Scodix has announced a line up of six new digital enhancement presses, each tailored to a specific slice of the market.
Two are for web to print applications, two for commercial and trade finishers, and two for carton printers. As a result the Ultra 101 and Ultra 202 are being phased out, though the B1 E106 remains.
The Ultra 1000 and Ultra 2000 are for the commercial print sector, in house, or trade finishing. The Ultra 1000 is the entry level version, with fewer applications on the one platform than those which come with the Ultra 2000. This includes the ability to switch polymers without having to strip down the press. It will therefore apply more to trade printers.
Scodix has previously struggled with the trade sector because its registration system was based on marks that had to be printed on the sheet. Now a camera system will register to the image, helping the system register for digital print, where the image may move slightly.
The Scodix Ultra 3000 and Ultra 4000 are intended for the online market, the 3000 for online commercial print and the 4000 for the web to pack sector. Scodix has enjoyed its greatest success in the photo products sector, the market for the Ultra 3000, with the likes of Shutterfly and District Photo as customers. Both machines include the Studio W2P software linking to an online portal to flow orders directly to the press.
The Ultra 4000 is the model for cartons with the ability to load pallets at either end and able to accept larger formats.
The Ultra 5000 and Ultra 6000 are aimed squarely at carton converters and include feeding and delivery to pallets. They can work with thicker substrates, up to 2mm thick. The Ultra 6000 is the larger format model (760x1060mm), but is restricted in the applications it includes, while the Ultra 5000 has the full selection of polymers for varnish and textured effects and for foils. The company has also been working on polymers that would suit food packaging, but is not specific about these at this point.
Scodix CEO Eli Grinberg says: “By launching this segmented product portfolio, we are increasing the number of customers that can employ Scodix, and we are offering Scodix value to more brands, print buyers and consumers of print. This is truly the next era for the Scodix business.”
The presses will become available for shipping early next year with sales conversations already in progress. John Harrison, sales specialist at Friedheim International, welcomes the clarity the segmentation will bring. “Now it is much easier to say what piece of acidic equipment is suited to each customer,” he says. “The addition of pallet feed and delivery is very important for the carton sector for example. It improves handling and improves the appeal for the volume part of the market.
The E106 remains the flagship machine with a throughput of 4,000sph, compared to 1,000sph on the Ultra 6000, though the increase in format means a greater level of productivity compared to the machines being replaced.
Scodix has updated its product range under incoming CEO Eli Grinberg, resulting in clear delineation between the six models in terms of format and applications addressed.
