Sector: Grande formato

Case Study: Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed Printer

Soyang

Argomento di studio

Soyang Open House event demonstrates award-winning capabilities of Fujifilm’s 5m Acuity Ultra R2 wide format roll-fed printer.

Soyang

Accrington, UK

Acuity Ultra R2

Momento della lettura: 4 minutes

Punti salienti

  • Soyang initially partnered with Fujifilm in mid-2022 to become a distributor of Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printers in the UK.
  • The highly respected wide format materials supplier formed the partnership as it looked to enter hardware sales.
  • Soyang hosted an Open House to showcase the Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printer in its new, purpose-built showroom.
  • The Soyang premises stocks more 1.5 million m² of printing solutions, including a huge variety of substrates.
  • Last year, Soyang bought a majority stake in Josero – a leading UK supplier of wide format printers, sign and print finishing equipment and printing supplies.
  • Josero has also partnered with Fujifilm to distribute the Acuity Prime flatbed printer in the UK.

As we branch out from being a wide format materials supplier into hardware, we felt that the ‘superwide’ 5m Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printer would be a perfect fit for our portfolio.

Mark Mashiter | Soyang

Watch the Video

Soyang, a UK-based partner of Fujifilm, recently hosted an Open House event to showcase the remarkable capabilities of the ‘superwide’ (5m) Acuity Ultra R2 roll-fed printer to customers in its showroom. As a highly respected wide format materials supplier looking to enter into hardware sales, Soyang initially partnered with Fujifilm in mid-2022 to become a distributor of the Acuity Ultra R2 in the UK. The company was impressed with the machine’s ability to deliver on quality, reliability and ROI.

The well-attended Open House took place in Soyang’s new, purpose-built Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printer showroom at its 70,000ft² head office and distribution centre in Accrington, Lancashire. In addition to the new showroom, Soyang stocks more 1.5 million m² of printing solutions, including a vast variety of substrates.

Soyang Europe Managing Director Mark Mashiter commented: “The Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printer is a revolutionary machine and is part of Fujifilm’s new blueprint for wide format. At Soyang, we’re historically very well known for finding solutions to 5m prints, so as we branch out from being a wide format materials supplier into hardware, we felt that the ‘superwide’ 5m Acuity Ultra R2 printer would be a perfect fit for our portfolio.”

He adds: “We already support a huge number of customers in the wide format sector with material sales. We’re pleased to be able to offer hardware too.”

Soyang’s Open House event was hosted in partnership with Josero, a leading UK supplier of wide format printers, sign and print finishing equipment and printing supplies. Soyang, which bought the majority shares of Josero last year, has also partnered with Fujifilm to distribute the Acuity Prime flatbed printer in the UK.

Soyang customer Vincent Randall, co-owner of MediaCo Group, commented: “It was a pleasure to attend Soyang’s Open House event and it was great to see the Acuity Ultra R2 in-person. The fact that Fujifilm is making machines and designing them around users’ needs – and around their inks – is significantly important to companies like ours.”

Launched in mid-2021 as part of Fujifilm’s new Acuity wide format range, the Acuity Prime flatbed and Acuity Ultra R2 Roll-fed printers have each won iF, Good Design and Red Dot awards for their impeccable design features.

Andy Webb, UK Wide Format Sales Manager at Fujifilm, notes: “Our Acuity wide format machines were all fully developed by Fujifilm to maximise usability and ROI. We’re confident that Soyang’s extensive industry knowledge, expertise and customer base – all demonstrated at its recent Open House event – will help us to boost Acuity Ultra R2 and Acuity Prime sales across the UK.”

Acuity Ultra R2

Find out more about the Acuity Ultra R2’s ultra-high quality and versatility, and how its low ink consumption can improve ROI

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Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED

Progettata per supporti rigidi e flessibili, offre una stampa superba e di alta qualità su una piattaforma da 3,3 m.

Una piattaforma. Risultati illimitati.

Il LED Acuity Ultra Hybrid offre una gamma impareggiabile di applicazioni sia ad alta qualità che ad alta velocità.

Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED è una stampante di fascia alta progettata per supporti rigidi e flessibili, che offre una stampa superba e di alta qualità su una piattaforma da 3,3 m

Fino a

218 m²/ora

roll-to-roll
Nativo

3,5 picolitri

testine di stampa in scala di grigi
Fino a

1200 x 1200 dpi

risoluzione di stampa
Contattaci

Perché il LED Acuity Ultra Hybrid?

Stampa di qualità quasi fotografica di una vasta gamma di applicazioni ad alta velocità

Architettura scalabile che può crescere e cambiare con l'evoluzione delle esigenze aziendali

Design intelligente e nuovo inchiostro ad alte prestazioni per la massima versatilità

Hotspot per immagini LED Acuity Ultra Hybrid
Tabelle di caricamento e scaricamento dei media
Sistema di controllo del vuoto intelligente
Cintura resistente ai danni
GUI intuitiva

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Altissima qualità

Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED utilizza lo stesso carrello della testina di Acuity Ultra R2, in grado di emettere gocce in scala di grigi di dimensioni fino a 3,5 pL per offrire una qualità di stampa eccezionale. In combinazione con una qualità costruttiva industriale, un motore lineare di azionamento del carrello della testina e gli inchiostri Uvijet UH ad alte prestazioni di Fujifilm, è garantita la migliore qualità di stampa.

Telaio resistente

Come Acuity Ultra R2, Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED è costruito su una sostanziale struttura in acciaio saldato, insieme a solide barre di acciaio, che contribuiscono al peso di 8,3 T della macchina. Questo design non solo offre una struttura robusta, ma garantisce anche che la stampante presenti pochissime vibrazioni durante il funzionamento, migliorando ulteriormente la qualità di stampa.

 

Azionamento del carrello della testata del motore lineare

Molte stampanti ibride utilizzano una trasmissione a cinghia per spostare il carrello di stampa, il che spesso ne riduce la durata e influisce negativamente sulla qualità di stampa. Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED utilizza un motore lineare per il carrello della testa che offre velocità di spostamento di 1900 mm al secondo quando si utilizza la velocità di spostamento del carrello veloce. Il movimento del carrello è silenzioso e privo di vibrazioni e viaggia su doppi binari con il carrello supportato da 6 grandi cuscinetti a sfera.

 

Progettato pensando all'operatore

Nel design dell'Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED è stata incorporata anche una serie di funzionalità avanzate per migliorare il funzionamento e massimizzare i tempi di attività. Questi includono:

  • I pulsanti di tensione del supporto che controllano le funzioni di avvolgimento della macchina si trovano su entrambi i lati di ingresso e di uscita per un facile utilizzo
  • Il rullo del supporto in ingresso è regolabile e si muove verso l'alto e verso il basso, per una migliore tensione e per mantenere il supporto in rotolo piatto e senza pieghe
  • I resistenti alberi dei supporti in alluminio sono adatti sia per rotoli singoli da 3,3 m, sia per due rotoli ciascuno fino a 1,6 m di larghezza. La stampante utilizza uno speciale albero ad aria che consente di far funzionare contemporaneamente due rotoli dello stesso supporto aventi diametri diversi

 

Inchiostro Uvijet UH

Fujifilm ha sviluppato un nuovo inchiostro polimerizzante LED ad alte prestazioni da utilizzare nel LED Acuity Ultra Hybrid, appositamente progettato per fornire le prestazioni di adesione necessarie in una soluzione ibrida. Tuttavia, l'inchiostro offre comunque la stessa elevata copertura e qualità di stampa degli altri inchiostri Uvijet AU e GS di Fujifilm, con i clienti che possono beneficiare dello stesso basso consumo di inchiostro.

Il set di inchiostri Uvijet UH è composto da sei colori standard (CMYKLcLm) e un inchiostro bianco opzionale. La stampante può essere configurata con due canali di inchiostro bianco per massimizzare la velocità di produzione e la densità di stampa.

Il LED Acuity Ultra Hybrid con inchiostro bianco consente la sottostampa del bianco diffuso per supporti non bianchi, la sovrastampa del bianco per applicazioni retroilluminate su supporti trasparenti e/o la stampa del bianco come colore spot. La nuova gamma di inchiostri ha sia la certificazione Greenguard Gold che AgBB.

 

Applicazioni

Ultra versatile

La combinazione di caratteristiche di design intelligente e il nuovo inchiostro ad alte prestazioni Uvijet UH di Fujifilm, garantisce che Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED sia una delle piattaforme più versatili sul mercato, in grado di produrre una gamma senza rivali di applicazioni sia ad alta qualità che ad alta velocità.

Stampa su supporti rigidi con facilità

Il trasporto a nastro e i sistemi di aspirazione intelligenti di Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED sono davvero unici, il che significa che può stampare su una gamma di substrati rigidi precedentemente possibili solo su sistemi flatbed dedicati.

Ciò significa che i prodotti Correx a basso costo per applicazioni di segnaletica a breve termine, come segnali di vendita e cartelloni di edifici, possono essere stampati ad alta velocità con più pannelli (fino a 5 sul letto) stampati in continuo con un singolo operatore.

Raddoppia con la capacità multistrato

Inoltre, Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED può stampare su Dibond e acrilici, utilizzando la stampa multistrato e il bianco per la stampa inversa e applicazioni fronte/retro.

Queste applicazioni sfruttano l'eccellente sistema di trasporto e il posizionamento accurato dei punti e possono garantire margini elevati e ricavi aggiuntivi, in precedenza possibili solo con una stampante dedicata.

Due rotoli contemporaneamente

La Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED può anche stampare rotoli da 2 x 1,6 m, anche con diametri diversi, poiché gli alberi hanno un differenziale al centro, il che significa che i rotoli possono girare a velocità diverse.

Tutti i rotoli vengono trasportati perfettamente attraverso la stampante, producendo risultati di alta qualità su materiali come vinile autoadesivo, materiali pop-up per banner a rulli, grafica per pavimenti e carta per cartelloni pubblicitari, tutti consegnati ad alta velocità.

I punti salienti sono un chiaro vincitore

Sia per i supporti rigidi che per i rotoli, Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED può anche stampare in bianco su un'ampia gamma di materiali trasparenti come PVC autoadesivo trasparente, poliestere otticamente trasparente e polipropilene: tutte applicazioni ad alto margine per applicazioni di vendita al dettaglio.

È inoltre in grado di stampare su materiali di rivestimento murale, rotoli corti fino a 1,6 m con finitura testurizzata o su rivestimenti murali senza giunture da 3,2 m per applicazioni aziendali come hotel e spazi commerciali.

Tirature brevi per massimizzare la produttività

Gli alimentatori a rotolo posizionati sui tavoli consentono di stampare in modo economico molte applicazioni a basse tirature, con pochissimo materiale di scarto e tempi di cambio rapidi, rendendo Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED un sistema di produzione davvero versatile.

Il nuovo progetto per il grande formato

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Case Study: Acuity Ultra R2

Oedim

Argomento di studio

Wide format specialist Oedim boosts its Acuity ‘superwide’ printer fleet by investing in an Acuity Ultra R2 Inkjet Printer

Oedim

Jaén, Spain

Acuity Ultra R2

Punti salienti

  • Oedim invested in a 5m Acuity Ultra R2 to support business growth.
  • The company already had four Acuity Ultra presses.
  • Success with previous Acuity Ultra models and an excellent relationship with Fujifilm made it the obvious decision
  • The new press will be used to print advertisements, signage and building wraps.
  • The company prides itself on delivering versatility and value to its customers.
  • Oedim was pleased with the consistent good service that it received from Fujifilm.

Our investment in yet another Fujifilm printer has enhanced our confidence in the company as a trusted and reliable partner.

Miguel Ángel Gómez Cano | Managing Director, Oedim

Guarda il video

Spanish wide format specialist Oedim has once again partnered with Fujifilm to expand its fleet of Acuity wide format printers to increase productivity and support its growth. The company, which already owns four Acuity Ultra printers, recently invested in a 5m ‘superwide’ Acuity Ultra R2 Inkjet Printer. The new printer, which has been installed at its 20,000 square metre site in Jaén, Spain, will predominantly be used to print wide format advertisements on canvases, as well as signage for events and building wraps.

Established in 1996, Oedim is a wide format print specialist that prioritises personalisation and efficiency, while delivering on versatility and value. Many of its customers operate in the marketing and advertising sectors, and require wide format prints on substrates including vinyl, cardboard, tarpaulin, textiles and more.

Oedim sought another Fujifilm wide format printer because it was pleased with the quality and reliability of its existing Acuity Ultra machines. It was also very happy with the service it had received from Fujifilm.

The Acuity Ultra R2 Inkjet Printer, which is part of Fujifilm’s new range of wide format printers, is available in ‘superwide’ 5m and standard 3.2m configurations, and Mercury UV and LED UV configurations. Engineered from the ground up, with the operator in mind, it has won Red Dot, Good Design and iF awards for its impeccable design features.

Miguel Ángel Gómez Cano, Managing Director at Oedim, says: “At Oedim, wide format prints are our speciality. Many of our customers operate in the marketing and advertising sectors and require wide format prints – be it on textiles, vinyl, cardboard or tarpaulin. Our investment in an Acuity Ultra R2 has enabled us to prioritise personalisation and efficiency, while delivering on versatility and value – all while achieving growth.”

“Now, with an Acuity Ultra R2 included in our fleet of printers, we can offer our customers an even faster and more reliable service, particularly when delivering ‘superwide’ 5m prints. The machine is not only intuitive and easy to use, it is also reliable and offers exceptional quality. This is proven, as we use it predominantly to print on mesh and canvases and events canvases. ”

Cano says: “Our investment in yet another Fujifilm printer has enhanced our confidence in the company as a trusted and reliable partner.”

Joan Casas, Manager at Fujifilm Graphic Communications, Spain, comments: “We’re thrilled that the Acuity Ultra R2 is helping Oedim meet the needs of its customers and we thank them for being a loyal Fujifilm partner.” 

Acuity Ultra R2

Find out more about the Acuity Ultra R2’s ultra-high quality and versatility, and how its low ink consumption can improve ROI

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Case Study: Acuity Prime 30 Flatbed Printer

Nuneaton Signs

Argomento di studio

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

Nuneaton Signs

Nuneaton, UK

Acuity Prime 30

Punti salienti

  • 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

Argomento di studio

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

Punti salienti

  • 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 | Segni A1

Watch the Video

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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Sostenibilità nella produzione

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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Momento della lettura: 6 minutes

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

Argomento di studio

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 | Tecnologia:arte

Punti salienti

  • 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 | Tecnologia:arte

“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.”

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Case Study: Acuity Prime UV Flatbed Printer

Ebbsfleet Printing Solutions

Argomento di studio

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

Punti salienti

  • 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 Ciliegia | Soluzioni di stampa Ebbsfleet

“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

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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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Momento della lettura: 6 minutes

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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Momento della lettura: 5 minuti

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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