Amongst a raft of new printing solutions on the Hybrid Services’ stand at Sign and Digital UK, was the brand new Mimaki CJV330-160 integrated print&cut machine. This is part of the Mimaki 330 Series, which include the solvent JV330-160 printer and the dye-sub textile version coming out later this year – the Mimaki TS330-1600.
We spoke to Duncan Jefferies, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Hybrid Services, who are Mimaki’s exclusive distributor UK and Ireland (see video). He said, “This brand new printer is really exciting in that it offers a host of features and production capabilities at an incredible price (£24,995 for the CJV330-160). It uses 2l reusable eco cases for the inks, which helps minimise plastic use as well as offering cost-effective ink usage.”
He continues, “The machines can hold three rolls of media, which the operator can switch between very easily, saving time and potential media wastage. This means they could have a banner, wallpaper and self-adhesive vinyl all ready to print without needing to change rolls. It also has two motors either side of the take up roll to ensure smooth and consistent pulling of the material. This makes life much easier for the operator and is a great example of Mimaki bringing decades of experience in solvent printing to its latest designs.”
Introducing Mimaki’s latest printers – the 330 Series
Mimaki’s newest printers can achieve high resolution, durable prints for both the Sign Graphic and Textile industries. The JV330-160 and CJV330-160 eco-solvent inkjet printers deliver the high-standard of colour required for indoor and outdoor sign graphics through the new “Deep Color Natural” input profile, offering eye-catching and vivid solid colours, natural skin tones as well as deep reds and neutral greys. In-built cleaning mechanisms and monitoring features ensure an efficient workflow and allow for longer running times.
Both models feature a newly designed unwinding system that allows three rolls of media to be loaded simultaneously, greatly reducing the time and labour required to change print media. One operator can bring the desired media into position simply by turning the media changer. Another standard feature is an “XY slitter” – a highly precise cutting technology, which provides in-line X-axis and Y-axis sheet-fed cutting. This eliminates the unwinding and manual cutting from the workflow, helping printers to significantly speed up and streamline the post-process, with less interference needed.
Hybrid’s reseller account manager, Martin Southworth, anticipates a strong uptake of the new technology. “Mimaki once again pushes forwards with intuitive, cost effective and high quality solutions, and we very much look forward to debuting this latest print and cut technology at Sign & Digital UK.”
The JV330-160 print-only model as well as the CJV330-160 integrated printer/cutter will be available globally from April 2022.
In addition to the Sign Graphics solutions, Mimaki has also released the TS330-1600, a sublimation transfer inkjet printer, for the textile industry. Enabling both high production and high image quality, and equipped with new functions to improve stable operation, the TS330-1600 can achieve a printing speed of 69sq m/h in draft mode with a 4-colour ink set, with the fastest mode reaching up to 135sq m/h.
The TS330-1600 has optional add-ons to further increase efficiency, including a 10kg ink tank supply unit which reduces ink cost when compared to the standard 2L ink pack, and allows for longer continuous printing. A mini jumbo roll unit can also be added to load large rolls of transfer paper and further reduce running costs.
An improved take-up system featuring dual motors equipped on both sides of the printer distributes the load and strengthens the winding power, allowing stable winding of printed paper even for long runs. TxLink4, Mimaki’s RIP software dedicated to the textile market is included with every TS330-1600.
All products in the series are fitted with ‘Mimaki Weaving Dot Technology’ (MWDT), a technology that changes the order of ink droplet placement depending on the printing conditions. ‘Mimaki Remote Access’ (MRA) is also available across the series, improving ease of operation by allowing users to remotely access the machine and check the printer’s status.
“Following the positive reception of the 100 Series among our customer base, we saw, from Sign Graphics to Textile, that there is a significant market demand for more cost-effective, mid- to high-end technologies,” says Arjen Evertse, General Manager Sales EMEA. “This is the drive behind our newest cross-platform technology, the 330 Series. Adhering to our strategy of enhancing production efficiencies and streamlining workflows, the new capabilities of this series cater to customers across various sectors, who are looking to improve on quality and delivery time. We look forward to demonstrating these products to customers and prospects alike at FESPA 2022 in Berlin.”
