Over the past few years, VUTEk has worked hard to earn a reputation for quality equipment backed by reliable customer service and technical support. Like a maker of luxury cars, the Meredith, NH-based company has engineered premium-priced products designed to make owners of other wide-format output devices aspire to trade up.
Now, just as Mercedes' lower-priced “C-class” models entice more drivers to become Mercedes customers sooner, Vutek hopes to capitalize on its sterling image with an entry-level model of its own: the 1.5 meter (60 in.) Vutek UltraVu 150.
Priced at $165,000 to $180,000, the sturdy, 360-dpi, solvent-ink-system inkjet printer is available in 4 or 6-color models. The UltraVu 150 can output outdoor-durable graphics at speeds ranging from 230 sq ft/hr in the best-quality mode to an impressive 430 sq ft/hr sellable-quality production mode.
Not only do these speeds compare favorably to those attainable by multiple, lower-cost printers, but operators can also expect to save on inks over the life of the machine. Users can expect to pay about $0.13/sq ft for inks compared to the $0.30/sq ft for inks on lower-priced equipment. The machine comes with a ColorBurst SE RIP and operator training. Prospective customers are encouraged to visit Vutek, test their own files, and calculate lifetime operating costs based on the types of images and materials they would reproduce most often. The UltraVu 150 is scheduled to begin shipping in May. (Vutek: www.vutek.com)