Thursday, 14 Mar 2013 09:52 GMT

Key new player stalks wide-format jungle

Sign and Digital UK 2013 seems set to take shape as an intense battleground for wide-format print and finishing technology developers, as a number of key new players to the UK sign industry have chosen it as their launch site

The most recent of these announcements has seen Cheshire-based AG/CAD reveal that it will be using the exhibition to launch the DYSS Apollo GH2200 hybrid UV printer into the UK market—expanding the choice of hybrid technology options available to sign-makers.

“Print was the missing piece of the jigsaw,” explains AG/CAD general manager, Paul Andrade, adding: “Flatbed UV printing is a highly competitive market but this is a very competent machine with a good mix of productivity and quality.”

Well known for its range of Kasemake software solutions, the announcement is a significant strategic business decision by AG/CAD, which until now has been a key UK distributor for Korean-based DYSS’ cutting technology.

Giving the ability for sign-makers to switch quickly between roll-to-roll and rigid printing modes, ‘true’ hybrid wide-format technology is becoming far more popular, as the necessity for sign-makers to remain flexible to shifting demand remains paramount in a post recession era.

The new UV hybrid printer option will go up against key brands in the UK such as Mimaki and EFI, who are among a select few manufacturers who can field a ‘true hybrid’ printer”

The DYSS X7-2616C cutter

The AG/CAD stand (F10) will also see the DYSS X7-2616C cutter and Kasemake 2D/3D structural design software on show, with the company claiming the trio, ‘demonstrates how the combination can handle all digital print and cutting requirements’.

With a bed depth of 25mm, the X7 can handle up to 60m/min on a bed dimension of 1650 x 1650mm and features a 100mm thick aluminium ‘honeycomb’ vacuum bed.

According to AG/CAD the 110sq/m hr GH2200 on show will be configured with 16 Ricoh Gen4 printheads (CMYK, light cyan, and light magenta) and is capable of a maximum resolution of 1,270 x 1,220dpi using variable droplet technology from 7 picolitres.