Agfa has announced a new S (for Standard) version of its Jeti Tauro H3300 printer, essentially offering a version with less heads to be able to set a lower price.
The standard version, which will continue as Agfa’s main offering, uses 48 Ricoh Gen5 heads and can be configured with either four or six colour channels. It can be fitted with a further 12 heads for use with white or primer.
But this new S version has just 24 of these printheads and is only available as a six-colour machine, although there is an option to add a further eight heads for use with white and/or primer. This version has a top speed of 302 sqm/hr. However, it’s possible to add more heads to take it up to the same specification as the existing machines, which have a maximum print speed of 453 sqm/hr.
Reinhilde Alaert, Agfa’s marketing product manager for its high end sign and display products, explains: “It was down to the requests of several potential customers who wanted to enter the Tauro segment but they wanted to have a more entry-level model. When the customer’s business grows or they need higher productivity it can be upgraded to the higher speed.”
Apart from the number of heads, the S version is identical to the existing printers, taking the same size 3.3m wide media and having the same loading and unloading options. This include: manual loading and unloading: semi automatic, with an automated unloader; ¾ automation with an automatic board feeder; full automation for loading and unloading; light roll to roll for occasional short runs on flexible media; and Master roll to roll for high throughput printing to roll-fed substrates.
Agfa wouldn’t comment on pricing other than to say that it would be less than €500,000. Personally I think that if a vendor is going to launch a new printer where the major selling point is the price, then it’s just amateurish not to say what that price is.
Customers will have to carefully consider the price vs the performance but I think it’s worth pointing out that this new version only makes sense if you are fairly certain that you are going to upgrade it later. Otherwise you’re paying for a heavy duty chassis but not using it. The other thing to consider is that if you upgrade the productivity of the printer then you may have to also pay extra to upgrade the loading system. In any case, you can find further details from agfa.com.
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