Unique 4-layer printing for day/night view, integrated cutting, newly developed LUS-170 UV inks enabling immediate finishing, broader application possibilities and increasing variety of supported print media

Amsterdam, Mimaki, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting systems, today announced the launch of the Mimaki UCJV300-160 and UCJV150-160 roll-to-roll UV LED printing and cutting solutions. These two systems add creativity to the production of signs and display graphics, while maintaining Mimaki's signature affordability and ease of use. In bringing this outstanding solution to market, Mimaki is also introducing a brand new environmentally friendly ink, LUS-170, guaranteed to ensure vibrant, eye-catching print results. The UCJV Series is expected to be available for customer shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017.

"The UCJV Series is available in two models: the four-colour UCJV150-160, and the UCJV300-160 that can accommodate up to seven ink colours in cost effective one litre bottles," says Ronald Van den Broek, General Manager Sales at Mimaki Europe. "Each can produce a wide variety of print-and-cut applications offered by many signage, commercial and packaging print service providers. UV-LED curing technology enables print service providers to utilise an expanded range of media including uncoated print media and many thin film substrates that may be too heat sensitive for latex or solvent high heat fixation systems."

"At Mimaki, we work hard to continuously bring innovative solutions to our customers," adds Ronald Van den Broek, General Manager Sales at Mimaki Europe, "and these two new systems certainly meet that objective. We look forward to discussing their endless possibilities with visitors at the shows that we're attending in September and October."

These new printers will be on display at a variety of trade shows with Mimaki and partner stands, including:

Salon C!Print (Madrid, Spain, 26th – 28th September 2017): Digidelta Internacional (Stand C51)
Print in Progress (Paris, France, 11th – 12th October 2017): Mimaki Europe (Stand E18)
The Print Show (Telford, UK, 11th – 13th October 2017): Hybrid Services (Stand C06b)
Viscom Italia (Milan, Italy, 12th – 14th October 2017): Bompan (Pavillion no.8, booth E23/E27/G20)
Sign Istanbul (Istanbul, Turkey, 4th – 8th October 2017): Mimaki Eurasia (Stand E20)
Viscom Dusseldorf (Germany, 18th – 20th October 2017): Mimaki Deutschland (Hall 13, Stand D19)

One graphic, two views

Four-layer printing – for example, colour, black, white, colour – is available on the UCJV300-160 model and offers an enhanced print capability that allows designers to build layered, transformative graphics for backlit applications. This gives print service providers the opportunity to offer something unique – a dynamic graphic that 'morphs' its image or colour scheme depending on the light source. This distinctive capability enables designers and print service providers to produce high impact, premium margin output while maintaining low operational costs and reducing production time.

Integrated cutting capability

The integrated cut functionality enables volume production of labels, decals, window clings, floor graphics, POP displays, vehicle markings, packaging, prototypes and more in a single unit. Additionally, UV ink technology prevents common problems such as film separation and other issues related to post-cutting that can occur with solvent and latex inks.

Instant drying for instant use

UCJV Series prints are instantly cured at even the highest production speeds. This allows users to print rapidly and immediately move to the finished product, unlike other technologies that require slower production to accommodate for drying time or out-gassing. For many jobs, instant drying, high scratch resistant UV printing can also eliminate the need for additional finishing like laminating, enabling print service providers to reduce cycle time while benefiting from additional cost savings.

White ink adds value

Combining white and coloured inks on the UCJV300-160 model adds value to applications utilising transparent or semi-opaque films. Compared to alternative inks such as solvent and latex, UV-curable inks deliver greater opacity with less ink consumption per square meter of coverage while maintaining image vibrancy and density. High opacity white ink also facilitates block-out printing within a single print, enabling print service providers to easily and efficiently create window graphics that can be viewed differently from either side, as in a PUSH / PULL door sign. These features ensure higher throughput, reduced waste, and perfectly registered double-sided graphics with lower overhead costs per print.

ID Cut function in RasterLink6 plus software

The UCJV Series printers will ship with updated RasterLink6 plus software. This new, feature-rich version of the widely used Mimaki RasterLink RIP software includes an ID Cut function to make printing and cutting easier and faster. The barcode, read by the crop mark sensor on the UCJV printer/cutter, contains cutting and rotation information allowing the UCJV machine to automate the cutting process. This function is particularly useful when running nested print-cut jobs, as the cutter continuously reads the data for both single and combined jobs.

RasterLink6 plus software also includes the FineCut plug-in for Adobe Illustrator, allowing a print preview for 4-layer printing enabling operators to preview the transition day and night effect before printing. RasterLink6 plus now supports PDF 1.5 and above.

Mimaki Core Technologies

On-board Mimaki technologies are included for exceptional print quality and continuous productivity.

Mimaki Advanced Pass System 4 (MAPS4) - utilises an advanced algorithm pattern to reduce visible banding.
Variable Dot Printing (VDP) – uses smaller drops to produce smoother gradations, while larger drops produce uniform solids.
Waveform Control (WFC) – uses finely tuned frequencies for each ink's specific gravity and viscosity to precisely shape and place individual drops.
Mimaki Circulation Technology (MCT) – continuously agitates the white inks to prevent settling.
Nozzle Check Unit (NCU) – monitors nozzle outages and automatically activates a series of recovery functions.
Nozzle Recovery System (NRS) – automatically assigns operational nozzles when an outage is detected.
Half Cut (HC) – a proprietary function where the backing sheet can be cut, leaving behind a small connecting point that can be easily detached when necessary, ensuring contour cut pieces are easier to handle with less waste.
Over Cut (OC) – makes a cross cut at the start and end positions so the finished piece has sharp edges with no undercut fragments.
Continuous (C) – crop marks are automatically and continuously detected for accurate cutting.
Segment (S) – detects intermediate crop marks in feed direction and enables four-point corrections for each segment for accurate, long-length cutting, even if the image is distorted.

More details about the Mimaki UCJV300-160 and UCJV150-160, as well as other Mimaki products, including its full range of printers, inks and cutting solutions, can be found at www.mimakieurope.com.