Mimaki has announced a new member of the UJF-MkII product family, its latest generation of small format UV flatbed printers.
The UJF-3042MkII EX, which will be unveiled at FESPA 2017, offers a unique approach to value-added printing by combining four steps into one: delivering the ability to place primer for strong ink adhesion, white ink for high print opacity, full colour CMYK printing and a clear print surface treatment, all in one operation.
This high versatility approach has been enabled through the addition of a fourth print head and the ability to hold eight ink bottles. FESPA 2017 is scheduled for 8th to 12th May in Hamburg, Germany. Mimaki Europe will have two stands at FESPA, and is set to show the new printer on its stand in the Digital Hall (Stand A1-A25), where it will also be demonstrating a wide range of solutions for the sign and graphics market and industrial print. The company will also have a presence in the Textile Hall (Stand B6-C50), demonstrating its long-time commitment to the textile industry.
The UJF-MkII UV curable flatbed printing systems were launched last summer and have been very well received by the market since their introduction. Mimaki has identified the opportunity to raise the bar even further with the new model, enabling in a single operation; the laying down, where required, of a base coat of inkjet primer, a base print of white ink, full colour print and a surface coating of clear ink, adding up to an efficient means of producing value-added printing applications. Mimaki also offers a texture library within the Mimaki RasterLink6 RIP that can deliver further value in the finished print.
Exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Hybrid Services, the company’s national sales manager, John de la Roche states, “The addition of the EX to the UJF-MkII range is significant and offers unique opportunities for companies looking for a direct to object printer that can deliver real value-added functionality.”
Additional new features
In addition to all of the advantages of the Mimaki UJF-3042MkII, the new UJF-3042MkII EX adds more features to the standard model for higher performance and ease of use, including a status indication lamp to quickly check the status of the printer, a vacuum table to fix the print substrate and an emergency switch to immediately stop the machine operation. It also offers worry-free operation with automatic detection and cleaning of clogged nozzles, substituting them with good nozzles for printing during the process.
The compressed workflow includes a jettable primer to improve ink adhesion whilst retaining the texture of the material after printing, which is difficult to do with manual primer application. The Mimaki PR-200 primer can be used on resin, glass and metal materials. Mimaki’s white UV ink features high opacity and enables a more vivid expression of full colour, especially on dark or transparent substrates. Two bottles of white ink can be attached to the printer to achieve high density white print in a shorter time with greater opacity.
Mimaki’s clear ink, with either glossy or matte effects, can add texture and depth to prints. It can be laid down in multiple layers for an embossed effect and can be used with Mimaki’s texture library as part of the Mimaki RasterLink6 RIP software which offers 129 different textures that can be displayed as swatches in Adobe Illustrator. Application of these textures with clear ink can deliver more elaborate designs, such as a floral motifs or other patterns that add even greater value to the printed piece.
Environmental considerations
As part of Mimaki’s dedication to delivering environmentally sustainable solutions, the company has renewed its GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications. The GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications offer stricter certification criteria and consider safety factors to ensure that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. GREENGUARD Certification is part of UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories). As an ISO-IEC Guide 65:1996 accredited, third-party certifying body, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute issues the GREENGUARD Certification to help manufacturers create – and help buyers identify – interior products and materials that have low chemical emissions, improving the quality of the air in environments in which the products are used, including schools and healthcare facilities.
Mimaki has GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold certifications for the UV-curable inks used in its UJF-3042MkII, UJF-6042MkII and UJF-3042MkII EX printers, including LH-100, LUS-120, LUS-150 UV curable inks. The certification also applies to Mimaki’s LUS-200 UV-curable ink; LX-101 Latex ink; and SS21, Mimaki’s most popular solvent ink.
