Fujifilm believes its new B1 inkjet innovation will ‘open up a space that didn’t exist before’. The device has not been officially named yet but is known internally as the B1PE7 (B1 print engine, seven picolitre printhead).
Presented at FESPA 2017 in Hamburg, Germany as a technology preview, the 200sph, 960dpi modular printer is manufactured by Inca, and uses established print technology from the manufacturer’s Onset and Spyder models, married with Fujifilm printheads and inks, with a feeder made by Essex-based Auto Feeders, plus a UV drying tunnel and stacker from Natgraph. The front end is a Caldera RIP while it’s also reputed for its resilience and longevity as a multi-pass printing system.
‘This opens up a space that didn’t exist before,’ said Fujifilm Global Graphic Systems Business Manager – Kevin Jenner. ‘We have had interest from offset printers and from screen printers, from people who would like a faster Acuity or a slower Onset, or whose business is geared around B1. It speaks to a lot of different needs.’
The machine will be installed at the firm’s Broadstairs site and used for in-depth customer demonstrations from the end of July. If all goes according to plan, it could become commercially available by September.
The B1PE7 has eight print channels and prints in CMYK, but Fujifilm will also be talking to potential customers about possible options such as different colour sets, ink systems and additional printheads for higher print speeds.
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