Inca Digital Launches the Inca Onset, World’s Fastest Digital UV Flatbed Printer

Inca Digital Printers announces the launch of the Inca Onset, a revolutionary breakthrough in large format UV digital flatbed printing. Handling print sizes up to 3.2 x 1.5m (10.5x 5 ft) and printing at speeds of 500 sq m/hr (5382 sq ft /hr), the automated Inca Onset delivers 100+ full bed sheets an hour.

“The Onset represents a major advance in inkjet print production and has been engineered from the ground up to achieve new levels of performance,” said Bill Baxter, managing director at Inca Digital. “Its design draws on our vast experience of jetting inks and includes some of the core technologies we have developed to produce the Columbia Turbo and Spyder presses that already lead the wide format display market in speed and output. Onset’s design also draws on our experience in developing the high-speed, single-pass FastJet press specifically developed for the corrugated market.”

The Inca Onset’s speed and quality is delivered by an array of 576 Spectra printheads addressing a total of 73,728 inkjet nozzles in easy plug-in Inca print bars, supported by innovative camera alignment systems and a vacuum bed with accurate pin registration. Inkjet printer quality is determined by inkjet nozzle performance and, while output from other printers can be affected by occasional nozzle failure, the Inca Onset has been designed with a high level of fault tolerance to ensure maximum print quality.

“In demanding and high-volume production environments it is important to achieve sustainable quality and the Onset features the highest level of nozzle redundancy to ensure the best performance,” explained Mr. Baxter.

For all its sophistication, the Inca Onset is extremely easy to operate by one operator with a minimal 20 minute set up time at the start of each day. It includes a fully automatic load/unload system as standard; however, it is designed to allow users to move to manual mode within seconds if required for immediate fast proofing or production of single prints.

Edge-to-edge printing allows images to be printed to bleed on substrates up to 10 mm thick and up to 10 kg at full speed, providing enormous versatility in terms of what can be printed as well as the ability to proof a job on the material on which it will finally be produced.

Fujifilm Sericol, Inca’s long term worldwide distribution partner, sees the Inca Onset as the next generation of digital printing for a wide range of print applications, not only within the high growth, large format display market, but also within the wider commercial print market currently served by extra large format offset presses.

Because of its exceptional speed and minimal set up time, the Inca Onset will redefine cost effective print run lengths previously associated with digital printing. Jerry Avis, international strategy and business development director of Fujifilm Sericol, considers the Inca Onset to be an important step change for the print industry.

“The market is seeking improved quality alongside faster production speeds and turnaround times and it is this need that has driven development of the Onset in partnership with Inca,” Mr. Avis said. “The Inca Onset will transform UV digital flatbed inkjet printing speed, quality and finish. The result is a machine that is so fast that it not only delivers a highly competitive solution for screen printers but, for the first time, provides a highly competitive alternative to offset presses, offering a flexible and cost effective alternative for up to 400 finished sheets.”

Fujifilm Sericol’s vast experience in innovative UV digital ink formulations, and understanding of the needs of the market, has been central to the development of the Onset. Simultaneously, Fujifilm Sericol has been developing a new range of its industry leading Uvijet UV digital ink for use in the Inca Onset. Using patented Micro-V dispersion technology, the Uvijet UV digital inks for Inca Onset are formulated with automotive grade pigments that deliver exceptional density to create vibrant, durable, light-fast colours and, for the first time, the system can offer either a satin or gloss finish. Uvijet inks also provide superior adhesion to many different materials, including paper and board, wood, flexible and rigid plastics and metal.

With the addition of the Inca Onset, Inca now offers a range of eight digital UV inkjet printers in a choice of formats, speeds and colors. The first Onset printer will be installed at a UK company within the next few weeks and commercial shipments will begin later this year.