisions, of course, but more than that, people are asking “what can it do, how well can it do it, and how easy is it to work with?”

If a CapEx investment can expand the customer offering, boost productivity, cut waste, save time and reduce hassle – that’s good design on the part of the manufacturer, and a solid investment for the customer. But how do we get there? How do we create extraordinary design that can transform a business by making work more efficient, more enjoyable, more productive and ultimately boost ROI?

“The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.” That’s Steve Jobs again. Good design starts with understanding. By seeking to understand everything, from the long-term business goals, to the day-to-day frustrations of the customers we serve – we give ourselves the best starting point for good product design.

So for this project we needed a deep understanding of our customers’ needs and time to have meaningful conversations with them. This wasn’t a box-ticking survey sent out by email, this was our designers (a specialist industrial design agency, Realise Design, appointed to support the Tokyo Design Team) shadowing our customers as they worked, looking for a thousand small ways to optimise their experiences and their businesses.

We looked at how improved product design could lead to improved usability, to enhanced performance and to better ROI. I’m going to quote Steve Jobs once more (last time, I promise!) as I begin to wrap this up.

Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.

Steve Jobs | Formerly Apple

Products which are developments to a design first conceived a decade ago sometimes need a complete rethink, in effect going ‘back to the drawing board’. But not at all in the sense that the old is completely discarded, more in the sense that everything is scrutinised and nothing stays as it is simply because ‘that’s the way it’s always been’.

With this project, we gave ourselves the freedom to go right back to first principles, and that led us to create something quite different to anything either we – or anyone else – had created before. This is the reason that when we first revealed the new machines in June 2021, we called them ‘the new blueprint for wide format’.

 

As with any product, the default is always to adapt what is there already, and products which have been tinkered with, tweaked and adapted over the years can often develop layers of complexity which are detrimental to performance, but we’re so used to them being there, it can be difficult to comprehend it being any other way.

Clever marketing? We’d like to think so, yes! But it’s a lot more than that. These products are designed to be a joy to work with; products designed for maximum productivity and versatility; products designed to be affordable. And that last point is important, the sleekest look and the highest level of performance is of no real value if it’s unaffordable to the people it’s designed for. A crucial part of good design in any commercial context is stripping out unnecessary costs while ensuring no compromise on what it needs to do well.

That was another critical part of the process we went through – we sought out the best component parts and the most suitable manufacturing partners to deliver on quality, performance and value. The end result, in our case, is a new range designed to redefine the price/performance ratio, deliver unrivalled levels of versatility and value and to boost ROI.

And we made sure they looked great too!

Learn more about the Acuity range

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Case Study: Acuity Ultra Roll-fed Printer

Fokina GmbH

Fallstudie

Leading German PSP highlights the Acuity Ultra’s speed and versatility as being essential to operations, while providing a future-proof solution for the ever-changing market.

Fokina GmbH

Eppingen, Deutschland

Acuity Ultra

The Acuity Ultra fits in perfectly with our other print equipment here, and has become the heartbeat of our business.

Sven Breiter | Fokina GmbH

Höhepunkte

  • Products include large format photographic, as well as screen, digital and textile printing
  • Introduced to the Acuity Ultra Roll-fed printer in 2019 and was impressed with the print quality and speed
  • The Acuity Ultra was installed in March 2020, following increased customer demand
  • The investment has provided Fokina with new business opportunities
  • The roll-fed printer enables Fokina to offer the best quality products at the fairest prices
  • Delighted with the support provided by Fujifilm throughout the sales and installation process

One of Germany’s leading providers of large format photographic printing, as well as screen, digital and textile printing, Fokina GmbH is a full service provider for a range of sectors, including point of sale, retail, public facilities and exhibition stands. Based in the town of Eppingen, just north of Stuttgart, the company has a proud history dating back more than 30 years. Over this time, Fokina has built up a diverse portfolio of print and production machinery to produce the high quality products it is renowned for. And one installation in particular is helping to drive quality standards even higher – Fujifilm’s superwide 5m Acuity Ultra, which was installed in March 2020.

“Our investments in high-tech machinery, qualified employees and intelligent management systems are paramount to our success as a business,” says Sven Breiter, CEO of Fokina. “Companies from all over Germany, the EU and around the world are supplied with our products, so being highly efficient and putting the customer at the top of our priorities is our motto.”

Fokina’s high quality banners, textiles and wallpapers are some of the company’s most popular products. When management noticed demand increasing in 2019, they knew that adding more printing equipment would be necessary to meet these requirements. It was then that they were introduced to Fujifilm’s Acuity Ultra, and they never looked back. “We first noticed the Acuity Ultra at a trade fair in 2019,” says Saskia Friederich, also a CEO at Fokina. “We were immediately impressed by the print quality and the speed, so we kept in contact with Fujifilm after the event, visiting their Advanced Print Technology Centre in Brussels where we saw the Acuity Ultra first hand. Witnessing its print quality for ourselves reaffirmed our initial view that it was the right machine to add to our already impressive production portfolio.”

For Sven, Saskia and their staff, the Acuity Ultra is fitting in very well at Fokina. “The team working with the Acuity Ultra are very impressed by the quality it produces as well as its high speed,” says Sven. “It’s also incredibly versatile, ink consumption is low and its 5m width has provided us with new business opportunities that we would otherwise not have been able to secure. The combination of the high quality and productivity that it offers is exceptional.”

It’s incredibly versatile, ink consumption is low and its 5m width has provided us with new business opportunities that we would otherwise not have been able to secure.

Sven Breiter, CEO | Fokina GmbH

“We are a family-run business always looking to future-proof ourselves. The print market is highly competitive, and at Fokina we always want to provide the best products at the fairest prices; the Acuity Ultra allows us to do that. It fits in perfectly with our other print equipment here, and has become the heartbeat of our business.”

Sven also has high praise for the Fujifilm team: “The sales and support staff at Fujifilm have been excellent from day one. We’ve always felt in good hands, which is essential when you’re purchasing new equipment. The Acuity Ultra was our first ever purchase from Fujifilm, and we envisage it won’t be the last.”

Acuity Ultra

Find out more about the Acuity Ultra’s ultra-high quality and versatility, and how its low ink consumption can improve ROI

Discover the Acuity Ultra

Acuity Ultra R2

Ein Super-Wide-Drucker, der eine phänomenale Kapitalrendite bietet

Die neue Blaupause für den Großformatdruck

Vereint höchste Qualität, hervorragende Produktivität und eine bahnbrechende Kapitalrendite in einer Plattform.

Der Großformatdrucker Acuity Ultra R2 ist eine hochwertige, hochproduktive Super-Wide-Plattform, die in UV- und LED-Konfigurationen erhältlich ist und mit Spezialtinten entwickelt wurde, um den Druck außergewöhnlicher, nahezu fotografischer Innengrafiken und den Hochgeschwindigkeitsdruck von Bannern und PVC-Beschilderungen zu unterstützen.

Verfügbar als

3,2 m und 5 m

Optionen
Bis zu 8 Kanäle

CMYK+LcLmWW

oder doppeltes CMYK
Bis zu

400 m²/Std

Produktivität

Warum Acuity Ultra R2?

Extrem niedriger Tintenverbrauch für niedrige Betriebskosten und außergewöhnlichen ROI

Ist in der Lage, Drucke in höchster Qualität bei höchsten Produktionsgeschwindigkeiten zu erstellen

Verfügt über erweiterte Bedienfunktionen für äußerst zuverlässiges und profitables Drucken

Medien-Crash-Detektoren zur Vermeidung von Druckkopfschäden
Wassergekühlter Vakuumtisch
Tintenspritzer zur Minimierung von Maschinenstillstandszeiten
Hochwertige, leistungsstarke Druckköpfe
Leistungsstarke Uvijet GS- und AU-Tinten
Mechanischer Substratdetektor
Automatische Messung der Mediendicke und -position

Die neue Blaupause für den Großformatdruck

Erfahren Sie mehr darüber, warum die neue Acuity-Reihe die neue Blaupause für den Großformatdruck darstellt

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Sichere Investition in bewährte LED-UV-Technologie

Die Acuity-Plattform ist seit 2007 mit Tausenden von installierten Maschinen weltweit der Branchenmaßstab. Der Acuity Ultra R2 verfügt über die neuesten LED- und UV-Technologien und bietet unschlagbare Leistung sowie die Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit, die Sie von Fujifilm erwarten.

Außergewöhnliche Qualität im Superwide-Format

Mit dem Acuity Ultra R2 erhalten Sie die hervorragende Qualität, Produktivität und Zuverlässigkeit, für die unsere Acuity-Reihe bekannt ist, im großen industriellen Maßstab – bis zu 5 Meter Breite.

Hochwertige, leistungsstarke Druckköpfe
3-stufige Graustufen-Druckköpfe liefern native Tropfengrößen von 3,5 pl mit einer Auflösung von bis zu 1200 x 1200 dpi und nutzen dabei 2.656 Düsen, die auf einer Breite von 108 mm angeordnet sind.

Hervorragende Verarbeitungsqualität mit Komponenten in Industriequalität
 Das Fahrgestell ist eine massive Konstruktion aus geschweißten Stahlkastenrohren und massiven Stahlstangen, die zum Gewicht beider Modelle von 7,7 t bzw. 4,7 t beiträgt. Dies trägt dazu bei, dass der Drucker nur sehr geringe Vibrationen und eine sehr genaue Tropfenplatzierung aufweist.

Der linear angetriebene Druckkopfschlitten sorgt für eine hervorragende Registrierung
 Linearmotoren sorgen für einen reibungslosen Rand-zu-Rand-Druck ohne Vibrationen am Ende des Drucklaufs und sorgen so für eine präzise Platzierung der Tintentropfen. Dadurch entsteht kein Druckqualitätsverlust an der Druckkante.

Wassergekühlter Vakuumtisch
Ein einzigartiger gekühlter Vakuumtisch hält die Substrattemperatur während des Druckens aufrecht und ermöglicht die Verwendung dünner wärmeempfindlicher Substrate, wodurch das Schrumpfen und die Faltenbildung des Mediums reduziert werden.

Ein solides Medientransportsystem sorgt für Genauigkeit
Zwei Paare gummierter Rollen auf der Vorder- und Rückseite sorgen für einen konstant präzisen Medienvorschub und sorgen für Konsistenz bei langen Druckläufen oder wenn Genauigkeit bei gekachelten Anwendungen erforderlich ist.

Erweiterte Funktionen zur Maximierung der Produktivität

Der Acuity Ultra R2 ist mit einer Reihe fortschrittlicher Funktionen ausgestattet, um die Betriebszeit zu maximieren und flexibles und hochproduktives Drucken zu gewährleisten.

Tintenspritzer zur Minimierung von Maschinenstillstandszeiten
Der Acuity Ultra R2 ist mit einer Spießfunktion ausgestattet, um Maschinenstillstandszeiten zu reduzieren. Dadurch bleibt die Druckqualität erhalten und die Gesamtkonsistenz der Druckergebnisse wird erhöht

Medien-Crash-Detektoren zur Vermeidung von Druckkopfschäden
Der Wagen ist auf beiden Seiten mit Medien-Crash-Detektoren ausgestattet. Diese reagieren auf Hindernisse auf dem Vakuumtisch, um den Wagen anzuhalten und Schäden an den Druckköpfen zu verhindern.

Automatische Messung der Mediendicke und -position
Der Acuity Ultra R2 ist mit einem am Schlitten montierten Mediendetektor ausgestattet. Dies wird verwendet, um die Position und Dicke des Mediums zu bestimmen.

Mechanischer Substratdetektor
Der Acuity Ultra R2 ist mit Mediensensoren ausgestattet, die unter den hinteren Medienspannrollen positioniert sind. Der Acuity Ultra R2 5000 ist mit 3 Sensoren ausgestattet. Der Acuity Ultra R2 3200 ist mit 2 Sensoren ausgestattet. Die Mediensensoren erkennen, wann Medien in die Maschine geladen werden, und warnen den Bediener, wenn beim Laden der Medien ein Fehler vorliegt, beispielsweise wenn eine Medienrolle aufgebraucht ist oder die Medien nicht fest sitzen. Die Sensoren verwenden Ultraschallerkennungstechnologie und funktionieren für alle Medien, einschließlich klarer Medien.

Die lange Lebensdauer des Druckkopfs minimiert die Kosten für Verbrauchsmaterialien
Dank der beeindruckend langen Lebensdauer müssen Sie sich nicht so oft Gedanken über den Austausch der Druckköpfe machen. In Kombination mit einem geringen Tintenverbrauch reduziert die lange Lebensdauer des Druckkopfs den Aufwand und die Kosten, die mit dem Austausch von Verbrauchsmaterialien verbunden sind.

Die Mehrrollenfähigkeit maximiert die Produktivität bei kleineren Aufträgen
Mit einem Durchsatz von bis zu 400 m² pro Stunde verfügt die Maschine über das Potenzial, beim gleichzeitigen Drucken auf drei Rollen enorme Arbeitsmengen zu produzieren und Grafiken im Supergroßformat mit einer Breite von bis zu fünf Metern zu drucken.

Entwickelt mit Blick auf den Bediener
Neben technischen Verbesserungen am Acuity Ultra R2 liegt der Schwerpunkt besonders auf der Reduzierung des Wartungsaufwands und der Verbesserung der Wartungsfreundlichkeit für den Betreiber. Eine neue intuitive Benutzeroberfläche, getönte Plexiglasplatten, die dem Benutzer den Druck während der Produktion sicher betrachten können, und die Integration sauberer und schmutziger Arbeitsbereiche zur Vermeidung von Kontaminationen sind Beispiele für Entwicklungen, die letztendlich Zeit und Geld sparen und das Gesamtpreis-Leistungs-Verhältnis verbessern.

Hochleistungsfähige Uvijet GS- und AU-Tinten aus preisgekrönter Fabrik

Neue Tinten mit hoher Dichte sorgen für eine hervorragende Farbbrillanz und eine große Farbskala. Durch den hervorragenden Zwischenschichtauftrag entstehen satte, hinterleuchtete Farben und Drucke. Aufgrund des geringen Tintenaufbaus bilden sich beim Falten auch keine Risse.

Extrem geringer Tintenverbrauch
Die neuen hochdichten Tinten werden mit 3,5-pl-Druckköpfen geliefert, was zu einer sehr geringen Filmdicke und einem äußerst geringen Tintenverbrauch führt, was zu sehr niedrigen Betriebskosten und einem höheren Gewinn pro Druck führt.

Als wir uns von einem Großformat-Materiallieferanten hin zu Hardware verlagerten, waren wir der Meinung, dass der „superbreite“ 5-m-Drucker Acuity Ultra R2 perfekt zu unserem Portfolio passen würde.

Mark Mashiter | Soyang

Fallstudie lesen

Mit der Aufnahme eines Acuity Ultra R2 in unsere Druckerflotte können wir unseren Kunden nun einen noch schnelleren und zuverlässigeren Service bieten, insbesondere bei der Lieferung von „Superwide“-5-Meter-Drucken.

Miguel Ángel Gómez Cano | Oedim

Fallstudie lesen

Die Kombination aus hoher Qualität und Produktivität, die das Acuity Ultra bietet, ist außergewöhnlich. Außerdem ist es unglaublich vielseitig und hat einen geringen Tintenverbrauch.

Sven Breiter | Geschäftsführer, Fokina GmbH

Fallstudie lesen

Anwendungen

Vielseitigkeit im großen Stil

Mit seiner riesigen Formatgröße, der Möglichkeit für 2 oder 3 Seiten auf mehreren Rollen und der Fähigkeit, auf einer breiten Palette von Materialien zu drucken, bietet Ihnen der Acuity Ultra R2 die Möglichkeit, Ausstellungsgrafiken, POS-Displays, hochwertige Grafikkunst und Hintergrundbeleuchtung gewinnbringend zu erstellen Displays, Außendisplays, Außenbeschilderung und mehr.

Ideal für hochwertige Innendisplays

Der Acuity Ultra R2 eignet sich nicht nur ideal für Out-of-Home-Anwendungen wie einzelne Werbetafeln und Beschilderungen, sondern eignet sich auch perfekt für hochwertige Innendisplays, bei denen die Betrachtung aus der Nähe außergewöhnlich klare und lebendige Bilder erfordert. Mit einer Qualität, die mit führenden wasserbasierten Tintenstrahlsystemen vergleichbar ist, kann der Acuity Ultra R2 Ihrem Unternehmen den Einstieg in den Luxusmarkenmarkt ermöglichen.

Weitere Informationen …

Erfahren Sie mehr über den Acuity Ultra R2 in unserem neuen Ratgeber zum Sortiment

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Die neue Blaupause für das Großformat

From the place where it all began, comes a new blueprint for wide format

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Lesezeit: 8 minutes

The Fujifilm name has been closely associated with UV inkjet technology since 2005 – the year in which Fujifilm acquired the pioneering UV inks and inkjet company, Sericol, based in the seaside town of Broadstairs in Kent. Founded in 1950, Sericol had long been a screen inks pioneer and market leader. Then, in the 1970s, it launched the world’s first instant curing UV screen inks and built on this experience to commercialise the first UV digital inkjet systems and inks in the world in 1999. The immediate and rapid growth in this new sector resulted in Sericol being presented with a Queens Award for Enterprise in 2004 for its role in developing and commercialising these new UV inkjet systems.

With the Fujifilm acquisition in 2005, forming what is now known as Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems, the company has gone on to produce some of the most highly regarded UV cured inkjet inks and systems on the market, including the popular Acuity range of wide format printers launched in 2007, and now with more than 1,800 global installations. This 20 years of experience means Fujifilm has developed a keen sense of what the market really needs, and perhaps more importantly, how it is likely to change in the future.

Market maturity

The early years of wide format UV inkjet development were largely defined by advances in technology that delivered rapid and continual increases in print speed and quality. In 2018, however, Fujifilm recognised that the market had reached an advanced degree of maturity, and a point at which a very high level of quality and productivity was assumed. New product launches were tending to offer only very marginal improvements in print speed and quality. In addition, Fujifilm also became aware that there was an opportunity to use these evolving technologies to drive improvements in wide format print ROI.

The market had reached a tipping point – a point at which more of the same, with minor improvements, was no longer enough. The market needed something fundamentally new. So, three years ago, Fujifilm made a strategic decision to start the process of rethinking its Acuity wide format offering; focusing on new  ways to deliver improved value, versatility and ease of use and in particular on defining a new level of print ROI. Fujifilm set out to do what it had first done back in 2000: to create a new blueprint for wide format.

Back to first principles

In terms of printing hardware and systems, Fujifilm has always been a technology company first and foremost, rather than a manufacturer, working with a range of OEM partners and other specialists to provide the best possible platforms for its inkjet technology. The Acuity range already has a deserved reputation for quality and reliability, but for this next chapter in the Acuity story, Fujifilm wanted a new level of design influence and control in order to take full advantage of what was possible, to create something that offered far more than mere marginal improvements.

To do this, the Fujifilm team returned to first principles, starting with an almost blank canvas and a challenge to strip everything back and create a completely new and improved range of machines. To help with this process, they brought in an award-winning industrial design company and tasked them not simply with making changes to what had gone before, but with completely rethinking the press design to maximise the value, productivity, ease of use and – most importantly – the ROI.

Fujifilm’s vision was to combine stunning aesthetics with exceptional functionality. In order to achieve this, the first step was to carry out wide ranging research, so the two companies embarked on an extensive and intensive listening exercise, meeting not only with business owners and directors, but also with press operators who had experience of working not only with Fujifilm machines, but others too.

This exercise produced an understanding of what worked, what didn’t, and what changes (whether simple or radical) would improve the value, versatility, usability, productivity and ROI, while retaining an eye for the environment in terms of reducing waste an making for a safer and more contented workplace.

It was clear from this exercise that the owners and directors of these companies want equipment that’s reliable, fast and able to give them a rapid return on investment, but being in a creative industry, they also want machines that look stylish and that are easy to work with. For press operators, it was also clear that good machine design – aside from the obvious benefits to productivity – can be the difference between job satisfaction and great frustration, and the listening exercise uncovered many aspects of machine design that could be improved upon.

Fujifilm combined the findings from this extensive research exercise with its own knowledge and inkjet expertise to provide a structure for the design process. In parallel, the team also carried out comprehensive research into the best components and technologies on the market, and the best routes to assembly and manufacture. The output from all this research and creative thinking was effectively a completely new blueprint for what a UV inkjet system of the future should look like, how it should perform, and how it could be brought to life.

Alles zusammenbringen

Four design criteria emerged from the blueprint that informed all design choices and helped to identify the right manufacturers and suppliers to work with, as well as the OEM partners to help to bring it all together. These were: quality, value, performance and ease of use. In addition, every component part selected was chosen with these four criteria in mind, from the printheads to the user interface, lamps, static control and vacuum solutions. In all cases, Fujifilm made choices based on answering questions like: “does it do what it needs to do?” or “could it be done better?” Nothing was left unchanged that could be improved.

Three years on, the result of this blueprint is the all new Acuity range, designed and developed by Fujifilm. First and foremost, this new Acuity range has been designed to redefine the price / performance and ROI that can be expected from a UV inkjet system. This has been achieved through careful design choices, stripping back features that don’t add value, and maximising quality, value and performance where it matters most. The result is a high performance range available at a competitive price with low cost in use, a combination that radically changes print ROI.

The new Acuity range is also built for printers from the ground up, resetting expectations around operational ease of use. The ‘question everything’ approach to the whole process has allowed Fujifilm to put the operator experience front and centre. “We’ve taken on board the frustrations and inconveniences identified in our extensive market research, and addressed those concerns to create a range that is a real joy to work with and operate, with the additional benefit of maximising uptime and productivity,” says Kevin Jenner, European Marketing Manager, Fujifilm Wide format Inkjet Systems.

We’ve taken on board the frustrations and inconveniences identified in our extensive market research, and addressed those concerns to create a range that is a real joy to work with and operate, with the additional benefit of maximising uptime and productivity.

Kevin Jenner | European Marketing Manager

The first two printers made to this new blueprint are the Acuity Ultra R2 and the Acuity Prime. The Acuity Ultra R2 is a completely redesigned version of the Acuity Ultra, which itself had set a new standard for superwide print when it was launched in 2018. The Acuity Prime is an entirely new, mid-range flatbed which offers ease of use and print ROI unmatched by anything else on the market.

For more than 10 years since its initial launch, the Acuity range has built a reputation for quality, versatility and value and this new range will enhance the Acuity brand on all those fronts, while maintaining the reliability standards that have always been the hallmark of Fujifilm’s inkjet systems. And of course, the new printers take advantage of Fujifilm’s renowned UV inkjet ink.

Learn more about the Acuity range

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