Matan Launches the Barak Line

Taking its first steps into the world of UV-curable printing, Matan has introduced its new Barak printer line. Available in 3- and 5-m (126- and 197-in.) widths, the Barak3 and Barak5 are capable of printing onto up to three rolls of media simultaneously, can image onto a wide range of coated and uncoated media, and feature a 5-min startup before printing can begin.

Both Barak models have the flatbed table as an option. The Barak5 is mainly a roll-to-roll system, the company says, and is aimed at fast production of 5-m media. 'Some customers target it for RTR only and some want to have the flatbed option as well,' says Matan's Tali Witenberg-Oren. 'The Barak3 is a hybrid printer aimed to address any type of job.'

Armed with 16 Ricoh Gen3-E3 printheads that produce 30-pl drops, the printers utilize Matan's pigmented UV-curable inks, the Barak200 flexible UV inks. They offer a 2-yr durability and coverage of up to 1940 sq ft/l, reports the company.

The Barak printers offer a true 600-dpi resolution and apparent resolutions up to 1200 dpi. Production speeds on these printers reach 1830 sq ft/hr for the Barak5 and 1400 sq ft/hr on the Barak3. The printers can handle a variety of rollfed media (flexface, mesh, blue back paper, backlit, self-adhesive vinyl, Tyvek, and coated and uncoated media) and rigid substrates (PVC, acrylic, aluminum, and foamboard). Using the proprietary switching mechanism and optional tables, the changeover from roll to rigid is fast and easy-the tables fold when not in use, and offer industrial wheels for easy mounting and mobility. In flatbed mode, the printers accommodate media up to 1-in. thick.

By using the multi-roll option, users can image simultaneously onto two or three rolls to optimize cost effectiveness and speed the delivery of jobs. All Barak printers incorporate software with offline RIP (powered by Caldera), queuing of multiple jobs, double-drop capacity to speed jobs, skip white, and automatic loading of new jobs. Additional media-handling features include an integrated mesh table, media tracking, and auto media measurement.

Matan currently is selling the Barak machines in Europe only; US sales are expected to begin by the Q1 2008.

MATAN PRINTERS

www.matanprinters.com