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Brother-Jet Mini/Small Direct White ink UV Flatbed Printer

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garylyb

New Member
Hi

Does anyone have any experience with this printer or company:

http://www.brotherjet.com/led_uv_flatbed_printers.html

This is a small flat bed uv printer, it looks like it's under $10,000, but I haven't talked to them yet.

I'm looking doing at home dec items, signs, ceramics, mirrors etc. The size is right, just checking to get any reviews or feedback if available.

Thanks,

Gary Lyben
 
K

kanini

New Member
It looks good on pics but do you have a dealer nearby to visit and see the machine in action? Can you get spares if something goes wrong? Inks, profiles? The price is tempting but I'd go with a brand name printer if you just can afford it. The Roland LEF for example is under 30k with UV inks and white, and you can probably get good financing on it. Then you'd have a machine that you know you'll get spares to, you get help get going and so on. Good luck with your decision and if someone actually run the Brotherjet it would be nice to hear how these cheaper machines work...
 
headfirst

headfirst

New Member
garylyb said:
Hi

Does anyone have any experience with this printer or company:

http://www.brotherjet.com/led_uv_flatbed_printers.html

This is a small flat bed uv printer, it looks like it's under $10,000, but I haven't talked to them yet.

I'm looking doing at home dec items, signs, ceramics, mirrors etc. The size is right, just checking to get any reviews or feedback if available.

Thanks,

Gary Lyben
Click to expand...

What a strange product. At first, based on the link I thought it was a UV printer from Brother. Then I saw the picture and realized it's built on an epson frame.

So this isn't from Brother, but rather a company called BrotherJet? I've never heard of these guys. Are they in the US?

Going by the picture it looks like it is built on an epson 4000 series inkjet. Many of the best direct-to-garment printers are built on this frame, so that looks good.

On most of the inkjet to DTG conversions I've worked with the manufacturers move away from cartridge based ink to bagged ink. You need to agitate the white ink on these types of units on a daily basis to prevent it from separating. I would inquire with the manufacturer to find out what they've done to prevent that white ink from separating in the cartridge.
 
K

kingorko

New Member
garylyb,
you took the question out of my mouth, the same thing interested me, too, brother jet and a bunch of other with the same idea?
Mimaki UJF 3042 and Roland are too expensive, and limited size ...
 
R

Robert Gruner

New Member
Kingorko

Mimaki UJF 3042 and Roland are too expensive, and limited size ... ?????

You get what you pay for.

The Mimaki UJF-3042FHG sells (11.8" x 16.5" bed) for $35K+. The new Mimaki UJF-6042 (16.5"x24" bed) will sell for $50K+. Both of these printers are very high quality and generate very profitable sales for the Trophy and Awards market.

Just like with the big boy UV printers, all attempts at manufacturing and selling a high quality table top UV printer will most likely result in a mechanical nightmare.
 
G

garylyb

New Member
So what makes UV printers so expensive?

50k seems pretty high for 16x24.

DCS has a 10 x 24 for about $30k US made and supported.

Just trying to understand the issues here. I'll be going to the NBM show in Indy in May.

I'd like a bed size about 12 x 24.

Gary
 
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I

iladi

New Member
I have a similar flatbed printer based on an Epson 4880 Pro printer. The difference is that my printer is not UV.

The good: it can prints very high quality images when you manage to do all the settings well.

The bad:

- it is very time consuming to arrange items on the bed (you will need to think some templates to hold the items you print) and to set the height of the printhead to optimum print (it has to be somewhere around 2 mm, the closer the better) on irregular shape items. even 1 mm error in placing the pen, for example, on a very odd shape pen can ruin the print.

- the print bed must be in perfect alignment with the head. mine was not, left side was 2 mm higher than the right side and it took me a lot to fix it.

I have a Roland, a Mutoh , a Canon and an Epson large format printers, for 7 years in the printing business but this printer was a real pain to master.
 
M

MikeD

New Member
we have DCS DirectJet 1324 solvent, but I think the UV version is set up similarly. Direct Color Systems builds very solid printers, and the solvent version runs very well.
Another consideration is the support that comes with equipment you buy, and DCS has very good support- the can even remote onto your system and check setting among other things. They are a good company to work with.
 
M

MikeD

New Member
Not sure. The small platforms mentioned above are actually too small for my application, so I am no longer looking at small printers. Going to see a larger one tomorrow; 4'x8' for $85,000.00. I haven't seen the prints from it yet, but I'm certain there will be less clarity than the DCS, and I also expect banding from the larger model. I do know that DCS's model can do some neat stuff with their ink layering in regard to texture- certain design elements can be raised; giving a 3D effect.
 
R

Robert Gruner

New Member
Gary,

You are gathering information, performing due diligence. When you go to purchase a new car, the seller generally let's you test drive it. Too bad you can't test drive printers. :) I guess the next best thing is to go see them print. Ask the same questions you ask here. Why does a 16K solvent platform cost $14K less than same size UV platform?

If you are in really close to buying; then, I recommend you go to the ISA Show in Las Vegas the first week of April (http://www.signexpo.org/)

There, you can see all of the units printing. Ask lot's of questions and look at print quality and print speed.

Then, make your best decision.

If you were to go, I believe you would spend most of your time in the Mimaki booth.

Cheers
 
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Glenn586

New Member
I am a user of a Mimaki ujf 3042 and am in the market place for a second system. After a few weeks research I am going to make sure my new printer has:-
1) Ricoh gen4 print heads.
2) Staggered print heads that print white simultaneously.
3) Bi-directional print capability. This will require uv lamps on both sides of the print head.
4) As big a part clearance as possible. My Mimaki is a little restricting at 50mm.
5) At least a2 bed size.

I have had quotes in for the brother jet uv pro system at 15k but am not convinced it is industrial enough for our needs. I may consider buying one as a back up at a later date as the bed size is tempting.

Other systems I am considering are the gunsjet and f-jet 2024.

Hope this helps.
 
D

digitalwoodshop

New Member
WOW, GREAT Thread !!!

I have been watching the Direct Color DCS1024UV for a while... It is a proven frame of the DCS1324 Solvent Printer with a 3 inch UV LED Package and a higher perceived Value... They ask MORE because "They Can".... The After Market company Ink Cups makes a Rotary Jig that they Retrofit and sell for about $38K.

On a Engraving Thread on Sawmill Creek a guy was talking about owning a under $10K Chinese UV LED Flatbed Printer.... That got me searching and I found the same Printers as listed above and did send off a price request today. Looks like the price will be around $15K.

I started a thread on Sawmill Creek today in the Sign Thread asking many of the same questions in "Exploring Chinese UV LED Flatbed Printers" Sawmill Creek has a series of Chinese Laser Threads with great info and I was hoping my thread would produce some of the same results. Support, Parts, Drivers, Shipping, and more.... The Lasers had a hard time with the USB Drivers.... With the Epson 4880 based Flatbed Printers the basic drivers are part of the printer, it is just all the INK and Color management to make work...

With the 4880 base printer, WHITE ink Circulation Management would be a BIG Issue.... With the Direct Color, the Ink gets shaken in the Print Head...

My search brought me to this thread tonight and as usual allot of good points and counter points...

I contacted Graphics One today as they have a 15 inch wide LED UV Flatbed Printer that will do Flatbed, Roll to Roll, and Rotary... They are at the BIG SHOW.... My question was.... Will they bring in some of the Smaller Printers based on the Epson 4880 like the Brother Jet above? To be determined...

My Product Line is Small Format... Reflective License Plates, Accountability Tags, Small Scale Stickers on reflective Cut on my FC7000. Even CNC cut out wood historical building shapes then printed. WEIRD Stuff... Hospital Outlet Covers, Reflective Electrical Panel Markers, Condo AC&R and Water Supply Valve Markers.... And a bunch of Fire Department stuff.... Even Acrylic Awards and Clocks...

And that is a GREAT question.... Why a $19K Mild Solvent Printer goes to $35K with a LED UV Package and bigger box... They DO have a High Speed Version now that takes 4 USB Ports for what I believe is 2 Position Drivers and 2 Ink Print Drivers...

Lots to think about...

AL
 
artbot

artbot

New Member
i'd question a technology that "shakes the ink in the head". white ink has heavy minerals (rather than pigments). they settle in the line like plaque and solvents of any strength have no effect on them because they are insoluble. maybe it works better than nothing at all. but, ink should be moving through the lines at all times or taken out and stored in a container that can be vigorously shaken before re-entering the ink train. as for chinese printers, the ntek seems to be the most polished epson platform. i have a big CET FK512 but would still love to have an Ntek for different workflow.
 
phototec

phototec

New Member
headfirst said:
What a strange product. At first, based on the link I thought it was a UV printer from Brother. Then I saw the picture and realized it's built on an epson frame.

So this isn't from Brother, but rather a company called BrotherJet? I've never heard of these guys. Are they in the US?

Going by the picture it looks like it is built on an epson 4000 series inkjet. Many of the best direct-to-garment printers are built on this frame, so that looks good.

On most of the inkjet to DTG conversions I've worked with the manufacturers move away from cartridge based ink to bagged ink. You need to agitate the white ink on these types of units on a daily basis to prevent it from separating. I would inquire with the manufacturer to find out what they've done to prevent that white ink from separating in the cartridge.
Click to expand...

Yep, this is a modified Epson Stylus 4000 series printer, I have a Epson Stylus Pro 4800 and it is identical to the one shown in this video, except for the modified lower section that allows flat-bed printing.


http://www.brotherjet.com/play.php?id=2vmuUjqKVZM

:smile:
 
I

iladi

New Member
my printer has cleaning solution in the white ink bays now. To much trouble with white ink.
And beeing a 4880 epson is nice as i can drive the printer thru wasatch rip, a more accurate printing method than the poor and simple rip that came with the printer.
 
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