The Varstar features PAT’s True Digital Coating (TDC) technology, which applies UV coatings via five Xaar drop-on-demand grayscale piezo inkjet printheads. This non-contact process allows coatings to be applied directly onto printed material without the use of plates or blankets.
The fully-automated sheetfed machine handles a maximum sheet size of 61x76cm and minimum of 20x20cm at speeds of up to 7,000 A4 sheets per hour. Print is scanned for a registration mark and the coating is applied only where needed and then cured by UV. The intensity of the lamp automatically increases and decreases with the speed of the web and the amount of coating that is being applied.
The Varstar can produce variable gloss levels without changing the varnish or equipment configurations by using a touch screen display control. Gloss levels can be varied and spot coating effects applied allowing users to create almost any pattern or image, consisting of matt through to gloss effects, in a single pass.
The unit uses a precision conveyor to hold sheets in place and has its own coating job manager to prepare jobs. It also has an automatic feeder and a viewing port with UV protection.
The firm is currently shipping machines direct to the UK from North America while it continues to search for a UK distributor.
SPECIFICATIONS
Speed: 7,000 A4 sheets per hour
Minimum sheet size: 20x20cm
Maximum sheet size: 61x76cm
Technology: drop-on-demand, grayscale Piezo inkjet
Features: spot coating, varnish effects, variable gloss levels, touch screen, controls
Price: £86,000 ($172,500)
Contact: www.pattechnology.com
Star product: Varstar sheetfed digital UV coater
Montreal-based PAT Technology Systems has launched what it claims is the worlds first truly digital UV coater, designed to bring coating technology up to speed with the needs of digital printing. Data management, inkjet technology and a robust platform have been combined to form a high-capacity and reliable machine.
