Océ Colorado 1640 - First UVgel Roll Printer
In the previous review, we looked at a new printing technology - UVgel . And today we want to talk about its hardware implementation on the example of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer. By the way, this is the first roll printer with UVgel technology.
The new technology of UVgel-printing required the creation of fundamentally new nodes printers.
The first major change has undergone the print head. The performance and high quality of UVgel printing are due to the fact that, when applied to a carrier, the ink has a gel-like state. However, in order for the ink to leave the print head through the nozzles, they must be sufficiently mobile. Therefore, a heater was built into the piezoelectric head, which converts the ink to a liquid state.
Ink dosing during printing occurs, as in similar printers of the Océ series, due to modulation of the signal fed to the printhead. There is no serious difference in this part.
Constructive differences begin at the level of the print quality control system. Here an interesting solution is used, which is called “integrated piezo-acoustic nozzle technology” or PAINT (Piezo Acoustic Integrated Nozzle Technology). Its essence is as follows: during the printing process, constant acoustic monitoring of the nozzle state is carried out. Acoustic pulses are passed through them and checked for compliance with the “echo”. If a signal is detected as a distorted signal on a clogged or faulty nozzle, then it is temporarily turned off, and its stop is compensated by the work of its neighbors. With this process organization, print quality is monitored and adjusted in real time. Other printing devices traditionally scan the printed image for print skipping,
The system of piezoacoustic nozzle monitoring has one more indisputable advantage over other types of control. In PAINT, additional ink consumption is completely eliminated, while usually a check injection is used to check the nozzles of the print head.
The Océ Colorado 1640 large format printer differs from the similar equipment in the presence of a crucible - a new element to maintain a stable carrier temperature. As we wrote above, UVgel technology involves the step of transitioning ink from a liquid to a gel state. This happens on the surface of the carrier at a temperature of + 28 ° C. The crucible settings allow you to adjust the temperature in a small range relative to the base parameter, depending on the properties of the media material and printing requirements.
Thanks to the crucible, the printed material in the print area is not exposed to heat. In the area of ink fixing, the material is affected only by a LED UV lamp. Thus, our technology allows printing on heat-sensitive materials at lower cost.
The performance of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer is enhanced by a two-roll design. Two rolls of the printed material can be installed into the roll compartment at once, which can differ both in width and in other characteristics. The material is refilled automatically by the printer; the operator only needs to install rolls in the landing slots.
To set the print, the material thickness is set, and the printer uses the built-in algorithm to set the necessary gap between the material and the print head. The entered data is stored in the printer’s memory. Later, when changing print settings, the saved profile of the corresponding material is simply called up.
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer is assembled on a powerful frame that ensures stable printing. But besides this, the correct position of the printed material is responsible for the quality. For this, the Océ MediaStep optical system is provided. Its main element is the optical feedback loop, which continuously monitors the progress of the material. Symbols invisible to the eye are printed as control markers. They are read by a special scanner, and then, based on the information received, the system corrects the movement of the carrier.
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer shows the following performance results:
UVgel technology produces prints with a smooth, wear-resistant surface. It finds application in a wide range of printed products.
To print outdoor banners must meet several conditions. First of all, the ink must be resistant to prolonged weathering. To this end, relevant tests were conducted. They were carried out for 2,700 hours, spectrophotometer measurements showed a color change of less than 2 dE units. Given that the maximum allowable color change should be no more than 5 dE.
Another condition for the production of banners is the ability of the equipment to seal materials of great thickness. The Océ Colorado 1640 can handle material up to 0.8 mm thick.
For printing indoors there are very different requirements. Signs of retail outlets should be practical and inexpensive through the use of cheaper materials. These conditions are satisfied by polypropylene films. But their feature is a high thermal sensitivity.
Thanks to UVgel technology, where ink cures without heat drying, the Océ Colorado 1640 can seal heat sensitive materials.
High quality modern printing allows you to perform exclusive wall coverings. This type of product requires equal compliance with two basic parameters - the repeatability of color reproduction and the strict geometry of the printed canvas. UVgel technology fully meets these requirements.
Thanks to the control of spreading and accurate color reproduction, the pattern is perfectly repeatable throughout any part of the canvas. This is especially important if, for example, you plan to hang two posters side by side, printed at different times, and differences in color could be very noticeable.
A test was performed to evaluate prints made an hour and 24 hours after printing a reference sample. The ECI2002CMYK test circuit, which is a set of pixels of various colors, was taken as the source file. The test result showed that 95% of the plots meet the requirement dE00 <1.53. For comparison, the ISO 12647-8 standard prescribes CMYKRGB dE <2.5 for solid tones and CMYK dE <3 for semitones. That is, our technology with a margin meets this standard.
To match the pattern directly on the wall, the geometry of the canvas must be strictly observed. When printing with latex and ecosolvent inks, the substrate during the printing process is first moistened with ink and then thermally dried. This leads to a slight distortion of the printed material. At first glance, these deformations are insignificant, but they can cause serious problems when the picture is placed on the wall. Printing using UVgel technology does not imply either wetting (the ink is in the gleic state), or high-temperature exposure (curing occurs under the influence of UV-LED lamps, and the crucible maintains a constant temperature of +28 0C). Thus, our UVgel technology is ideal for printing wallcoverings.
Along with banners and stands in advertising is widely used outdoor graphics. Taking into account the peculiarities of operation, the surface of the floor covering should be distinguished by high wear resistance. Traditionally, such printing products after printing were laminated, which required additional time and material costs. The characteristics of our UVgel inks allow printing on media without subsequent lamination.
Especially for this test was conducted resistance to abrasion. On the Prüfbau Quartant test setup, the painted test sample was rubbed against a sheet of paper with specified characteristics. After 1000 cycles, a visual assessment of the sample was performed. On a scale of resistance to abrasion according to ISO 18947, where 0 - means erasing ink to a white base, and 5 - no visible signs of abrasion, our sample showed a result corresponding to a value of 5.
It is worth noting that the hardness of the ink is inversely proportional to relation to elasticity. Considering that the wear resistance of prints is a priority, we made a choice in favor of hardness. Therefore, pasting surfaces with sharp edges made with UVgel technology is not recommended.
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer uses a four-color print, but the resulting gamma is not inferior to the palette of large format printers with a large number of colors. In a comparative print test, the Océ Colorado 1640 with a seven-color printer from Roland (SOLJET EJ-640 ink) and a six-color HP printer (Latex 570 ink), conducted by Buyers Lab Inc., an independent laboratory. (BLI), the following results were obtained. The print quality of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer was in no way inferior to that of comparable printers, and the ink consumption was significantly lower:
Electroacoustic monitoring of the nozzle performance, which does not require the control injection of ink, also plays a significant role in saving ink.
The Océ Colorado 1640 debut printer with UVgel technology has become a worthy alternative to existing large format printers. We hope that users will appreciate all its benefits. And, of course, we are ready to answer all your questions and, if necessary, provide additional information.
Technological features of the Océ Colorado 1640
The new technology of UVgel-printing required the creation of fundamentally new nodes printers.
Printhead
The first major change has undergone the print head. The performance and high quality of UVgel printing are due to the fact that, when applied to a carrier, the ink has a gel-like state. However, in order for the ink to leave the print head through the nozzles, they must be sufficiently mobile. Therefore, a heater was built into the piezoelectric head, which converts the ink to a liquid state.
Ink dosing during printing occurs, as in similar printers of the Océ series, due to modulation of the signal fed to the printhead. There is no serious difference in this part.
Constructive differences begin at the level of the print quality control system. Here an interesting solution is used, which is called “integrated piezo-acoustic nozzle technology” or PAINT (Piezo Acoustic Integrated Nozzle Technology). Its essence is as follows: during the printing process, constant acoustic monitoring of the nozzle state is carried out. Acoustic pulses are passed through them and checked for compliance with the “echo”. If a signal is detected as a distorted signal on a clogged or faulty nozzle, then it is temporarily turned off, and its stop is compensated by the work of its neighbors. With this process organization, print quality is monitored and adjusted in real time. Other printing devices traditionally scan the printed image for print skipping,
The system of piezoacoustic nozzle monitoring has one more indisputable advantage over other types of control. In PAINT, additional ink consumption is completely eliminated, while usually a check injection is used to check the nozzles of the print head.
Crucible
The Océ Colorado 1640 large format printer differs from the similar equipment in the presence of a crucible - a new element to maintain a stable carrier temperature. As we wrote above, UVgel technology involves the step of transitioning ink from a liquid to a gel state. This happens on the surface of the carrier at a temperature of + 28 ° C. The crucible settings allow you to adjust the temperature in a small range relative to the base parameter, depending on the properties of the media material and printing requirements.
Thanks to the crucible, the printed material in the print area is not exposed to heat. In the area of ink fixing, the material is affected only by a LED UV lamp. Thus, our technology allows printing on heat-sensitive materials at lower cost.
Two-roll configuration
The performance of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer is enhanced by a two-roll design. Two rolls of the printed material can be installed into the roll compartment at once, which can differ both in width and in other characteristics. The material is refilled automatically by the printer; the operator only needs to install rolls in the landing slots.
To set the print, the material thickness is set, and the printer uses the built-in algorithm to set the necessary gap between the material and the print head. The entered data is stored in the printer’s memory. Later, when changing print settings, the saved profile of the corresponding material is simply called up.
Material positioning system
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer is assembled on a powerful frame that ensures stable printing. But besides this, the correct position of the printed material is responsible for the quality. For this, the Océ MediaStep optical system is provided. Its main element is the optical feedback loop, which continuously monitors the progress of the material. Symbols invisible to the eye are printed as control markers. They are read by a special scanner, and then, based on the information received, the system corrects the movement of the carrier.
Performance
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer shows the following performance results:
Types of printed products of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer
UVgel technology produces prints with a smooth, wear-resistant surface. It finds application in a wide range of printed products.
Outdoor banners
To print outdoor banners must meet several conditions. First of all, the ink must be resistant to prolonged weathering. To this end, relevant tests were conducted. They were carried out for 2,700 hours, spectrophotometer measurements showed a color change of less than 2 dE units. Given that the maximum allowable color change should be no more than 5 dE.
Another condition for the production of banners is the ability of the equipment to seal materials of great thickness. The Océ Colorado 1640 can handle material up to 0.8 mm thick.
Indoor Outlets
For printing indoors there are very different requirements. Signs of retail outlets should be practical and inexpensive through the use of cheaper materials. These conditions are satisfied by polypropylene films. But their feature is a high thermal sensitivity.
Thanks to UVgel technology, where ink cures without heat drying, the Océ Colorado 1640 can seal heat sensitive materials.
Wall coverings
High quality modern printing allows you to perform exclusive wall coverings. This type of product requires equal compliance with two basic parameters - the repeatability of color reproduction and the strict geometry of the printed canvas. UVgel technology fully meets these requirements.
Thanks to the control of spreading and accurate color reproduction, the pattern is perfectly repeatable throughout any part of the canvas. This is especially important if, for example, you plan to hang two posters side by side, printed at different times, and differences in color could be very noticeable.
A test was performed to evaluate prints made an hour and 24 hours after printing a reference sample. The ECI2002CMYK test circuit, which is a set of pixels of various colors, was taken as the source file. The test result showed that 95% of the plots meet the requirement dE00 <1.53. For comparison, the ISO 12647-8 standard prescribes CMYKRGB dE <2.5 for solid tones and CMYK dE <3 for semitones. That is, our technology with a margin meets this standard.
To match the pattern directly on the wall, the geometry of the canvas must be strictly observed. When printing with latex and ecosolvent inks, the substrate during the printing process is first moistened with ink and then thermally dried. This leads to a slight distortion of the printed material. At first glance, these deformations are insignificant, but they can cause serious problems when the picture is placed on the wall. Printing using UVgel technology does not imply either wetting (the ink is in the gleic state), or high-temperature exposure (curing occurs under the influence of UV-LED lamps, and the crucible maintains a constant temperature of +28 0C). Thus, our UVgel technology is ideal for printing wallcoverings.
Floor graphics
Along with banners and stands in advertising is widely used outdoor graphics. Taking into account the peculiarities of operation, the surface of the floor covering should be distinguished by high wear resistance. Traditionally, such printing products after printing were laminated, which required additional time and material costs. The characteristics of our UVgel inks allow printing on media without subsequent lamination.
Especially for this test was conducted resistance to abrasion. On the Prüfbau Quartant test setup, the painted test sample was rubbed against a sheet of paper with specified characteristics. After 1000 cycles, a visual assessment of the sample was performed. On a scale of resistance to abrasion according to ISO 18947, where 0 - means erasing ink to a white base, and 5 - no visible signs of abrasion, our sample showed a result corresponding to a value of 5.
It is worth noting that the hardness of the ink is inversely proportional to relation to elasticity. Considering that the wear resistance of prints is a priority, we made a choice in favor of hardness. Therefore, pasting surfaces with sharp edges made with UVgel technology is not recommended.
Color rendition of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer
The Océ Colorado 1640 printer uses a four-color print, but the resulting gamma is not inferior to the palette of large format printers with a large number of colors. In a comparative print test, the Océ Colorado 1640 with a seven-color printer from Roland (SOLJET EJ-640 ink) and a six-color HP printer (Latex 570 ink), conducted by Buyers Lab Inc., an independent laboratory. (BLI), the following results were obtained. The print quality of the Océ Colorado 1640 printer was in no way inferior to that of comparable printers, and the ink consumption was significantly lower:
- for the file “Test table”
o by 45% compared with HP Latex 570
o by 31% compared with Roland SOLJET EJ-640 - for the file “ink consumption”
o at 48% compared with the HP Latex 570
o at 33% compared with the Roland SOLJET EJ-640 - for the Street Banner file
o by 44% compared with the HP Latex 570
o by 43% compared to the Roland SOLJET EJ-640.
Electroacoustic monitoring of the nozzle performance, which does not require the control injection of ink, also plays a significant role in saving ink.
The Océ Colorado 1640 debut printer with UVgel technology has become a worthy alternative to existing large format printers. We hope that users will appreciate all its benefits. And, of course, we are ready to answer all your questions and, if necessary, provide additional information.