Aiming to bring ‘industrial’ productivity at a more affordable price point to its wide-format portfolio, EFI yesterday announced the Vutek 32h, a 3.2m LED UV-curing hybrid printer that features a number of quality and productivity improvements.
Capable of 223sqm/hr in roll-fed mode and 84sqm/hr on rigid media, the Vutek 32h is available in eight-colour plus white configurations, with a single-pass mode, resolutions of 600 or 1000dpi and the ability to produce multi-layer prints for day/night or window display.
EFI’s product marketing manager for the Vutek hybrid range Thomas Krumm said, ‘The aim is to bring down the entry-level cost for moving from wide-format [EFI’s ‘Pro range] to industrial [the Vutek line].’ When questioned on price, Mr Krumm declined to give a precise figure but said it would be in the ‘high twos’, presumably referring to US dollar prices in the hundreds of thousands.
Engineering and design improvements include gull-wing doors that provide easier access for maintenance and service, plus a larger clear front cover for better visibility during production. Image quality is said to be improved by changes to the printhead carriage for better balance, a 50% thicker frame and a design that makes the rigid media table effectively part of the frame, simplifying alignment and reducing vibration, all of which contribute to more accurate and consistent dot placement.
Software support for the 32h includes being ‘IQ-ready’, a reference to EFI’s cloud-based management and analytics software that is being released currently (see the cloud software feature in Digital Printer July/August 2019). An ink-saving mode supported in Fiery XF DFEs and ProServer v7.2 software, promises to offer savings of up to 43%, dependent on image content, media and print settings. Samples seen by Digital Printer did show a very good match for colour balance, detail and saturation, though EFI technical staff advised that the technology would not suit smooth gradients so well.
Beta trials of the Vutek 32h in the US are now concluding and first customer shipments are scheduled for mid-September.
Also on display at EFI’s Zavantem, Belgium showroom was the Vutek 30f, announced at Fespa 2019. The 1.5 x 3m flatbed supports media up to 100mm thick, and has a linear dive motor for the head carriage. Initially available in CMYK only, white will be added shortly and clear varnish is being developed currently. It is expected to ship at the end of September.
