A truly future-proof wide-format print solution has been added to Agfa Graphics' portfolio of UV-curable ink-jet engines, which enables display producers to balance their investments, inline with business growth. The :Jeti 3020 Titan is a high production flat-bed machine, designed and constructed using a modular format so that, as users' demands increase, the printer's colour and speed capabilities can be extended.
The Agfa Graphics :Jeti 3020 Titan's entry-level version incorporates 16 robust Ricoh Gen 4 greyscale print-heads resulting in fast, high quality CMYK output at a native resolution of 600 dpi, able to deliver 1200 dpi for photorealistic image quality. The machine has a maximum print area of 3 x 2 m prints up to an impressive 113 square m/hour (1,216 square feet/hour).
The Agfa :Jeti 3020 Titan can be extended to incorporate more colours and higher speeds. The modular concept and new electronics' platform simplifies upgrades to ensure that the machine is future-proof, guaranteeing a healthy ROI for investors who can add options, in keeping with their business strategy, to broaden their output capabilities and enter new markets.
The :Jeti 3020 Titan can be configured from a minimum of 16, up to a maximum of 48 greyscale heads, according to individual requirements, with a maximum print speed of 226 square m/hour (2,432 square feet/hour). The standard CMYK configuration can be extended with double the initial print-head arrangement for high-speed throughput, along with other colour options.
Additional versatile ink choices for the :Jeti 3020 Titan enable the incorporation of light cyan and light magenta for better image rendering, double white, white and clear varnish to add an artistic touch, or orange and green to extend the colour gamut. As a consequence both the speed and the colour selections define the number of heads in the system offering optimum throughput and image quality; these enhancements can be added when required.
Designed as a completely new concept in wide-format printers from the ground up, the Titan's rugged flat bed architecture and solid vacuum table work effortlessly with flexible and rigid materials up to 5 cm in thickness. Its robust steel frame platform, with Agfa Graphics' advanced linear motion technology, feature state-of-the-art digital encoders for precision dot placement to the finest quality even at the fastest throughput speeds. This industrial design, integral to the high standards of the :Jeti 3020 Titan, is vital for maintaining consistently precise results, essential for creating accurate graphics and fine text down to 8 picolitre drop sizes. Even in its initial, four-colour output configuration, the printer performs flawlessly on photographic and solid colours, with no banding, and crisp, clear text output in sizes as small as 4pt.
Agfa has also incorporated a new electronics' platform, which not only makes processor upgrades simple to carry out but also provides online interactive diagnostics and monitoring.
As well as speed and quality, Agfa Graphics has ensured that the highest safety standards have been built into the :Jeti 3020 Titan. The enhanced UV light screening, automatic head height adjustment and an optional laser media height detection system, minimise operator intervention and improve the user's working environment.
The :Jeti 3020 Titan is designed to output borderless prints across 2 x 3 m dimensions. Multiple boards can be printed simultaneously, with retractable register pins. The operator can position rigid materials accurately and consistently on all run lengths.
"Today's print service providers and display producers don't want to change machines every time they need to upgrade, and this was one of the primary design specifications we considered when we developed the Titan," states Richard Barham, Vice President for Inkjet Systems at Agfa Graphics. "The market for UV-curable wide-format ink-jet printers is always changing, and this can be costly and time-consuming for customers who don't want their workflow to be disrupted every time they need to invest in more colours or faster throughput."
"By developing a wide-format UV-curable platform which incorporates every option likely to be needed by growing and established businesses, we can bring much-needed stability to our user base yet give them the opportunity to take advantage of the latest printing technology," Barham concludes. "With the :Jeti 3020 Titan we have brought to market the industry's first truly future-proof solution. It allows users to upgrade in order to stay ahead of the competition with their existing print technology."
