GERBER SOLARA UV2

GERBER
SOLARA
UV2Rigid and Roll-to-Roll UV Inkjet
What We Are Going to Cover
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Brief Review Of UV Inkjet Technology
Features of the SOLARA UV2
Material Qualification Strategy
Inks – Color & Costs
Resolution & Speed
Operations – Loading materials
Software RIP
What’s Included with the Printer
Pricing & Leasing
Installation & Training
Site Requirements
Distribution
Warranty Information
The Competition
Ultraviolet (UV) Technology
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HOW UV WORKS
– Inks are a mix of resins, pigment, and photo-initiators
• These types of inks have been used successfully in screen printing for years
• Not the same as HP UV inks
– Head-mounted lamps cure ink
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Ink dries instantly – improves production (immediate handling / application)
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Inks form a mechanical bond and do not attack the substrate
– No loss of adhesion of vinyl relative to solvent printers
– Better abrasion resistance
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Low maintenance
– Ink does not dry on the print head surface
– Minimal head maintenance, Low daily maintenance when in use
– Easy printer start-up process
– Minimal waste – more efficient use of ink
– No special procedures when machine is inactive for long periods (2 weeks or more)
Ultraviolet (UV) Technology
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Less substrate dependence
– Expands applications by printing to a broader range of media than most inkjet
printers
– Better substrate-to-substrate color matching
– Greater predictability of output
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Shop-friendly
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No ventilation required
Low odor
Lower emissions
No Harmful VOCs
The Basics
UV Curable Inkjet Printer
• Versatile Design
– Rigid Flat Stock (up to ½”) and Roll-to-roll Printing
• Instantly Dry Prints
– no need to wait
• Exceptional, Expanded Sign Maker’s Color Gamut
– Unique CMYK, Violet & Green 6 color ink set
– Greater Consistency of Output
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Up to 60” wide media
50 square ft/hr in production mode, up to 75 sq ft in draft mode.
Up to 3 year outdoor durability w/o lamination
Simple maintenance requirements and minimal waste
Low odor - no ventilation required, no harmful VOCs
User Friendly
Driven by ImageRIP by Onyx software
Built and backed by Gerber Scientific Products
Specifications
Media Width:
18” to 60”
Print Width:
59” maximum
Media Handling:
Winder unit included for roll-to-roll printing
Front & Rear tables included for printing rigid stock up to ½”
Ink Configuration:
6–color CMYKVG (violet, green) UV Curable Inks
Ink Delivery:
230ml (250g) cassettes 12 included
Durability:
Up to 3 years without lamination
Resolution:
300 x360 dpi native / 600 dpi apparent
Print Method
6 piezo heads
High Quality Speed:
25 ft2/hr (6-Pass)
Production Speed:
50 ft2/hr (3-Pass)
Draft Speed:
75 ft2/hr (2-Pass)
Software RIP:
Gerber ImageRIP by Onyx
Warranty:
1 Year Parts & Labor (6 months on print heads *)
Power:
220 VAC +/- 10%, 50/60 Hz
Interface:
Ethernet TCP/IP
* Print head warranty solely covers defects in materials and workmanship
New Features for Rigid Printing
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Adjustable Lamp Height
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Adjustable Force on Pinch Rollers
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Adjustable Beam Height
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New UV Shields
Media Handling
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Automatic winder for roll-to-roll
configuration – included with
printer
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Robust front and rear tables for
printing on rigid materials –
included with printer
Features
Inks
Front Material
Release Handle
Ink Date Stamp
Rear Material
Release Handle
Keypad
Smoked Window (large
format sunglasses)
Material Qualification
• Rigid Materials
– 9 materials have been profiled in both 3 and
6 pass modes
• Roll Media
– 9 materials have been profiled in both 3 and
6 pass modes
Rigid Materials
3-Tier Material Qualification for Rigid Stock on the SOLARA UV2.
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Bronze —meet the criteria for basic printability and safety.
Materials listed in generic category, i.e. corrugated plastic.
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Silver —meet the above “Bronze” requirements
optimal ink profile has been developed for the specific material.
Materials will often reflect a specific brand, i.e. Coroplast
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Gold —have all of the attributes of “Bronze” and “Silver”, and have
undergone a rigorous battery of weather, chemical and abrasion tests.
Rigid Media
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Bronze Status
– Corrugated Plastic
– Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
– Foam Core (clay coated,
Styrene coated)
– Polystyrene
– Aluminum
– Medium density Overlay
(MDO)
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Silver Status
– Dibond
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Gold Status
– Duraplast Corrugated Plastic
– Plaskolite Polystyrene Sheet
– Sintra
All of these materials have been profiled in 3-Pass and 6-Pass modes.
This listing will change frequently as more materials are brought through test.
Watch for a constantly updated materials compatibility chart which will be posted soon on the Gerber website
Roll Media Selections
• These roll media have been profiles in 3-Pass and 6–Pass modes:
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IP 2507 Cast Vinyl
IP 5700 WG Calendered Vinyl
13 oz 1 sided Banner
10 oz Mesh Banner
IP Translucent 230
IP Instachange Removable Vinyl
IP Backlit
Paper
280 Reflective
ImagePerfect Solara UV Inks
CMY K + Violet & Green
Revolutionary Ink Set
Unsurpassed Color Gamut
Color
• CMYKVG ink set provides a signmaker’s color gamut
• Violet / green combination is unique
– Green ink produces green better than C + Y
– Violet ink contributes to better blues
• Larger gamut
– UV inks allow pigment density to increase without pooling due to
instant drying of each layer of ink
• Enhanced gamut produces better blues, greens, violets
– Stronger spot color reproduction – Pantone, vinyl and
GerberColor
Color
•Reproduces GerberColor spot
colors with greater accuracy
–30% more of the GerberColor
spot colors reproducible with
CMYKVG but not with standard
CMYK
•CMYKVG gamut is 50% greater
than CMYK competitors
–Provides greater range of
process color output
ImagePerfect Solara UV Inks
•UV inks optimized for sign making to balance flexibility and durability
•Tested for performance with Gerber ImagePerfect medias and popular rigid
substrates
•Cartridges may be hot swapped for uninterrupted printing
•Individual open and shut valves to allow for purging and priming of single colors
•Supplied in 230ml cartridges
•Average shelf life 9 months from date of manufacture
•Storage environment
–Temperature: 59°F to 95°F (15°C to 35°C)
–Protect from direct sunlight and artificial light including fluorescent
•Like all inks, protective clothing required when handling
–Some people may have sensitivity to inks
Ink Costs
Don’t let your prospects make a mountain out of a mole hill
Ink Cost is the most insignificant and misleading factor with UV printing
Square foot cost will vary based on ink coverage, image and other factors
Example:
• 230 ml cassettes @ $95 each
• Typical usage: ink cost is between $ 0.25 – $ 0.50 sq. ft
• Ink costs for a 4’ x 8’ sign are less than $10
Resolution
•300 x 360 dpi native resolution,
600 dpi apparent resolution
•Apparent Printer resolution driven by two factors:
–DPI: Increase number of dots per inch
–COLOR DEPTH: Increase number of possible colors at each point
•Traditional approach measures DPI only
–physically packing and overlapping drops
•Solara approach uses DPI and COLOR DEPTH
–Gain more colors with multi-drop technology – 1, 2, or 3 drops of ink per pixel
Apparent resolution refers to how the eye perceives the COLOR DEPTH
relative to SPATIAL resolution – typically a factor of 2x
Very low dot gain (spreading) due to UV ink properties also contributes to
apparent resolution
Speed
•50 sq. ft per hour in production (3 pass) mode
–But what does that really mean?
• 12 - 4’ x 8’ boards a day
•100 - 18” x 24” signs a day
•Hidden speed factors that customers must consider:
• Drying time
• Lamination
• Maintenance
• Down time
• Service and support
•Speed driven by curing and printhead throughput
–UV inks, lamps, and head technology advancements continue
Outdoor Durability & Applications
•Output durable for up to 3 years without lamination for most applications
•Lamination recommended for vehicles and other harsh environments
•Minimum 1” bend radius for installations.
•Not recommended for compound curves, rivets, vehicle wraps, etc.
•Five times more resistant to abrasion than thermal transfer
Loading Vinyl
When Loading Vinyl –
• Pinch rollers should be set on High Force
• Lamps should be set in Low Position
• Material Guides should be set as shown below
Loading Rigid Substrates
• Pinch Rollers set to Low Force
• Lamp Height on High Position
• Material Guide set as shown below
Loading Rigid Substrates
• Material guide on rear table helps to keep rigid material tracking
straight as it goes through the printer
Setting Beam Height
• To accommodate for material up to ½”
thick the beam can be raised or lowered
using the Material Wheel on the left side
of the printer.
– Raise the beam prior to loading the
material (turn clockwise)
– Load Material
– Lower pinch rollers
– An audible chirp will be heard
– Lower the beam (counter-clockwise) until
chirp stops and fans turn on.
– Turn wheel one full turn down (counterclockwise).
Software
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The SOLARA UV2 is driven by Gerber ImageRIP by Onyx software family
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ImageRIP plus and pro are based on the Onyx PosterShop platform
ImageRIP Plus
ImageRIP Pro
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Color Correction Tools
No
Yes
Preflight
Yes
Yes
CutServer
Yes
Yes
Requires upgrade to
ImageRip Pro
Yes
Number of Active Printers
Allows 3rd Part Printer drivers
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For customers who already own a version of Onyx 6.5, the SOLARA UV2 driver is
available directly from ONYX at no charge
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Image RIP software does not automatically ship with the printer; please be sure to
pick the appropriate software package for each printer installation
What Ships with the SOLARA UV2
GERBER SOLARA UV2 printer
Material winder unit is attached to the SOLARA printer when it ships
1 - Line conditioner
2 – 5’ x 6.5’ Material tables
1 – Material Wheel handle (To be installed using a M2 Allen wrench)
1 – CAT-5 crossover Ethernet cable
1 – CAT-5 straight-through Ethernet cable (20 ft)
2 – Power cords (GERBER SOLARA UV2 and Winding Unit)
1 – pair of UV protective eyewear
1 – box Nitrile gloves
1 – cleaning brush (for grit wheels)
1 – package (qty 56) Lint-free wipes
1 – package (qty 50 ) Cleaning swabs
1 – GERBER SOLARA UV2 Cleaning Solution (2 oz)
2 - full sets of GERBER SOLARA UV2 Ink (12 cartridges)
1 - 10 yard roll of 60" wide IP5700 media (for initial calibrations and test prints)
1 – GERBER SOLARA UV2 Unpacking, Packing and Installation Guide
1 – Gerber SOLARA UV2 documentation CD
Pricing
Part Number
P79554A
Product
Price
Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer
(no-charge driver is available directly from Onyx)
P79554A
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P77957A
Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer &
ImageRIP Plus Software Bundle
P79554A
+
P77957A
Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer &
ImageRIP Pro Software Bundle
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Ink Price: $95 per 230 ml cassette
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Print Head Replacement: $ each
– Expected Print head life is 1000 hours (4 hours per day = 1 year)
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Lamp Replacement: Considered a consumable item
– Average every 6 months @ 2 x $450 = $900 list.
– Assumes 4 hours of printing per day with queuing of jobs
• 1 lamp off/on cycle subtracts 3 hours from lamp life
Warranty
The SOLARA UV2 warranty period is one year including
parts and labor (6-month warranty on print heads). Note
that the print head warranty solely covers defects in
materials and workmanship as specified in the
manufacturer’s warranty policy.
Note: Replacement lamp cartridges are excluded from the
warranty and service plans. These lamps are
consumable items and are covered solely by a limited 90
day warranty. Expected lamp life is 6 months or
approximately 1700 hrs.
Site Requirements
• Pre-site Checklist must be completed prior to scheduling install
• Power:
– 208-240 VAC, single phase, 50/60Hz
• NEMA 6-15P plug on unit requires a NEMA 6-15R receptacle
– Winding unit requires a separate outlet – 110/240 VAC, 50/60Hz
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Crated Size: 120” long x 60” wide x 68” high
Crated weight: 1650 lbs
Unit will not fit on a lift gate
Forklift with 8’ extended forks needed
Printer ships fully assembled, only tables require assembly
Site Requirements
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Temperature; 65ºF to 85ºF
Humidity: 40% to 60%
Altitude: up to 8,000 ft
No Ventilation Required
• Footprint:
– Fully assembled SOLARA UV2 with tables: 181” long x 109” wide
– Gerber recommends an additional 3 feet of space on all sides of the
SOLARA UV2 printer
The Competition
• Colorspan DisplayMaker® 72UVR
– Max Resolution- 600 dpi
– Advertised Speed – 100-400 sq ft/hr
• End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr
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Number of Inks - 4 (CMYK)
16 Print Heads
Max Width 72 inches
Accommodates 5’ sheet lengths, additional tables needed for longer lengths
Head Height - 1/4”
(does not include RIP)
• SOLARA Advantages:
• Color Gamut is 50% greater
• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media
• Quicker media change over time
• Ease of use
• MTS – Gerber Service
• UL and CSA approved
• Price (less expensive)
The Competition
• Colorspan DisplayMaker® 72UVX
– Max Resolution- 600 dpi
– Advertised Speed – 100-400 sq ft/hr
• End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr
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Number of Inks - 4 (CMYK)
16 Print Heads
Accommodates 5’ sheet lengths, additional tables needed for longer lengths
Max Width 72 inches
Head Height - 1/2”
(does not include RIP)
• SOLARA Advantages:
• Color Gamut is 50% greater
• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media
• Quicker media change over time
• Ease of use
• MTS – Gerber Service
• UL and CSA approved
• Price (less expensive)
The Competition
• Raster RP-720UV Flatbed Printer
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720-dpi resolution maximum
six-color printer (cmyk lm lc)
Advertised Speed – 100-200 sq ft/hr
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End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr
Media Thickness: 1 inch
Price (RIP and inks not included)
• SOLARA Advantages:
• Color Gamut is 50% greater
• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media
• Quicker media change over time
• Ease of use
• MTS – Gerber Service
• UL and CSA approved
• Made in USA
The Competition
• Raster daytona Flatbed Printer
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600-dpi resolution maximum
four-color printer (cmyk)
8 print heads
Advertised Speed – up to 650 sq ft/hr
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End User feedback indicates up to 120 sq ft/hr
Media Thickness: 1 inch
Price (RIP and inks not included)
• SOLARA Advantages:
• Color Gamut is 50% greater
• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media
• Quicker media change over time
• Ease of use
• MTS – Gerber Service
• UL and CSA approved
• Made in USA
More Information
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Literature:
SOLARA UV2
Tri-fold Brochure
P78956 A
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Website: www.gspinc.com
SOLARA UV2
Sell Sheet
P78955 A
SOLARA UV2
Update Newsletter
FY06-66S
What Our Customers Are Saying
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Unsurpassed Color
“The colors we are getting out of the SOLARA UV2 are amazing—we are
printing reds and other colors that our solvent printer couldn’t dream of
hitting”
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Productivity
“We just completed a large repeat job (12@4’x8’ plastic signs) that we
originally did last year for a show. Last year, this job took four guys and two
full 13 hour days to finish—it was exhaustive with labor. This year, one guy
did the entire job on the SOLARA UV2 virtually hands free and in his spare
moments.”
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Ease of Use
“I’m the only one who runs the SOLARA UV2 thus far. I took a few days off
last week and a large job came in. I instructed my father, who has no
experience on the machine, what to do over the phone and he was able to
print the entire job out the door with no problem.”
QUIZ
• What is the maximum thickness of rigid material the SOLARA
UV2 will print?
• How long do I have wait for the ink to dry after printing?
• What are the SOLARA ink colors?
• How much larger is the SOLARA color gamut than traditional
CMYK?
• Explain the 3 tier qualifications for rigid materials?
• What special procedures are needed when SOLARA is not used
for long periods?
• What Lamp height is used for rigid material?