Fespa 2018: stand highlights

What's new and what's hot at the wide-format show

Adelco 

Hall 4.1 stand D30

UK-based print industry kit manufacturer Adelco is launching three new products at the Berlin show: a new range of driers, called Pro-cure, a new Matrix oval textile printing press and a high-speed digital hybrid system that can be added to the Oval called the AD Hybrid Digital.

The new Pro-Cure drier range will be available in five belt widths with any length of oven for all digital and conventional textile ink systems. It will have an “advanced and efficient” airflow and exhaust system, taking features already developed for Adelco’s Dual dryer and roll-to-roll drying products.

Among the features in the range are dual lint filters that prevent lint build up in the dryer, reducing cleaning maintenance dramatically and enabling filters to be cleaned in seconds while the drier is still running.

The new Oval screen printing system, the Matrix, is a modular and expandable system and can be configured for almost any production requirement with an almost infinite number of pallets and print stations, according to Adelco.

The Matrix has a compact footprint and a large print area, providing more versatility with multiple flash, cooling and speciality print stations. 

The AD Hybrid digital printer has eight CMYK Fujifilm StarFire heads and six-colour models are also available for wider colour gamut.


Aeoon Technologies 

Hall 1.1 stand A51

Austria-based Aeoon produces textile printers and pre-treatment units for industrial digital direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. It will be showing for the first time its new Kyo Hybrid series, intended for digital textile production “on an industrial scale” and combines DTG technology with screen printing, hence ‘Hybrid’.


Aslan 

Hall 1.2 stand B27

Aslan, the German manufacturer of self-adhesive speciality films, will unveil a new glass decoration film, which it says is unique in the market, EtchedBoard Dyrapply 300, combines two functions in one. Due to its surface that can be written on any number of times with whiteboard markers, the film can be used to create decorative privacy screens as well as presentation and communication surfaces.

Aslan is also extending its UltraTack digital printing series and the range of digital printing films for rough interior and exterior walls, WrapTheHouse, by the addition of a transparent variant. UltraTack is now available in five variants and WrapTheHouse in three, to offer a broader set of potential applications. 

The company is also introducing another new product with two potential uses: EcoSoftTouch 109 is a matt laminate film that can be used for full or partial finishing of prints, packaging and smooth surfaces in interiors, as well as for the protection of banner prints for roll-up systems.

Finally, UV-PrintProtect is a new protective film developed for UV-prints. It can protect prints not only from external factors and mechanical wear, but also creates an even, uniform surface. It is available in matt and glossy finishes.


Avery Dennison/Mactac 

Hall 6.2 stand A42, 

Avery Dennison and subsidiary Mactac Europe say they will have 10 new products on show at the expo. The 10 new innovations – six from Avery Dennison and four from Mactac – will include applications across vehicles, architecture and interior displays. Shaun Hobson, senior business director, Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions Europe, says: “These new products offer the high performance, in terms of both visual appeal and ease of use, needed to make business growth easier to achieve.”

Among the Avery Dennison launches will be new premium car wrap colours for Supreme Wrapping Film and Conform Chrome, bringing the total colour count across the two ranges to more than 100. There will also be a focus on architecture with the new Architectural Window Films range, offering more than 20 new materials to transform building performance, comfort and aesthetics. 

Mactac will be focusing on interior and retail applications, including the new Macdot product for short-term displays. Macdot films are said to be easy to apply meaning non-professional staff can use them, making them an “outstanding cost-effective choice” for point-of-sale applications and exhibitions.

Mactac will also showcase the winner of its ‘Bright Young Things Take Hackney’ design competition. The competition required student and graduate artists and designers to design high-impact, large-scale displays for exterior retail walls and drew submissions from across the continent. The winning design will be displayed at the Hackney Walk retail outlet in east London.


AWT World Trade Group 

Hall 1.1 stand C27

US-based machinery manufacturer AWT World Trade has added to its Accu-Cure series of UV curing units with the launch of the ACS 100 and ACSD 100, which each feature curing widths of 2.54m (100in).

The machines are engineered for high-speed curing of vinyl, polyesters, paper and other substrates, according to AWT. The company says its Accu-Cure’s cooling system minimises heat transmission to stock in the curing chamber.

Like the rest of the Accu-Cure range, the new models feature repositionable UV curing heads to accommodate a wide range of substrate thicknesses, reliable vacuum holddown, and durable Fiberlon conveyor belts. The new models are available with either single or double lamps.


Barbieri 

Hall 1.1 stand B30

The Italian colour-matching specialist will be showing off its new spectrophotometer, the Spectro LFP qb, a flatbed spectrophotometer that reads either reflective or transmissive media and measures the colours in LAB values.


Brother 

Hall 2.1 stand A32

Brother will be showing the latest generation of its DTG printers, the GTX machines, said to be the fastest in the series. They also have the biggest print area of any Brother DTG printer, at 406x533mm. 

The new devices can print at resolutions up to 1,200dpi and employ Innobella Textile inks for a wider colour gamut. The printers’ ability to handle large gaps to substrate mean they can print over seams, across zippers, on pockets and so on, making them more flexible than a standard t-shirt printer.

The printers use water-based pigment inks available in 200ml and 500ml packs and print in five colours (CMYK plus white). 


CADLink Technology 

Hall 3.2 stand B60

CADlink Technology is a Canadian business that has been developing design and production software for over 20 years. The company will be debuting the latest versions of its Digital Factory, aimed specifically at apparel applications.


Canon 

Hall 3.2 stand A40

Canon says it will have its biggest presence at Fespa to date and will be showcasing a broad spectrum of solutions for roll-to-roll and flatbed printing, cutting and workflow automation, while sharing inspiring examples of the diverse range of applications.

New to the market will be the latest versions of the Océ Arizona 1200 and 2200 series of UV flatbeds, which incorporate additional software for creating layered texture effects.

Also on show will be the Océ Colorado 1640 roll-to-roll printer, built on Canon’s UVgel technology. Two separate printers will demonstrate the printer’s productivity and media versatility across applications from high-value domestic and commercial decor to self-adhesives.

Other Canon roll-to-roll solutions on show will include the Océ ColorWave 910 single-pass inkjet printer with inline folder producing AEC applications as well as posters, while the Océ ColorWave 700 will show its versatility to print on coated and uncoated media for everything from posters to banners and wallpapers. The imagePrograf Pro-4000 and TX4000 printers will also be demonstrated producing photo and fine art prints as well as POS and posters, including a demonstration of a new waterproof Canon media for outdoor use.

In the flatbed production zone, Canon will show the 1280GT and 6170XTS models from the Océ Arizona series. The Océ Arizona 6170XTS printer will be shown in a streamlined print-and-cut workflow with the Océ ProCut G3 XL-3200 cutting table, producing short-run packaging.

The stand will also feature a ‘home-street-store’ walk-through, illustrating the role of targeted customer communications, promotional graphics and decor in the extended customer journey for the conceptual ‘Elemental’ beauty brand campaign. The ‘store’ environment will display applications such as vinyl flooring, murals, packaging, display furniture and counters, while the ‘home’ space will feature laminate flooring, furniture, wallpaper and ceramic tiles.


Colorjet India 

Hall 1.1 stand C21

Colorjet, India’s largest manufacturer of signage and textile digital inkjet printers, will show off its new machine, the Vulcan, a 3.2m-wide UV LED roll-to-roll printer with seven colours.


Dataline Solutions 

Hall 3.1 stand A29

The Belgian print software developer will be showing off the latest features of its MultiPress MIS/ERP, including Calculation Wizard, Workflower and JDF connect to RIP. Dataline says MultiPress integrates all administrative, commercial, financial and logistic business processes together with production and management into a single powerful management system.


EFI 

Hall 2.2 stand B30

EFI is unveiling a new version of its Vutek FabriVu 340 aqueous dispersed dye-sublimation soft signage printer, the 340i. The new model employs the latest EFI technology, including a new platen and extraction system, that enables inline heat press sublimation directly from the printer. EFI says the printer offers much greater convenience and value versus the option of buying a printer and separate heat press. It can print at up to 500m²/hr.

Ken Hanulec, vice-president of marketing, says: “By combining two major production steps into one continuous process our customers can drive greater throughput and take full advantage of the rapidly growing soft signage and fabric print market.”


Elitron 

Hall 1.1 stand C20

Italian manufacturer Elitron will debut the latest enhancement to its Kombo TH flatbed cutting system.

The Kombo TH can now cut different materials simultaneously thanks to a software upgrade that enables users to assign a specific job to each of the twin-head flatbed cutting system’s cutting heads, even when using different materials.

Elitron says this development enhances the flexibility of the machine and speeds up operations that require the use of more materials sequentially, the manufacturer said, while also making short runs more profitable and easier to manage.

Marketing and PR coordinator Giacomo Zoppi says: “With this development, you can either work with a focus on performance – if you want to finish the job sooner you would feature the same toolset in the multi-tool cutting head – or you can focus on flexibility by adding different toolsets to each of the two cutting heads so you basically have two cutting machines in one.”

Existing Kombo TH users can have their machines field upgraded to benefit from the new capability.

Elitron machinery is distributed by Atech in the UK.


Epson 

Hall 2.2 stand D30

Epson will be highlighting the capabilities of its SureColor devices for printed textiles. On stand will be a collection of womenswear clothing created by British designer Richard Quinn and printed entirely on Epson SureColor SC-F Series printers, as well as examples of decor work coming out of Birmingham City University’s School of Textiles and Fashion. The latter project challenges students to create work to a set brief and four students will be selected to attend Fespa to view their winning work on display. 

In terms of machinery, the stand will feature the Monna Lisa industrial textile press, which will take centre stage, the SureColor SC-F9300 dye-sublimation printer and the SureColor SC-F2100 DTG.

Richard Barrow, senior product manager, Production LFP, says: “Digital inkjet remains a fast-evolving business and both suppliers and printers continue to trial and challenge the technology to do more.”


GCC Europe 

Hall 3.1 stand A28

Taiwanese firm GCC manufactures UV curable inkjet printers, laser engraving/cutting/marking systems and vinyl cutting equipment. At Fespa it will unveil its new JF-240UV flatbed printer for applications such as signage, promotional items and personalised gifts. The JF-240UV is a four-colour (CMYK) printer with optional white and varnish and can print on objects up to 300mm high. It can print on a broad range of substrates, from flexible media, such as paper, wall stickers and heat transfer films, through to rigid materials, such as ceramic, glass, acrylic and foam boards.

The JF-240UV can produce raised patterns to create tactile effects. GCC also stresses its high-resolution output, said to produce readable characters at 2pt. It also features twin curing lamps and a 1l bulk ink system.


HP 

Hall 3.2 stand C20

HP is planning to unveil its Latex R Series, which will enable its water-based Latex technology to be used for rigid printing and priced at below £250,000. The launch will be backed up by sessions in the Fespa Trend Theatre, highlighting the capabilities of the new machines.

HP says the series will bring “unparalleled speed and quality” to a wide range of rigid materials, including foamboards, foam PVC, cardboard, fluted polypropylene, solid plastics, aluminium, wood, and glass among others.

The multi-pass technology will also bring the “most vibrant colours” into the area of rigid printing, HP says, based on internal testing it carried out in January 2018 comparing the technology with other machines in the same price bracket.

New for this series is HP Latex White Ink, which the manufacturer said incorporates a system that recirculates the white ink to avoid settling. This is said to deliver glossy, high-quality “true white” that doesn’t yellow over time like traditional UV-based white ink does.

HP Large Format Graphics Business general manager Joan Perez Pericot says: “Customers have been asking us about having the same quality with rigid materials that they already have on the flexible side with Latex technology.”


Inca Digital Printers 

Hall 1.1 stand C40

Cambridge-based Inca Digital is hoping to provoke the “biggest stir at Fespa” with what it claims is the fastest-ever wide-format digital printer.

The new, currently unnamed, device is still in development but can reportedly print at up to 30,000m²/hr and is a 1.6m-wide printer fitted with Fujifilm Samba printheads. 

Inca chief executive John Mills will be hosting daily talks at the expo, where the machine’s potential will be demonstrated by video. Inca staff will also exhibit a 50m-long print sample that the machine produced in 10 seconds.

Mills says: “Our plan is to introduce it now so that people can start talking about it and having conversations with us about what they want from it. We are talking to companies in the corrugated sector who are very interested.”

Inca will have an “expanded” presence at this year’s show, with its own stand in Hall 1.1 and a second in conjunction with Fujifilm in Hall 5.2 to show off its flagship Onset X3 press.

Taking the spotlight will be the Onset X series’ “mini” counterpart, as Inca has chosen Fespa as the site for the commercial launch of its new Onset M B1 press. Running off the same technology as the X series, the M is designed for versatility in short-run work.

“The Onset M is designed to serve four key markets – short runs with expensive substrates; small-format; carton and board; and printing on metal such as cans,” says Mills. “It is our most-tested machine ever and we have worked with our customers to make sure it can be used on every substrate they would possibly want.”


Isonova 

Hall 3.1 stand C49

Isonova is an Italian producer of sandwich panels for digital printing and will be showing its new BioISOPrint product, a biodegradable sandwich panel.


J-Teck 

Hall 2.2 stand C13

The Italian ink brand will be showcasing its latest dye-sublimation inks including the brand new J-Nexter ink for Epson heads.


Kiian Digital 

Hall 2.2 stand C13

Kiian Digital, part of the JK Group, is a specialist in digital inks and will be showing its new Digistar T-Sonic sublimation ink.


Koenig & Bauer 

Hall 3.2 stand B60

KBA-Digital &Web Solutions will focus on its latest developments for large-format corrugated printing and converting: CorruJet, CorruFlex and CorruCut. The CorruCut is a sheetfed flexo press with integrated cutter. It is due to be installed at a pilot site, Klingele Group in Delmenhorst north-west Germany early this year. The new digital sheetfed press for corrugated, the CorruJet, has been in tests with first customer, Bavarian corrugated packaging specialist Hans Kolb Wellpappe. The CorruJet is an advance on the RotaJet and is a system for digital post-printing directly onto corrugated board sheets.


Kohlschein 

Hall 1.2 stand B31

German manufacturer of sustainable display boards made from renewable paper fibre resources, Kohlschein, will be showing a new range of display boards: Kroma Kraft.

Kraft is a natural brown display board with unbleached kraft paperboard liners and uncoated surfaces.

The surfaces, which the company says have a distinctive look and natural touch, are printable by direct digital printing, screen printing and letterpress.

Kraft boasts superior flatness and high rigidity, according to Kohlschein, making it ideal for applications including POS, hanging signs, displays, luxury packaging, bookbinding and greetings cards.

It is available in thicknesses from 1.5mm (825gsm).


Lintec Europe 

Hall 6.2 stand A10

Lintec Europe will show a new recycled film for screen and digital applications, Re-Pop RE5055.

Re-Pop is a non-PVC dry-apply adhesive, 50-micron polyester film, which the company says addresses quality and environmental issues associated with traditional, highly plasticised ‘cling’ PVC window films. It is said to be durable and offers improved see-through and dimensional stability qualities and is easy to apply, removing the need for professional installation or removal. The film’s paper release liner means that it can be used for screen, UV digital and litho print. 

Managing director Andy Voss says: “We have always been advocates of non-PVC composition films because of their print quality, durability and eco-credentials. Re-Pop’s features and properties are reflective of this. 

“The facestock comprises over 80% of recycled PET materials in its content, which derives from discarded plastic bottles. This recycling method reduces the consumption of petroleum resources, as well as resulting in a 24% reduction in carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process. Overall, this represents a small yet significant step forward towards the preservation of the environment”.


Lüscher Technologies 

Hall 4.1 stand F23

New from Lüscher is the JetScreen! LT, a high-tech CTS system using UV lasers for exposing large-format screens. It can process frame sizes from 1.5x1.5m to 4.6x3.2m at resolutions from 600-5,080dpi.


Massivit 3D

Hall 1.1 stand A55

The Israeli manufacturer will be launching the Massivit 1500 Exploration 3D printer to the European market. The 1500 Exploration 3D is described as an entry-level model that costs around £218,000.

“The new model is aimed at people who have not used 3D printing before but are keen to test a large-format machine for a lower price than the 1800,” says marketing director Isabelle Marelly. “Resolution and build quality are the same. The only difference is the 1500 has one printhead and the 1800 two.”

The 1500 and the flagship 1800 3D printers will be shown running live on stand, which will also host a number of high-impact 3D models produced on the machines.


OKI Europe 

Hall 3.1 stand A22

OKI Europe says it will be showcasing “revenue boosting solutions” for businesses across the graphic arts sector, from retailers to signmakers and beyond. 

On stand, the company will be showing off its new-launched Pro9000 Series Envelope Print System, which it says is intended to provide profitable short-run envelope printing capabilities. OKI also says it will have an “exciting preview of an innovative new addition to OKI’s professional print portfolio”. 

The manufacturer’s ColorPainter large-format printers will be live in action, including the ColorPainter E-64s, which OKI says opens up the possibilities of large-format to a wider audience, and the M-64s, designed for high-quality, high-output work for indoor and outdoor use.


Pixartprinting 

Hall 3.1 Stand B70a

Italian web-to-print powerhouse Pixartprinting is making its Fespa debut in 2018 in order to form better relationships with its European production partners.

The firm has created the Pixartpro programme, which provides financial incentives through monthly cashback vouchers and exclusive services such as order tracking, custom sender with anonymous shipping and unbranded sample packs. “Our formula is designed to enable European printers to grow their business by accessing exclusive new technologies and expanding their product catalogue,” says marketing and sales director Federico Gonzalez. 


PrintFactory 

Hall 1.1 stand C38

Software developer PrintFactory will be showing for the first time the latest iteration of its eponymous colour and quality management suite.

PrintFactory version 6 was unveiled last month and will be supplied automatically to all subscribers running version 5, while new subscribers can sign up for rates starting at around £50 per month for the simplest, single-machine setup at smaller print shops.

On the front-end, PrintFactory Version 6 provides users with a single web-based dashboard interface that allows for control of all aspects in the production process and data-based reporting to identify and rectify inefficiencies in the workflow.

“Customers are getting more print-hungry, so printers need to be able to provide more jobs, which means reducing the setup time,” said PrintFactory chief executive Erik Strik. “Our new suite provides full automation on the desktop and many steps in the process can now be made before it is decided which printer a job will go through.”


Roland DG 

Hall 2.2 stand B20

Roland DG says it will have the widest range of advanced print-and-cut, UV-LED and dye-sublimation systems at the show.

The line-up includes the latest addition to the TrueVis range. The TrueVIS VG-640/540 and SG-540/300 printer-cutters are equipped with newly developed FlexFire printheads, which allow better control of the ink chamber plate, for a higher firing frequency, according to Roland. Also on show will be the Soljet and VersaExpress eco-solvent wide-format machines, plus the Camm-1 GR series of cutters, in the print-and-cut category. 

For personalisation and retail, Roland is showing its VersaUV LEF desktop machine, intended for on-demand custom printing of personalised products.

In the dye-sublimation sector, the company will be exhibiting its Texart XT-640, which was designed especially for the production of textile decoration, sports and fashion apparel, soft signs, polyester banners and flags, curtains and other interior décor as well as promotional goods and personalised gifts.


SEF 

Hall 2.2 stand D25

The French manufacturer of heat transfer materials will be showing MoZaic, a new printable vinyl for textile applications along side its Flock and Flex series.


Shenzhen Yuxunda Electronics 

Hall 4.1 stand F41

This Chinese manufacturer of UV flatbed printers and sublimation machines will be showing a new UV printer fitted with Gen5, Gen55 and GH2220 printheads.


Sun Chemical 

Hall 2.2 stand D20

Sun Chemical will debut new products in its graphics, industrial and digital textiles portfolios at the show.

Streamline UML, Sun Chemical’s latest ink series for wide-format, will be demonstrated live on a Mutoh printer, while Sonata DTR500, an ink developed for Ricoh Gen 5 printheads, along with SunMotion, which Sun says is “a viable alternative to backlit signage and LCD displays”.

Streamline UML is designed especially for eco-solvent applications such as graphics, signage, vehicle graphics and POS and positioned as a drop-in replacement for the Mutoh UMS CMYK series.


TheMagicTouch

Hall 4.1 stand D59 Germany-based transfer printing technology supplier TheMagicTouch will be highlighting its arrangement with Ricoh to market the digital print specialist’s entry-level Ri 100 all-in-one direct-to-garment printer. The company says the deal will “enable a wider span of businesses to evolve their offerings” by taking them into the on-demand DTG market.

The company has made the Ri 100 available in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and UK as of this month. Availability in the remaining countries in the EMEA region will follow in the summer.

The Ri 100 can print promotional and personalised garments such as t-shirts, tote bags, cushion covers and sweatshirts on demand. It uses Ricoh piezo inkjet heads to deliver “crisp high-quality soft-touch prints”. 

TheMagicTouch (GB) managing director Jim Nicol says: “We’ve been involved with this project with Ricoh for some time now. It’s a great little tool – one of the big advantages this machine has over everything else is that there is no pre-treatment going on and – more importantly – you don’t have a visible heat press.

“I believe this will open the door for a lot more opportunity to create business. It can be used to create 50 to 100 t-shirts a day, for example. I’ve got somebody who wants to use one of these for kids’ parties: the kids can design a t-shirt and then print them off – it’s a great idea.”


Texo Trade Services 

Hall 2.1 stand B30

The Dutch substrates specialist will debut two new materials at the show: Display Stretch 240, a densely knitted display textile, and woven textile Lightbox Polaris.

240gsm Display Stretch 240 has 5% stretch and is suitable for pop-up walls and textile tensioning frames. Texo said the material can be used straight from the box and is suitable for premium displays where the frame’s cross-brace must not be visible through the cloth.

Texo said the material’s stretch meant it eradicated the creasing found with standard materials.

“People are prepared to pay a little bit more for stretch and for a product that is wrinkle-free in the frame when taken out of the box,” says Texo Trade Services director Floris Jan van den Heuvel.

Lightbox Polaris builds on Lightbox Venus and has been specially developed to work with UV inks and sublimation transfer.

Available in widths of 3.2m and 5.05m, the product does not have a direct disperse finish on the polyester side like Venus, only a coating on the UV print side, which Texo said makes it less prone to stress whitening.

Van den Heuvel says: “To make the best product, it’s better to make one that is dedicated to one printing technique, otherwise it is okay for everything but not perfect for anything.”


Vastex 

Hall 4.1 stand D41

Being shown for the first time is this US firm’s new infrared dryer, the Little Red X3-D30. The new device is capable of curing DTG textiles as well as plastisol, water-based and discharge-printed garments at higher rates than possible with conventional dryer designs, according to president Mark Vasilantone.

The X3-D30 features a high-powered pre-heating zone to heat ink up to 163ºC within the first few centimetres of conveyor travel. Rapid preheating allows lengthening of the second heating zone to 810mm, thereby extending the distance and time over which the ink is accurately maintained at its optimum curing temperature, allowing increased conveyor belt speeds and dryer output.

The dryer’s three 610mm-wide heaters are digitally controlled and height-adjustable to maximise curing efficiency as garments are conveyed through the drying chamber, providing the precision-thermal-profiling needed to match curing conditions to the drying characteristics of each ink type, particularly difficult-to-cure inkjet-printed white ink.


Zünd 

Hall 1.2 stand B50

A team from Zünd UK, formerly Zünd Plotting Systems (UK), will be on the stand of the Swiss digital cutting specialist following the acquisition of the UK business by Zünd Systemtechnik last year. 

The stand will showcase the Zünd G3 3XL-3200 digital flatbed cutting system fitted with the LM 100W Cut and Seal Laser Module. Zünd says this configuration is “perfect for digitally printed textiles… This incredible system cuts and seals the edges of fabric in a single fast and safe step, on rolls of fabric up to 3.2m wide,” according to Zünd UK sales director Matthew Tillett.

Also on show will be Zünd’s newest cutting table design, the Zünd D3. Featuring two independently operating beams and up to three different tools, the D3 can potentially double production. It will be shown fitted with the Board Handling System (BHS) to demonstrate an integrated production line running large-format rigid substrates such as corrugated board and carton.