ORAFOL and Agfa are celebrating their 10th anniversary co-operation, producing a complete traffic sign solution for permanent signage and construction zones.
The solution created between the two companies is based on the Agfa Anapurna UV digital printing systems (supplied only and exclusively to Traffic Control businesses), the ORALITE UV digital printing inks specially developed for this application, and the ORALITE reflective films and protective laminates. The technology offers a highly reliable and easily scalable solution for producing traffic signs.
The high-speed hybrid inkjet system with UV LED curing enables high-quality printing on a wide range of uncoated rigid media as well as on roll stock.
The industrially developed system is designed for a permanently high workload and maximum efficiency – both in terms of time and costs as well as sustainable production: the “thin ink layer technology” and intelligent workflow software enable extremely low ink consumption.
In addition, optimised self-cleaning of the printer prevents unnecessary ink consumption. Furthermore, there is no need to mix inks.
The UV-curable inks for faster drying and with a comprehensive colour gamut were developed specifically for the needs of digital traffic sign printing. Developers and application engineers from ORAFOL and Agfa work hand in hand to guarantee the high quality and durability. The inks are also VOC-free, so no solvents evaporate. The LED lamps used for printing on the thermally sensitive materials are very energy- efficient at 290 watts, enabling constant UV output with low costs for maintenance and consumption.
In the digital printing process, all colours are printed onto a white, retroreflective base film. The printed image is then covered with a transparent protective film. The film laminate is then applied to the aluminium substrate.
This environmentally friendly production of traffic signs also offers high-quality, low-pollutant ingredients in the reflective base film, especially when prismatic materials are used; intelligent processing procedures; a long service life due to the protected surface of the combined ORALITE films and inks; and ink savings and low-pollutant processing compared to screen printing.
The specially coordinated printing technology could only be developed and continuously enhanced in close cooperation between the two partners.
Agfa sales manager DACH Stephan Gilleßen, quoting Henry Ford, said, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, working together is success”.
“In these 10 years of cooperation, we have been able to learn a lot from each other, have found common paths and are deepening our partnership on the basis of a very trusting cooperation at eye level,” he added.
Employees from both companies work closely together in research and development, and both companies ensure that the world’s largest OEM technician network for traffic sign printers can meet all customer requirements at all times. Regular technician training courses make an important contribution to this.
“We are proud of the trusting cooperation with Agfa. Customers can rely on the consistency, competence, and service orientation from both companies. Agfa accompanies our development and contributes its own technology and great know-how to our joint projects. Thanks to this stable partnership, we can secure our, and more importantly our customers’, success in the long-term,” ORAFOL technical sales manager reflective solutions Adalbert Dörner said.
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