Fujifilm is targeting the digitally printed corrugated market with a new handling system and speciality inks for its Onset UV flatbed printers. The system is still in prototype stage, expected to go to beta testing in March and be ready to show the public by June.
The announcement came at Fuji’s Broadstairs plant where it officially opened the £3m+ digital ink manufacturing and R&D facility that has been two years in planning and development. It is now the global production site for wide-format inkjet ink for Fuji, which Peter Kenehan, MD Fuji Speciality Ink Systems, stressed “is a consumables company. We sell hardware but it’s so we can sell more ink. We want to make ink the new film for Fujifilm.”
On the matter of the corrugated handling system and ink development he added: “We’re always looking to develop systems for markets and applications where inkjet is an enabling technology. We haven’t developed a new system and ink factory to take just a small percentage of the corrugated market. We see corrugated as a really big potential market.”
The new ink facility has a footprint of 1800m2 and manufacturing capacity of 6,000 tonnes per year. Output is currently 30 - 50% but is expected to rise quite sharply given the R&D focus on UV ink development. Inkjet ink sales are currently said to be on par with screen ink sales within Fuji but that is expected to change in 2014 with inkjet ink sales forecast to overtake screen ink for the first time.
Around 70% of Fuji inkjet ink is currently exported from the UK facility and although it is understood this will remain the hub of production there is internal discussion on opening manufacturing plants elsewhere as scales of economy decree. “A lot depends on if we can digitise some more print segments. Know-how and expertise are critical in inks development so it’s not just about volume, but it is a big topic of discussion as to when and where we transfer some UV ink production over time.”
The new corrugated handling system, together with a dedicated ink formulation for use on the Onset, is expected to open a significant new market for Fuji. Manufactured by a UK company (as yet unnamed) the hefty steel constructed transport system is based on two vacuum heads that move the corrugated material from stack to printer and from printer to pile.
The speed and accuracy of handling – together with the new ink, which Kenehan said “has been slightly de-featured for use on corrugated and paper only which has reduced cost” - is said to make digital inkjet printing on corrugated really cost effective for the first time. But pricing on the handling unit has yet to be decided.
A video link to a system demo is expected to be put in place for visitors to Fespa London this summer.