Flat bed printer recommendation

[Morph1]

Hi there,

Shop which I work for part time is looking to purchase a flat bed printer or a hybrid flat bed / roll to roll unit...,
we are looking at Roland LEJ 640 right now and I think that is the way that we would like to go, what are the options ?
whats out there that has a similar capability as Hybrid... there is an option of going straight flat bed as well but
we would prefer to have a unit that can do both...
any help would be appreciated...

thanks .

 

[TXFB.INS]

there are LOTS of threads already discussing this.
a lot will depend on your budget.

more often the thought is stay true to the machine, ie true flat bed and true roll to roll.
HP has a good entry level flat bed

 

[artbot]

entry level is $16,500 (LED UV dual dx5) and $28,500 (Ricoh gen4 @ five heads)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeMJRlYE04I

Actual OEM
http://www.mtutech.com/

 

[Morph1]

there is a budget of about $150,000 available, and they are not interested in Chinese made equipment,
I understand almost everything is made in China these days...
any other thoughts ?

 

[FrankW]

If you want to use a hybrid roll and rigid media printer, and want to print borderless all around and on metal sheets too, carry much higher weights than with the roland, thicker media, automatic media height detection, multiple sheets at one time and loading of additional sheets during printing, than you should have a look for example on a HP Scitex FB500.

For my opinion, the roland is no really Flat Bed: the roland is a roll printer with the possibility to print occasionally a few pieces of rigid media.

 

[AlsEU]

Hybrid/flatbed printer.

You mentioned the Roland LEJ. Have you heard about Fujifilm Acuity LED1600? Similar size, similar concept (roll2roll with tables), LED UV inks, 8 colours (CMYKLcLmWCl), faster than Roland, industrial printheads (Spectra), 10pl drop (except W and Cl - 30 pl drop). Built in Japan. It's not true flatbed, but LEJ also isn't. If you want to go to real flatbed with r2r print, check Oce Arizona/Fuji Acuity with RMO option, but it will be much more expensive than LED1600.

 

[KaranGrewal]

Fuji Acuity/ Oce

 

[synergy_jim]

you are doing yourself a great disservice if you don't take a look at CET color

 

[API]

Also agree. Fuji Acuity or Oce Arizona with RMO. Great Flatbed with a decent Roll to Roll.

 

[BigfishDM]

I have been doing alot of work with the Jetrix UV Flatbed and I love it! Seiko and Polytype distribute them and are worth checking out for sure.

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I just got a quote for CET Q5, 4 color plus white, 98" Hybrid with tables, delivered and setup for $100k.

 

[Morph1]

thanks for the help guys,

Looking at Fuji and OCE, those are some great flatbeds....