Cestrian has bought one of the world’s first EFI Vutek HSr Pro roll-to-roll machines, alongside an EFI Vutek HS100 Pro hybrid machine.
"At Cestrian we pride ourselves on developing and processing materials which provide our customers with the best solution for their requirements, including those products that have high environmental credentials. However, our innovative approach to product development is not without its challenges, with some materials providing print instability and ink adhesion issues, for example. The EFI Vutek presses give us the flexibility to process these materials with a low amount of waste, offering high quality at a competitive speed," said Paul Gibson, Cestrian's production director.
He added: "Overall, the EFI Vutek presses give us greater flexibility with higher quality imaging and faster production speed than other inkjet presses. We've been impressed with their precise ink lay-down and their ability to use variable-dot greyscale imaging. They help us maintain the high level of standards our customers expect."
Cheadle Hulme-based Cestrian has invested over £2m in the printing technology over the past three years. The added large-format capacity complements the company's range of sheetfed and hybrid inkjet printing equipment, cut-sheet digital presses, fabrics and textile printers, trimmers and cutting machines as well as welders.
The new Vutek roll-to-roll printer handles flexible substrates up to 3.2 m wide, has an elevated unwinder and rewinder system and multiple-roll capability with two 152cm rolls.
The EFI 3M SuperFlex ink available for the model has solvent-like elongation characteristics and withstands heat installation without cracking – useful for the outdoor type work handled by Cestrian.
Operating at speeds up to 100 boards per hour, the Vutek HS100 Pro includes fully automated loading and unloading to accessories.
Both of Cestrian's new EFI Vutek investments feature EFI's Pin & Cure imaging technology for precise ink lay-down, gloss control and greater imaging accuracy.
Cestrian uses the latest-version EFI FieryproServer technology to reduce Ripping times while ensuring consistent, high-quality imaging on the Vutek printers. The company also is a long-time user of EFI DirectSmile software, which it uses to develop personalized marketing materials and help multi-channel direct marketing clients synchronize print, URLs, email and SMS whilst tracking response rates.