swissQprint has unveiled a 10-colour, 3.2mx2m UV LED Kudu flatbed printer at Fespa Global, where it also showed a new glass printing solution.
The Kudu - which complements the company’s existing flatbed Nyala, Impala and Oryx models - is the first swissQprint printer to feature ten colour channels. Users configure the channels according to their needs and can adapt the configuration at any time later. The newly developed universal ink (Greenguard Gold certified) is available in CMYK, light cyan, light magenta, light black, white, effect varnish and primer as well as the spot colours orange and neon yellow and pink.
The printer has a top speed of 300m2/hr and offers an addressable resolution of up to 1350dpi. It stands on a newly designed mechanical foundation and operates using the latest linear drives, which “ensures precise droplet placement at such high speeds,” said Carmen Eicher, chief of sales and marketing officer.
The Kudu features a Tip Switch vacuum like the other printers from swissQprint. In the case of Kudu, it is divided into 260 zones. Lory, the output software developed in-house, has a graphical user interface with a virtual flatbed designed for intuitive operation.
The printer is expandable with a roll-to-roll option.
Meanwhile, swissQprint has also introduced a new system for UV flatbed printing on glass, comprising a mechanical solution supplemented by an inkset for optimum adhesion. A pivoting alignment edge with five steplessly adjustable horizontal stops ensures precise positioning of glass panels on the printbed. The latter is covered by protective paper that is air-permeable so the vacuum holds down the media but the paper retains ink printed in the bleed margin. The printbed stays clean, and with the roll-to-roll option the operator advances the paper at the touch of a button.
The inkset has been optimised for glass printing and includes process and light colours, plus white and varnish. A bonding agent is unnecessary, which eliminates one process step.