EFI has absolute barnstormer
From selling multiple pieces of equipment, through to unveiled new partnerships and cutting edge technology, it seems print technology giant EFI really took it to the competition at the recently concluded FESPA.
Wednesday, 17 May 2017 10:20 GMT
The EFI Pro 16h wide-format hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer was one of several new EFI products in display at FESPA 2017
EFI used FESPA 2017 to demonstrate how its wide range of printing technologies can help companies from around the world expand their business into new markets.
The manufacturer, a regular attendee at FESPA, showed off various established solutions, as well as a number of new products, gathering plenty of interest from the thousands of visitors at the Hamburg Messe in Germany.
Among the new technologies on display at the EFI booth was the EFI Reggiani ReNOIR FLEXY, an industrial textile printer that can operate at speeds of up to 400sq m/hr and produce output in resolutions of up to 2,400dpi. The 1.8-metre machine is available with eight printheads and is capable of handling a whole host of materials.
Also on show was the new EFI Pro 16h wide-format hybrid roll/flatbed LED printer, which the manufacturer says “sets the standards” as to how other entry-level printers of the same type will be judged. The Fiery-driven machine offers faster speed than other entry-level hybrid production platforms available from EFI, with the manufacturer saying users can expect up to 30 percent higher throughput.
EFI also showed off the next generation of VUTEk roll-to-roll printers in the form of the EFI VUTEk 3r, which can reach printing speeds of up to 345 sq m hr. In addition, visitors were able to view the EFI VUTEk 5r LED printer, which boasts speeds of up to 455sq m/hr.
This new visual collaboration platform cuts development times by many weeks, allowing the world's leading retailers and brands to design better products, faster”
Visitors were also able to gain an insight into the latest release of the Midmarket Print Suite workflow productivity software, which EFI says drives end-to-end efficiencies for display, signage and graphics customers. Improvements include an upgrade to the suite’s Superwide Format component database, as well as a new workbench tool.
Meanwhile, the EFI Optitex division of EFI used FESPA 2017 to unveil a market-first solution in the form of O/Cloud Collaborate. The product is the first web-based Software as a Service solution that offers visual collaboration specifically geared to the fashion industry.
The product utilises a cloud-based environment to enable designers, technical designers, pattern makers and other stakeholders at brands, vendors and sourcers to share and visually collaborate on product development samples and related documents and images.
The new EFI Reggiani ReNOIR FLEXY can operate at speeds of up to 400sq m/hr
and produce output in resolutions of up to 2,400dpi
Asaf Landau, vice-president and general manager of EFI Optitex, comments: “Brands in the apparel industry have been seeking tools and methodologies to shorten the ideation, development and approval workflows for new garments. Most often, the parties involved in the design and development process are scattered around the world, making the meeting of tight timelines a particular challenge.
“This new visual collaboration platform cuts development times by many weeks, allowing the world's leading retailers and brands to design better products, faster.”
Such was the success of EFI at FESPA that the manufacturer was able to confirm a number of sales, including to Irish company McGowans Print. The firm has opted to install a new EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED inkjet corrugated board press in its Dublin facility as part of a wider effort to grow its business and access work in the short-run corrugated packaging and display market.
We researched all the single-pass technology available for large-format printing, and the EFI Nozomi press was the best in class by far for our applications”
The 1.8-metre wide press can print up to 75 linear metres per minute, producing up to 7,224sq m/hr. The machine is capable of printing on a range of materials, from 14-point card stock, to triple-wall board.
Malcolm McGowan, chief executive of McGowans, comments: “We researched all the single-pass technology available for large-format printing, and the EFI Nozomi press was the best in class by far for our applications.
“The press checks all the boxes for point-of-sale applications and it allows us to quickly enter the packaging market as well.”
