For the second year in a row, a production roll-to-roll Durst Rho UV inkjet printer has received one of the most coveted awards that the imaging industry has to offer. The five-meter Rho 500R Superwide Roll-to-Roll UV Inkjet Printer, which made its North American debut at last week's SGIA trade show in New Orleans, was chosen as the Digital Printing & Imaging Association's "Product of the Year" in the grand-format roll-to-roll UV-cured ink printer category.
Last year the DPIA's "Product of the Year" award was presented to Durst for its 126-inch-wide Rho 320R UV Inkjet Roll Printer during the SGIA trade show in Atlanta. On both occasions, Christopher Howard, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Durst US, was on hand to receive the awards during brief ceremonies at SGIA.
"All of us at Durst are extremely pleased by the recognition that these honors convey," Howard said. "Durst's tradition of excellence, in technology and in meeting the operational requirements of our customers, is clearly demonstrated by the fact that our products are judged to be world class year after year. It's very gratifying to see the industry taking notice, and we want to thank SGIA and all the imaging experts who took part in the evaluation."
Based on a rigorous evaluation process of printer output overseen by a respected independent quality testing organization, and judged on the SGIA show floor by a team of digital imaging experts commissioned by DPIA, the Rho 500R was judged best in the grand-format UV-curable class against all of its major competitors. Entrants were required to submit a test print produced on the nominated printer. The image, designed by SGIA, was created specifically to challenge the capabilities of the output device, according to SGIA.
"The Product of the Year award winners highlight the best technologies, consumables and software from the digital imaging community," said Jeff Burton, SGIA's Digital Printing Analyst.
The Rho 500R prints six-color, 600-dpi images on a wide variety of roll media at speeds up to 4,300 sqft/hr. It also is able to print three independent images from three separate job queues at the same time to achieve high efficiency and handle a broader range of applications. The printer operates unattended, uses less ink than comparable superwide platforms, and minimizes operational costs due to its high productivity, advanced workflow and remarkable versatility. An extremely precise rail with linear motor drive system, a proven front-to-back registration system, along with a mesh and textile printing option combine to make the Rho 500R one of the most effective, economical large-format imagers ever developed, Durst said.
The Rho 500R is equipped with the latest iteration of Durst's Quadro 30D Array print head technology, which doubles the number of nozzles per color to 2,048 regulates ink temperature at the nozzle, and incorporates Durst proprietary Point Drop Setting ink regulation to deliver quality images at high speed, the company said.
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