HP will be demonstrating an inkjet printer
capable of printing 2200 duplex full colour A4 sheets per minute, and unlike
toner based systems can do so on any stock from 45 gsm Bible paper through to
400 micron carton board. Yes that is a minute, which equates to 16,500 B1
sheets an hour; complete with variable data and it does so across a width of
72cm (30 in) and any repeat length.
The implications are significant for book
printers, newspaper publishers and direct mail providers. This machine could
produce 1000 A5 books each containing 240 pages, perfect bound per hour, or
copies of a 16 page broad sheet or Berliner format newspaper at the rate well
in excess 10,000 copies an hour, ideal for web based distribution, specialised
inserts or marketing collateral.
Stephen Nigro senior vice president of Hewlett
Packard's graphic arts and imaging business says, "We will be launching at
drupa two new technologies; an inkjet web press that will transform publishing
and mail stream printing, and a new inkjet initiative with an ink having a
small drop but a huge impact."
The new ink is called Latex ink. Before the
thought of being sprayed with rubber adhesive springs to mind, the term latex
should really be described as a polymer, in the same way as acrylic paint and
even porridge is a polymer. The great attraction of the HP breakthrough is that
a polymer-based pigmented ink is water based, has virtually no VOCs, is easily
recycled, and crucially is weather-resistant without laminating for around
three years, longer if laminated. The manufacturing process is pretty benign
and is virtually carbon neutral, an important consideration in the years to
come.
Another show stopper at Drupa is certain to
be the Indigo 7000. This is a complete reworking of the Indigo and will deliver
120pp A4 ppm, on any kind of stock yet use 25
per cent less energy consumption. Nigro says: "Not only are we
delivering step change new technology, but we are doing so in an
environmentally friendly way."
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