At drupa 2012 (3-16 May 2012, Düsseldorf) the innovative spot UV technology developed by UK based manufacturer, Autobond, will make its European exhibition debut. Visitors to the Autobond stand (Hall 11, Stand A23) will be able to see the popular LED inkjet spot UV technology, which enables lamination and spot UV varnishing is one pass inline.

The first of the inkjet spot UV machines on the stand will be the Mini 36 SD TPM-36 SUV, a 36 x 74 cm* thermal perfector laminator with PSA magnet lamination and in-line inkjet spot UV machine.

In addition to the Mini 36 TPM-36 SUV, Autobond will debut a new off-line spot UV machine at drupa - the 52 SUV-SDF, a B2 portrait inkjet spot UV machine with Heidelberg-Stahl suction drum feeder.

Announced at Ipex in 2010 but not exhibited due to Gilmore’s attention to detail, Autobond’s inkjet spot UV technology was properly launched in May 2011. Gilmore explains, “We had aimed to launch this machine at IPEX, but it just wasn’t ready and I don’t like the idea of taking ‘concepts’ to big exhibitions. I have waited 56 years to launch a spot UV machine so another 12 months didn’t seem a lot to me.”

The machine incorporates Autobond’s inkjet LED spot UV technology, enabling long and short runs to be laminated with a matt film and then spot varnished - all in one single pass inline. It offers the potential to apply striking gloss effects to short runs of business cards, book covers, brochures, and more.

The 36 SUV was designed run in-line with Autobond’s laminators. After being fed through the laminator, the sheets are separated. They then deliver into a side-lay for registration before being passed through under the inkjet heads, where sheets are held completely flat by a vacuum belt as a detector registers their position. The side-by-side print-heads apply between 1 and 7 drops per dot of varnish (depending on the order) with stunning registration accuracy so high that all seven drops could be printed exactly on to a full stop. Finally, the sheets pass under a cold curing LED UV lamp, which uses only 20% of the power of a standard lamp and lasts twice as long, as well as generating no ozone. The machine can laminate and spot varnish at 35 meters per min (4,700 SRA3 sheets per hour).

Since the first machine was launched in May 2011, Autobond has experienced enormous global demand and to date machines have been installed in the UK, the USA, and Holland.

According to Gilmore, demand for larger size versions of the machine has been high, which is why the company is developing the B2 landscape version, set to be launched between drupa and Christmas 2012. He says, “Almost as soon as we had announced the launch of the 36 SUV I started receiving phone calls asking when we’d be developing a larger B2 landscape version of the machine. The demand has been staggering.”

On a Mini 74 TPH-74 SUV-S line, sheets up to 74 cm in width should be laminated and spot varnished inline at up to 70 metres per minute, extending the machine’s potential for litho printers and other markets.

The 52 SUV-SDF has been developed to meet the short run demand for an entry-level inkjet spot UV machine. This offline machine has a maximum sheet size of 52 x 74 cm and features automatic, continuous-run, top loading feeding.

Autobond’s inkjet spot UV technology reflects the manufacturer’s thorough understanding of businesses’ needs for a high-level of productivity and a strong return on investment. Visitors to the Autobond stand at drupa will be able to see for themselves how the company’s ability to adapt and innovate is keeping customers at the forefront of finishing.

For more information on Autobond, please visit:http://www.autobondlaminating.com