Wide format inkjet printing systems that can quickly switch between roll-fed and flatbed capability.
Universal Digital Technology Equipment and its European agent Galaxy Printek Europe are currently little known in the UK, although there already a dozen customers here.
They are better known across Europe, where around 500 printing machines are in the field. And in China, where Universal Digital (UD) manufactures the machines, it is a top five name in the market.
Galaxy Printek has a European base near Birmingham however, and also distributes through Vistech Technical Services (VTS) in Poole, Dorset, so UK customers will be hearing a lot more from them.
One of the things they will hear about is the UD LA series of ecosolvent based wide format inkjet printing systems, which can print to both roll-fed media such as vinyl and backlit film, and to foam board up to 10 mm thick. There are 1.8, 2.1 and 2.5 metre systems within the range, with prices extending from around £8000 for a 1.8 metre system with a single Epson print head, to £18,000 for a 2.5 metre machine with two Epson heads.
All of the systems are four colour machines, and can print in high quality mode at 1440 dpi at speeds of up to 36 square metres per hour (on the two-headed UD-2512LA (2.5 metre wide)). Like many Chinese printing equipment brands, UD and Galaxy Printek have to battle to overcome stereotypical assumptions about the quality of their products and the service support that will be provided.
In fact, engineers are based in the UK, and one Englishman who hopes to put the quality issue to bed is Peter Dawson, managing director of VTS, who told Digital Printer: ‘We spent eight months evaluating the market. We have been testing these machines on every material we could find, trying to get it to break, and so far we have not managed to. They are tough machines.’
What will be especially attractive to potential customers are the running costs of the UD LA printers. The inks are priced at £70 per litre. Mr Dawson continued on this theme: ‘The running costs are very low, and people like that. Usually, you would have to use third party ink to get running costs this low, but not with these systems. We like this machine very much and think it has a great chance of making it in this market. It’s probably not the cheapest machine on the market, but the quality is excellent and running costs are very low.’
VTS offers the LA series printers with a lifetime warranty, two VTS services a year, and all parts free of charge should repairs be required. From VTS, it will be supplied with a Wasatch RIP, but Galaxy Printek additionally offers Shiraz and Photoprint RIPs.
UD, which was founded in 2005, manufactures the printing systems at its 38,000 square metre factory in Huizhou City, Guangdong province, producing around 6000 units per year.
From here also, a research and development team that is rich in experience follows a continuous path in the search for greater technological excellence with hardware and consumables, and collaborates with other major manufacturers, such as SII Printek Inc., with which it has developed the SPT series printer.
Print head technology comes from Epson; all the systems are four colour
Galaxy Printek sales manager Genie Liew states that one of its UK customers, in Yorkshire, has already gained a full return on its investment, within a period of about six months, and she moved to reassure UK printers that the company was set up to provide first class technical support to its customers.
‘People don’t know about our brand, and we want them to know that our business is based in the UK, with UK service and engineers. Of course, people want to see print samples, and to talk to our end users, and we highly recommend that,’ she said.
‘The UD LA series of printers provides outdoor signage with excellent durability, colourful light box advertising and beautiful outdoor banner ads. Colours are vivid, images clear and text sharp. This is a high quality, low cost printing system with 24-hour on-site service support.’
