Powerful new 'future proof' printer is the first to be developed on Inca's new-generation Onset Scaleable Architecture

Inca Digital Printers and Fujifilm today announce the launch of the Inca Onset S50i, an ultra-high productivity, CMYK, flatbed UV inkjet printer capable of printing 725sqm/hr (7,803sqft/hr).

Designed and developed by Inca and sold exclusively worldwide by Fujifilm, the new Inca Onset S50i is the latest and most powerful large format printer in the Onset range and the first to be developed on Inca's new-generation Onset Scaleable Architecture.

The Onset S50i has been designed to satisfy the market's growing need for greater productivity. Today, display graphics print companies are not only handling larger volumes of digital print and meeting tighter deadlines, they are also experiencing growing demand for multi-version graphics from their retail and leisure industry clients. As a result, these companies want a printer that can increase their digital print capacity, deliver faster job turnarounds, streamline print production and handle production peaks with ease. The Onset S50i meets all of these requirements.

"When the Onset S70 was launched in 2007 we changed the industry's expectations of digital print speed for display graphics," says John Mills, Inca's CEO. "The launch of the powerful, new-generation Onset S50i today raises productivity levels still further and makes it a true commercial and cost-effective alternative to offset presses and multiple screen presses."

Tudor Morgan, systems marketing manager, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems adds: "The desire for a greater level of personalization, combined with shorter run lengths, is well documented in the industry. The challenge for the OEM is to satisfy this in an economical way. The speed and quality of the Onset S50i makes this achievable."

Delivering a high throughput of up to 725sqm/hr (7,803sqft/hr), equivalent to 144 full beds per hour, the S50i uses Fujifilm Uvijet OB or OZ inks to print onto a wide variety of rigid and flexible media up to 3.14m x 1.6m (123.6in x 63in) and up to 50mm (2in) thick. A choice of print modes can be selected, alongside satin and gloss finishes, depending on the specific job requirements. The Onset S50i incorporates 224 (56 per color) Fujifilm Dimatix printheads on a full width print array and two highly-efficient UV lamps ensure high-speed curing.

The printer also incorporates both hardware and software technologies that have been developed specifically by Inca to deliver industry-leading quality, reliability and productivity. These include: iNozzle mapping; sophisticated drive and control electronics; a 15-zone vacuum table to reduce bed masking requirements and, consequently, set-up time for thin substrates; a UV sensor system that accurately monitors printer condition; and substrate height detectors to prevent contact with, and damage to, printheads. Plus, Inca's variable data Print Run Controller software module offers advanced job management capabilities and ReporterPro software gives users detailed information about the productivity of their Inca printers. The S50i is compatible with Inca's flexible automation system, which gives users a choice to operate manually or using semi or three-quarter modes from the same configuration.

The Onset S50i is the first printer developed around Inca's new-generation Onset Scaleable Architecture, also announced today. The Onset Scaleable Architecture is an innovative modular design, which gives users the ability to choose the best printer for their initial requirements, but with considerable flexibility to change its productivity levels and ink options as their business evolves. This enables Inca Digital to convert the customer's Onset on-site for the very first time, as and when needed. For example, an Onset S40i with CMYK LtmLtc can be converted to an eight-color model with dual CMYK, or with the addition of white if required, to suit a change in the type of work a company prints. As a result, Onset Scaleable Architecture protects a company's investment in their Onset printer for the long term and provides investment peace of mind.

The Onset S50i printer has successfully completed beta testing and is now in full production at four companies, three in the USA and one in the UK. The Onset S50i is commercially available now.