Reading, UK-based digital printer VgL has ordered an Inca Onset S20 flatbed digital printer from Fujifilm Sericol which will be installed in October. The machine is the latest purchase in the company's continuous cycle of investment.
"The Inca Onset S20 will change the landscape of what we do," said VgL managing director Michael Ayerst. "It will add considerable capacity and allow us not only to grow our small and medium run volume display business, but also expand into and offer a competitive service on longer runs."
VgL already has an extensive plant list that includes the UK's first Inca Eagle in its two Reading factories, one of which houses digital printing and the other screen printing employing 75 staff between them. The company produces a diverse range of work from labels to building wraps, including the widest format photographic output in the UK, and high quality textile and wallpaper printing.
"If someone is buying print from one of the hundreds of smaller flatbed machines, then they are not buying the right thing," said Ayerst. "They should be buying output from the Inca Onset S20 as it will be better value, it will be quicker and it will be higher quality."
The VgL Inca Onset S20 uses Fujifilm Sericol's six-color Ultratone Uvijet inks with orange and violet to produce a wide color gamut. "Adding Ultratone is really important to us," said Ayerst. "We work a lot with fashion retailers and a close color match is critical as the point of sale must match the garment. With Ultratone it is easy to get a much closer match than before."
Another feature that is expected to prove popular with customers is the Inca Onset S20's ability to produce a variety of gloss finishes, from satin through to high gloss. This is achieved by the curing process rather than the addition of a separate varnish.
The Inca Onset S20 features printheads on a full print width color bar producing high-quality resolution of 600-1,000 dpi. It can handle substrates up to 50mm thick with a maximum image area of 3.14m x 1.6m, at speeds up to 250sqm/hr, or 50 full bed sheets per hour. The combination of Inca Digital's engineering expertise plus innovative ink formulation means that the Inca Onset S20 is an excellent fit for companies operating 24/7.
"We know from seeing our Eagle being built at the factory in Cambridge that Inca machines are fantastic pieces of engineering," said Ayerst. "When we look to invest in a machine, we want quality and consistency and that's what that engineering gives. Our customers need to know that the machine will be up and running reliably and that the quality will be consistent, and with the Inca Onset S20 it will be."
VgL's recent investment in a Kongsberg digital cutting table puts support in place to handle the increase in output. "Our customers know that they can throw us almost any task and it is no problem," said Ayerst. "Whether it is wrapping a building, wrapping a van or a big retail point of sale, we have an awful lot of flexibility and technical expertise and equipment to cope with it."
The company has invested heavily in keeping its kit up to date and believes its customers keep coming back because they are confident of the quality, speed and reliable service they will receive. "We are probably better at making sure that we have the right equipment base than we are at marketing ourselves," said Ayerst. "Our customers already know that we can fulfil their requirements to the standard that they want and the Inca Onset S20 will give them even more confidence, with its increased output and quality."
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