Need FB Printer to print 50-75 sq ft/hr with white ink and photo quality on.

[Tgngreatnews]

What are my options for a Flat Bed printer to print at real rates of 50-75/sq ft per hour with white ink on 100% of time and printing in photo or high quality mode?

I was testing a HP FB500 printing in photo mode with white ink on and it is taking 7 mins to print a 3 sq ft piece of acrylic. Which equates to approx 25sq ft/hr. I printed it on a 48" wide piece.

I need something about 2-3 times faster. Any suggestions?

 

[BigfishDM]

Can you explain the application please, Im sure there must be a different way.

 

[Biker Scout]

I would start my shopping with looking at the print heads first. The machine is just a machine to move the print heads back and forth. Some have better features than others, some cost more than others. But the reality is about the support, and the print heads. Right now there are many of print heads that can handle the kinds of speed you are requiring, but not a photo quality. Not even close. However, there are a couple that can. Konica Minolta 1024 print heads can handle the speed and drop a an ink droplet as small as 6pl. Plus the print heads are 72mm wide and usually manufacturers stagger their layout and can leave an impressively wide swath of ink in one pass. I've been reading good things about Ricoh Gen 5 print heads, which also lay down a small 7pl drop. But I don't know anything about longevity with those. But they've been in the game well over 30 years making print heads. I think the real difference between the two would ultimately be the RIP and the drivers. So I'd be asking to see lots of print samples, and verifying at what speed the samples were printed at.

The other thing of note when shopping for a flat bed printer with white ink support is how it handles the white ink separately. Meaning, does it recirculate the white ink continuously even when not in use to keep sediments from building up, and the titanium oxide from clumping and clogging.

And when printing on acrylic... always ask about pre-treatment, and if it's a necessary step with getting the ink to stick. I have pulled off images, like a fruit roll-up from acrylic that wasn't pre-treated. As their ink formulation wasn't geared for low energy surfaces to begin with. But that's just ink. Many manufacturers of ink out there, and you can get whatever you need, provided to you know what to ask for and who to ask.

 

[Tgngreatnews]

Can you explain the application please, Im sure there must be a different way.

Sure, we print newspapers articles on acrylic plaques. You've probably seen then in restaurants on wood plaques. We do the same on acrylic plaques. They average 2.5 sf ft (18"x24") We will gang multiple plaques up on a 4x8 sheet and then use a cnc router to cut the edges and still holes for standoffs

Since the white background needs to be printed on every plaque, white ink will be on 100% of the time

 

[Tgngreatnews]

I would start my shopping with looking at the print heads first. The machine is just a machine to move the print heads back and forth. Some have better features than others, some cost more than others. But the reality is about the support, and the print heads. Right now there are many of print heads that can handle the kinds of speed you are requiring, but not a photo quality. Not even close. However, there are a couple that can. Konica Minolta 1024 print heads can handle the speed and drop a an ink droplet as small as 6pl. Plus the print heads are 72mm wide and usually manufacturers stagger their layout and can leave an impressively wide swath of ink in one pass. I've been reading good things about Ricoh Gen 5 print heads, which also lay down a small 7pl drop. But I don't know anything about longevity with those. But they've been in the game well over 30 years making print heads. I think the real difference between the two would ultimately be the RIP and the drivers. So I'd be asking to see lots of print samples, and verifying at what speed the samples were printed at. The other thing of note when shopping for a flat bed printer with white ink support is how it handles the white ink separately. Meaning, does it recirculate the white ink continuously even when not in use to keep sediments from building up, and the titanium oxide from clumping and clogging. And when printing on acrylic... always ask about pre-treatment, and if it's a necessary step with getting the ink to stick. I have pulled off images, like a fruit roll-up from acrylic that wasn't pre-treated. As their ink formulation wasn't geared for low energy surfaces to begin with. But that's just ink. Many manufacturers of ink out there, and you can get whatever you need, provided to you know what to ask for and who to ask.

Thanks for the info. What printers are using the Ricoh or Minolta print heads. I think the CET Color uses the Ricoh heads?

 

[Biker Scout]

Dozens of printer manufacturers use those kind of heads. Just research, and don't be afraid to source globally. (hint hint) As long as you are getting apples to apples comparisons, the printer doesn't really matter much anymore... the print heads and software running the machine really do. I'm looking at a printer right now, that in High Quality mode prints 150 sq. ft. per hour. But in draft mode can crank out at 430 sq. ft. per hour! But is running Sekio SPT1020 print heads. I'm in the process of learning about those particular print heads

 

[wunder]

the stable flatbed machine in the uv + white section is the fuji acuity (Brand OCE Arizona) Speed is very good....fuji KO-INks runs very perfect.......nothing else.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Oce Arizona 360GT or 460GT should do you.
Around 80sq.ft/hr on both models with 2 pass White.

 

[artbot]

this flatbed printer costs $28,000 and this CMYKW using Ricoh. i believe meitu tech is the original designer and is licensing the build to maybe five or six other builders. dual dx5 costs $16,500.

 

[Eric H]

Not 100% what what your printing on but why can't you use a white substrate? I'm sure it's more complicated than that, I'm just curious.

 

[PrintItBig]

Not 100% what what your printing on but why can't you use a white substrate? I'm sure it's more complicated than that, I'm just curious.

Some things can't be achieved without white ink and some things are easier or less labour intensive.

Couple of examples...

Window graphics where you want some portions to be clear and other portions to be opaque or fading from clear to opaque.

Printing on dark coloured materials either as a base coat for the other colours or just sections printed in white.

Reverse printing to clear acrylic where you want to make certain portions opaque or flood the whole reverse with white ink rather than white vinyl to make the other colours appear as they should.

There are many others as well.