Screen Europe is to install the first of its new generation continuous feed presses at its Amstelveen Inkjet Experience Centre in time for an open house in April. The company’s equivalent in the US has already take delivery of the TruepressJet 560 HDX.
There is more to the new machine than a slightly wider format than the TPJ520 series machines, even if the maximum resolution of 1200dpi and top speed of 150m/min are unchanged. In reality few could run the press at this speed. Instead 100m/m for litho equivalent work or even less have been usual.
The new machine, however, changes this. It will run at 150m/min and is designed to do so with fewer interventions and with much higher OEE.
Details of the new paper paper, zonal rather then universal drying and costs of operation are being with held currently. It is though a new designe, developed in Japan and optimised for the transition from litho to inkjet printing according to Screen.
The press will print in line with finishing systems and will be responsive to any problems in finishing. It will slow down to a crawl should there be a problem in finishing to allow this to be cleared before accelerating to speed once the problem is cleared. Previously the inkjet heads would have retreated into a safe mode and would need to be brought back to temperature before restarting production. A further time saving will be gained when operating with a splice between rolls of paper. The new press can cope with the passage of the splice, albeit at a slower speed, without stopping.
Further time saving measures are sprinkled throughout the press.
It uses a version of the SC2 inkjet that can print on coated papers without a primer or other pretreatment. Screen claims a higher optical density in reds and blacks for this ink, helping deliver a wider gamut and high vibrancy colours.
“The demonstration in the Inkjet Experience Centre will allow existing 520 customers to come and see the machine before it goes to Drupa,” says Screen Europe Bui Burke. “The extra width of the web enables it to print a greater range of book formats and other improvements enable it to print litho quality print at 150m/min knowing that the paper and ink will be dry.
“There are lots of small changes that will make this a break through device for inkjet, just as the second generation of the label press introduced changes that have made that a success.”
