Agfa Introduces M-Press Flatbed

In creating its new M-Press high-speed
flatbed inkjet printer, Agfa has partnered
with Thieme, the manufacturer of
screen-printing machines. The new
press seems to draw from both companies
“?Agfa's expertise in inkjet technology
and Thieme's design/manufacturing
expertise in screen-printing equipment.

The M-press features a 62 x 102-in.
flatbed that accommodates flexible and
rigid substrates as thick as 10 mm. It's
available as either a 3.4-automatic (standard)
or fully automatic version. The 3.4-
automatic version features a beltdriven,
vacuum-assisted feeding table;
the fully automatic system has an automatic
sheet feeder for maximum production
efficiency. Built for speed, the
M-Press can hit 4413 sq ft/hr (or 100 62
x 102-in. sheets/hr) at 509 x 509-dpi
resolution.

The M-Press uses Agfa :Anuvia 4-color
UV-curable inks; these inks are optimized
for indoor/outdoor use. Owners can add inline
capabilities for white ink, spot colors,
and varnish by adding a Thieme 5000XL
screen-printing module.

The M-Press includes Agfa UPH industrial
printheads (produced by Agfa in conjunction
with Xaar); the press utilizes 64
UPH printheads that form a page-widearray.
In addition, it also includes Agfa
:ApogeeX RIP; and Agfa :IntellSyst for
remote service diagnostics. Other MPress
features include an integrated
brush cleaning of media, and automatic
printhead cleaning and calibration.

Price: “??1,433,615 (approximately
$1.7 million US) for the standard version;
add “??115,000 (approximately
$140,000 US) for the automatic version.
The M-Press is sold by Thieme; presses
currently are shipping to Beta sites. (Agfa: www.agfa.com; Thieme: www.thieme-products.com)