L&P VirtuFX and Enhanced VirtuPlus Debut

Leggett & Platt Digital debuted its new
VirtuFX flatbed printer as well as its
enhanced VirtuPlus flatbed/roll-to-roll
model at its Fort Lauderdale, FL, factory in
July. The company announced new pricing
on the VirtuFX and VirtuPlus models, and
reported that it had agreed to a new, nonexclusive
agreement for marketing and
sales of its line of digital printers with 3M.

The VirtuFX is a flatbed-only model
that can handle substrates up to 98 in.
wide and 2.5 in. thick including corrugated,
foamboards, acrylics, glass, metal,
wood, tiles, and more. Capable of printing
in 4- or 6-color, the VirtuFX features 36
piezo drop-on-demand Spectra printheads
and HueV pigmented, UV-curable
inks and dyes (5-liter cubes). It can print
at 600 or 300 true addressable dpi, and
can also print dual 48-in. sheets to maximize
productivity. Price: $395,000.

The VirtuPlus printer, formerly badged
as the Virtu RS and also sold by 3M as the
2500UV printer, has been enhanced. The
flatbed/roll-to-roll model now offers faster
printing speeds and has been enhanced to
utilize Direct Digital Dye for textile applications
(eliminating the need for transfer dye
sublimation). The VirtuPlus can be configured
as a 4- or 6-color printer (CMYK) and
can print at 300 or 600 true addressable
dpi. As with the VirtuFX, the VirtuPlus can
handle substrates up to 98 in. wide and 2.5
in. thick, and it can also print dual rolls of
48-in. vinyl or sheets. Price: $445,000.

As a result of these introductions, the
L&P Digital line of printers now comprises
the VirtuFX, VirtuPlus, and the Virtu TX.
The latter is a wider version of the Virtu-
Plus and is built at the company's Spuhl
division in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Leggett & Platt Digital
Technologies and 3M have agreed to a
new, non-exclusive agreement for marketing
and sales of L&P's line of digital
printers. L&P will now handle the promotion
of its line of printers under its Virtu
brand name and the company will sell
directly to the graphics market. 3M will
continue to support inks, materials qualification,
and software for these printers,
and will assist L&P in selling printers into
the graphics marketplace.

As indicated earlier, the 3M 2500UV
printer, manufactured by L&P, will now be
sold under the Virtu brand name. However,
3M says that it reserves the right to
authorize any machines sold as Scotchprint
machines, and remains committed
to supporting its current customer base.
“These customers are still Scotchprintauthorized
per the current program, and
can purchase inks, materials, and software
from 3M and authorized distributors,”
says 3M. (L&P DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: www.lp-digital.com;
3M: www.scotchprint.com)