The two printers in the series, the Standard and X2, follow directly on from the Acuity Select 20 Series, launched at last FESPA, but have added features and print at almost double the speed.
Fujifilm Wide-format Product Solutions Manager – Steve Cookman said: “This is the next iteration of the Acuity flatbed products. We have worked very closely with Océ over the years, starting in 2007 with the 2504, and this is the fifth iteration of that. “Every time we launch, the unit increases in productivity. It has always been very high resolution and I guess it has probably led this area of the market for the last nine years.
“Around FESPA, we introduced the 20 series, which has all the channels but just one of each printhead. This will complete the Acuity family offering for the year.” The extra printhead per channel on the 30 Series means the standard can print at speeds of up to 57sqm/hr and the X2 version prints at up to 64sqm/hr. The standard’s print bed is 2.5×1.25m and the X2’s bed is 2.5×3.1m. Both take various substrates up to 51mm thick.
The main other differences between the 30 and the 20 are that the automated cleaning system is now built-in to the 30, as opposed to being an optional extra, and the 30 has a new UV lamp, which is said to generate 15% less heat, a move that Cookman described as “a step in the right direction, but not LED”.
The series comes in six or eight channel ink variations, CMYK plus any combination of light magenta, light cyan, clear and white. It also has a high-pressure vacuum system to help hold media flat and mask the bed during the printing process.
“All of our units have done well and we would expect to continue our success at this level of the market but it is very competitive,” added Cookman. “There are lots of good quality products out there so if you are a printer and investing you could spend a long time looking. At the end of the day, it comes down not just to the product but to confidence in the supplier.”
