Mimaki adds popular Kebab option to the new MkII printer family
Mimaki, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting systems, today announced that it is making its popular Kebab option available for the new UJF-3042 MkII and UJF-6042 MkII, its latest generation of UV flatbed printers. Using rotary rollers, the Kebab option allows the use of the MkII family of printers from Mimaki to print directly on a wide range of cylindrical objects. The Kebab option is also available for the UJF-7151 plus printer. The UJF-3042MkII is compatible with the Kebab MkII model, while the MkII L model is needed for the UJF-6042MkII and the UJF-7151 plus printers. It enables printing with superior quality on cylindrical products with diameters from 10 mm to 110 mm, including wine and water bottles, seals, candles, cosmetics bottles and more, making it possible and affordable to produce on-demand original products in runs as small as one
“Our customers have been very creative in their use of the Kebab option,” said Mike Horsten, General Manager Marketing of Mimaki EMEA. “And for many, it has opened up new businesses and new revenue streams. Cosmetics bottles are a good example. With the many different regulatory requirements from country to country, short runs of cosmetics bottles are becoming more common. In addition, the Kebab option makes it very affordable to produce one-off direct-print labelling. This could be a personalised bottle or a bottle memorialising a special event to be used as a gift item. Printing directly to wine bottles is also popular; consider a wedding or another special event where wine bottles can be personalised to the event. Both Mimaki and our customers are very excited about the possibilities this offers, and that is why we are adding the Kebab option to our newest generation of printers.”
Next-generation printing capabilities
The new UJF-3042 MkII and UJF-6042 MkII printers feature print speeds that are 20 % faster than its predecessors. These machines, like most printers from Mimaki, also have the ability to use different types of inks, thus supporting a very wide range of applications. In addition to the durable inks that adhere well to glass and other substrates taking advantage of the Kebab option, LUS-120 inks can also be used for printing on soft material surfaces such as membrane switches or wallet smartphone cases, since they can stretch up to 170% without cracking when pressed or folded. Moreover, the LH-100 rigid inks are perfect for accessories or stationery products that must stand up to high levels of abrasion. These inks, when used with Mimaki’s PR-200 inkjet primer, are also an excellent choice for printing on glass, metal and resins, which has traditionally been difficult for UV-curable inks. With Mimaki Clear Control (MCC), the clear varnish can be used to both highlight areas with spot or flood coating, as well as to deliver embossing with multiple passes.
The details
To support increased productivity and profitability for lab, retail and printing business, the new UJF-3042 MkII and UJF-6042 MkII printers:
· Deliver a 20 % improvement in speed over current models, with the ability to print on objects up to 153 mm thick.
· Have advanced mechanical functionality with a print table that moves during printing to reduce printer vibration, deliver precise dot placement and enable high quality printing on a wide range of objects and materials.
· Preset Mimaki Expand Colour in the printers’ RasterLink digital front end for upgraded colour representation with more vibrant, solid colours and brighter skin tones.
· Deliver worry-free operation with automatic detection and cleaning of clogged nozzles, substituting good nozzles for printing during this process. This allows constant printing and reduces waste due to defective nozzles. Mimaki Circulation Technology (MCT) circulates white inks at regular intervals to prevent pigment sedimentation that can lead to nozzle malfunction.
· Especially important in retail environments, is the fully covered print table of these new printers that improves safety while maintaining print quality by keeping dust and other contaminants out of the system.
“We expect to see the market respond positively to the availability of the Kebab option for these new printers,” Horsten added, “and we are looking forward to seeing the creative uses our customers come up with for direct printing to cylindrical objects, adding value to their businesses.”