At the 2018 SGIA Expo, Konica Minolta showcased two new wide-format UV LED inkjet printers. Both printers are designed to give sign shops, screen printers, photo labs, commercial printers, and franchise printers the image quality and reliable performance they need to produce a variety of products, including:
- Backlit signs, billboards, and banners
- Art or photographs on glass or textured canvas
- Window clings and floor graphics
- Industrial labels for hazard communications,pipe marking, and equipment panels
- Vehicle wraps or fleet markings
- Vinyl or textile banners
- Yard signs and other corrugated substrates
- Wood, metal, glass, and PVC objects such as promotional products or gifts
The Accurio Wide 160 and Accurio Wide 200 printers can output images on both flexible roll materials and rigid media up to 1.77 inches thick.
The Konica Minolta Accurio Wide 200 can print on material up to 2 meters wide (6.7 feet ). It can print high quality images in six colors (CMYKLcLm). It also includes 2 channels of white ink. The printer includes large media tables that can accommodate printing on large, rigid materials up to 10.5 ft.long.
The Konica Minolta Accurio Wide 160 can print on materials up to 1.6 meters wide (5.4 feet). This printer can be configured to print in either 6 colors (CMYKLcLm) or 4 colors (CMYK) plus White (2 channels). The media tables are available as an option.
The printers use Konica Minolta’s own 1024i printhead nozzle technology and powerful, air-cooled UV LED for ink curing. The KM1024 printhead technology enables simultaneous emission from all 1,024 nozzles with a high-density structure that features four lines of 256 nozzles aligned with high precision for accurate positioning.
The UV-LED lamps save production time, reduce costs, and are environmentally sustainable. Because the LED curing lamps are cool to the touch and have minimal heat output, the Accurio Wide printers can print on heat-sensitive substrates such as thin film, self-adhesive sheets, or stretch PVC materials.
“Our wide-format printers, using our industry-leading printhead technology, produce superior quality images while reducing the cost of ownership,” said Dino Pagliarello, vice president of product management and planning at Konica Minolta. Many features of the printers are designed to reduce the use of consumables.
Features
AccurioWide printers are engineered to provide state-of-the-art image quality and a high level of productivity. Features include:
A Reinforced Beam that ensures that the printhead shuttle moves flawlessly and provides accurate placements of each droplet;
Shuttle Safety Sensors that prevent recessed printheads from touching the substrate and getting damaged;
Automated Media Handling systems that make loading media a smooth, accurate process;
Ionization Bars mounted on the carriage to remove electrostatic charges on the substrate and ensure accurate ink droplet placement;
An Automatic Ink Refill System controlled by a monitoring system that detects UV ink levels;
A Touchscreen mounted an a swivel arm that allows the operator to view spooled files to be printed. The print files are stored on an Internal Server with a hard drive capacity of 1. TB. The internal server ensures fast spooling and secure transfer of large amounts of data.
Inflatable Airshafts on both the unwinding and winding side assure perfect tension and wrinkle-free printing of materials printed in the roll-to-roll mode. (The inflatable airshafts are standard on the AccurioWide 200, and available as an option on the AccurioWide 160.)
Large Media Tables allow printing on large rigid materials up to a length of 10.5 feet.
Konica-Minolta UV-Curable Inks
The AccurioWide series uses high-performance UV-curable inks recognized for the lowest ink consumption per square meter. It’s “pigment-shield technology” is a patented pigment dispersion technology specifically designed for UV-curable inks. It guarantees high color density and ink stability that contributes to a long ink shelf life when stored under normal conditions.
The inks are instantly dry, meaning that prints can be handled immediately. The inks are also designed for superior adhesion, resistance to abrasion and chemicals, outstanding consistency, and no emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Advanced White Printing
The AccurioWide series include white-layered printing in pre-white, post-white, and sandwiched white modes. To limit the risk of inks resettling and blocking the lines or printheads, the printers white inks are constantly stirred and circulated.
Production Workflow Software
AccurioPro WideDirector is production workflow software that standardizes processes for printing sign and display jobs. It enables you to control the entire printing process, including preflighting files, managing color, and sending data to automated print finishing equipment.
The automated preflighting checks PDF files to identify and flag potential production issues early in the process. With WideDirector’s intuitive interface, the operator can see what will print and make last-minute changes with ease.
The interface is integrated with the latest version of Adobe PDF Print Engine (APPE). The APPE manages the generation of PDF master files and and eliminates the need for manual intervention. The APPE helps ensure end-to-end consistency across all printing devices.
Color management tools help ensure color quality, consistency, and accurate reproduction. AccurioPro WideDirector color tools include calibrated print modes, spot-color conversion based on PANTONE libraries, and patented technology to create smooth vignettes.
To provide even more control, you can add Konica Minolta’s FD-9 Scanning Spectrophotometer. This device combines speed, precision, ease of use, and versatility for accurate profiling and color management.
Additional modules support specific needs such as:
An XML to JDF connection to integrate to existing online storefronts;
The creation of one-way vision window-perf graphics on less expensive, easier-to-handle clear films; or
The layout of seamless print designs used for wall coverings and floorings
A browser-based production dashboard for gathering reports on ink and media consumption. It can be used as an estimating and cost tracking tool.
For more information about Konica Minolta’s AccurioWide printers, visit:
https://kmbs.konicaminolta.us/kmbs/technology/wide-format-printer.