Flatbed specialist swissQprint has entered the roll-to-roll wide-format market with the official launch of the Karibu, a 3.4m LED-curing UV printer that offers a number of novel productivity-focused features.
Developed in response to requests from customers for a dedicated roll-fed device rather than the roll options for the existing flatbeds, the Karibu offers up to 212sqm/hr productivity with up to nine ink channels, allowing CMYK, light versions and clear varnish. A new non-toxic ink set provides flexibility for use with roll materials and is Greenguard Gold certified, making printed products suitable for use in environments such as schools and hospitals.
The width allows two 1.6m rolls to be printed simultaneously, each with its own drive and tension control. Media loading is simplified via a cassette drawer mechanism and four vertical illuminated status bars allow easy identification of printer problems and percentage of job complete.
For soft signage applications, a paper ‘mesh kit’ captures ink that passes through the media or beyond the edges in full-bleed work. The spill is cured along with the rest of the print and the paper roll advanced and replaced when full, making for a tidier approach to this type of printing and less cleaning and maintenance.
Print bed vacuum control is achieved by a series of finger-tip operated switches, allowing the area to be quickly adjusted to suit media width. An integral lightbox located immediately in front of the print swathe allows backlit work to be checked for quality with minimal delay and wastage, a process facilitated by front-to-back movement of the printing bridge, which also enables the mesh printing mode described above.
The Karibu printer is complemented by Lory control software which allows drag-and-drop imposition and nesting for multiple jobs to maximise roll usage.
