Gerber Scientific, Inc. Debuts the Solara ionV

Gerber Scientific, Inc. has announced its new Solara ionV printer, which builds on the company's Solara ionX. The ionV boasts similar features as the ionX–including the utilization of GerberCat cationic UV inks and Gerber's Cold Fire Cure process — but this latest generation of Gerber's flatbed UV inkjet printer will be offered in a more affordable package, at approximately 30% less than the ionX.

A 4-color UV flatbed printer (CMYK), the ionV can accommodate materials as wide as 64 inches. The new machine provides one printhead per color (its older sibling, the ionX features two printheads per color) and offers a top resolution of 720 dpi; the ionV's throughput ranges from a top speed of 181 sq ft/hr (360 x 360 dpi, 2-pass Performance speed) to 9.5 sq ft/hr (720 x 720 dpi, 8-pass, Ultra-High Quality speed).

Accommodating substrates up to 1-in. (25mm) thick on its vacuum table, the printer has a sensor to automatically detect media thickness. To eliminate alignment errors, the substrate stays stationary during printing while the gantry moves the printheads across the media. The ionV does have double-sided printing capability but, unlike the ionX, it does not include a roll-to-roll printing system.

Just as with the ionX, the GerberCat cationic UV inks are engineered to be cured by Gerber’s Gerber Cold Fire Cure UV lamps. The dual UV lamps run the length of the gantry, use low energy, and operate at nearly room temperature. The low-temp cure also enables the printing onto heat-sensitive materials such as plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper-based materials.

The CMYK cationic inks, available in 1-liter pouches, provide good adhesion on materials traditionally problematic for inkjet printers such as glass and textiles, reports the company. In addition, the printer produces clear 6-pt black type and offers an outdoor durability of up to 3 yr without lamination. The ionV is compatible with RIPs from Onyx, SAi, Wasatch, ErgoSoft, and CADlink.

'We're very excited about the introduction of our latest generation of cutting-edge flatbed UV inkjet printers, which allows us to offer this advanced technology to a broader range of sign shops and printers — and lets them take advantage of the versatility and exceptional performance of the ionV,' says Marc Giles, Gerber Scientific president and CEO.'

Price: $64,995.

GERBER
www.gerbersolara.com