Sophie Matthews-Paul investigates this hybrid UV-curable entry-level machine, the Durst Omega 1, in our hands on feature.
It was really only a question of time before Durst made the decision to join the entry-level market with a UV-curable platform, and the company has now achieved this. The result is the 1.6m Omega 1, a compact yet solid hybrid engine which incorporates all of the Austrian manufacturer’s finely honed skills but at a price point which will appeal to those on a limited budget.
Durst’s Rho family of wide-format printers has always been rated as one of the top platforms for users who want to print industrial and graphic applications. The company has stuck with UV-curable formulations since it first entered this market sector with the Rho 160, and its machines come in a range of sizes from 1.6m up to its 5m roll-to-roll option.
Thus, the new Omega 1 incorporates many of the elements found in its former most costly counterparts, sticking to the tradition of being a solidly made machine which is designed to be a workhorse, rather than merely a thing of beauty. It’s available with a choice of ink configurations, and can be used either as a flatbed or roll-fed unit.
Typically Durst has incorporated greyscale drop-on-demand inkjet technology into this unit, with the resulting output having a resolution of up to 1,728dpi. Its wide gamut is optimised with the addition of optional process colours, these being orange and violet, grey, light magenta and light cyan. Users have a selection of options depending on the colour variations which best suit their output requirements.
The standard version of the machine incorporates CMYK, whilst the Plus version has the traditional extras of light cyan and light magenta. The Omega 1 PCA (process colour addition) model offers CMYK plus orange and violet, and there is a further option of grey and white.
The Omega 1 has a deceptively small footprint for a machine with a big heart. The floor space needed is only 15m2, and it’s able to print images up to a maximum width of 1.6m by virtually any length. Maximum production speeds are an impressive 35m2/hr.
Inks are easy to handle with integrated reservoirs allowing refilling on the fly from one litre collapsable containers which make disposal easy and minimise waste. These are, of course, UV-curable products which offer excellent adhesion onto virtually all materials likely to be used in graphic and industrial environments. With the latter type of production in mind, the smallest size which can be worked is A3 (29.7 x 42cm) and multiple small sheets can be set up with a template to enable the easy and swift production of labels and decals.
Changing from flatbed to roll-fed mode is fast and simple, making this machine well suited for production of a wide range of applications. Its abilities include high quality output onto most rigid materials up to a maximum thickness of 5cm but, with flexible media, the Omega 1 can be used with a broad selection of options such as self-adhesive vinyl films, PVC, PE and textiles.
Of particular relevance for users moving into the sector for industrial applications, as well as for the display market, is the fact that the Omega 1 also prints quite happily to foils, metals and polycarbonates. This extends the versatility of the machine and offers a strong solution for companies wanting a single wide-format printer to handle all application types without having to worry about working with specialist coated and uncoated media.
In roll-fed mode, the Omega 1 can handle media thicknesses up to 2mm, with a maximum weight of a generous 50kg. Boards and rigid substrates up to 50kg can be accommodated, indicative of the machine’s solid build and feed mechanism. The materials use a mechanical stop, and left or right guide for registration, with an encoder measuring the transport sequences to maintain absolute precision when aligning images. Its precision transport uses an advanced magnetic linear drive, ensuring that the printheads are accurately positioned for accuracy and consistency of the printed result.
The Omega 1, like the other models from Durst, incorporates the company’s Linux based software that speeds up processing and throughput. The machine is supplied with Caldera’s RIP Server (CopyRip). The interface is logical and straightforward, with versatile options simplified for all types of job.
This isn’t the cheapest 1.6m wide-format printer on the market today, but nor is it the most expensive in this category. Given that it is an extremely sturdy hybrid unit, and perfectly happy in both its flatbed and roll-fed modes, it should appeal to users who need a tough build quality and a good choice of inks.
Depending on its configuration, the Durst Omega 1 is priced in the range of 80,000 Euro to 140,000 Euro.