Canon has replaced Arizona 318 GL the with the Arizona 135 GT flatbed printer, and is aiming it at offset and screen printers transitioning to inkjet, as well as at existing large-format digital PSPs and sign makers.
Shipments of the new printer - which can handle substrates of up to 125 x 250cm and up to 50.8mm thick, and print at speeds of up to 34.2m²/hour - will start mid July.
Canon said it considers the Arizona 135 GT a smart investment from just 2,000m² per year. Its productivity is enhanced by its easy-to-use functionality, including nesting, batching, step and repeat, mirroring and re-assignment of print modes.
Automated maintenance system provides hands-free printhead maintenance and selectively restores nozzle function, while an On Remote Service allows the user to authorise remote assistance by service technicians.
An optional Arizona Static Suppression upgrade kit enables the Arizona 135 GT to print on hard plastic materials, while the Arizona Classic high-pressure vacuum system provides media hold-down during printing, even for warped rigid media. A field-upgradeable Roll Media option allows users to produce flexible media applications up to 220cm wide, including thin and heat-sensitive media, and to run roll-to-roll jobs unattended overnight.
The Arizona 135 GT comes with Arizona Xpert prepress software, including recipes for easy-to-create applications, and the software allows users to exchange recipes directly with customers so that designers can preview the end product with a 3D view in Arizona Xpert Extensions. Arizona Xpert also offers opportunities for textured surface prints using multiple ink layers.
The Arizona 135 GT’s VariaDot technology uses variable drop sizes from 6 to 30 picolitres, which Canon said results in as much as 50% less ink than regular flatbed printers. The device’s environmental credentials also include the use of UL Greenguard Gold certified inks for indoor applications. Additionally, the Arizona 135 GT features low-energy consumption as a result of its Instant-On functionality and minimal warm-up time thanks to its LED lamps. Other energy saving features include its standard voltage power supply, energy-efficient curing process and power-efficient vacuum pumps. The printer will, in time, be included in the Arizona Remanufacturing Programme too.
Michele Tuscano, head of global partner channel and VP EMEA - large format graphics at Canon Production Printing, said: “In bringing the Arizona 135 GT to market, we’re looking to offer sign makers, print service providers and offset and screen printers, among others - either starting out in the large-format graphics industry or those that want to diversify into new applications - the ideal flatbed platform for printing multiple applications on both rigid and flexible media. As the latest member of the fifth generation of Arizona printers, the Arizona 135 GT offers users the same core technology and benefits of its mid-volume siblings at an attractive investment level.”