SwissQprint speeds up Karibu

SwissQprint has announced a new faster version of its Karibu wide format roll-to-roll printer, to be called the Karibu S, where S stands for speed.

The Karibu is a 3.4m wide UV LED printer that comes with a light box on top of the platen and a mesh kit as standard.  As with all the SwissQprint models, the Karibu can be configured with up to nine colour channels, giving customers a very wide range of colours to work with. The original Karibu can be fitted with one or two heads per colour, up to a total of 18 printheads. The printheads in question are the Konica Minolta 1024i, giving the Karibu a maximum resolution of 1080 dpi.

For the new S model SwissQprint has made use of this flexibility in the number of ink channels and made some changes to the electronics to allow customers to load two sets of CMYK simultaneously for up to four heads for each process colour. In practical terms, this means that in Production mode the speed increases from 110 sqm/hr to 163 sqm/hr and in Quality mode the speed goes up from 75 sqm/hr to 94 sqm/hr. There’s no need to change the curing system as the original LEDs are powerful enough to handle the extra printing speed.

Otherwise the specifications remain the same, as does the price, albeit that you need to order 16 heads to use the dual CMYK channels. The printer can still be fitted with up to 18 printheads, leaving one spare channel that can be used for another colour, such as white. The only real difference is that customers can now choose between higher speeds or using additional colours to extend the colour gamut and produce finer gradients though Steve Pridham, sales manager for SwissQprint UK, says that most customers would prefer to have the faster speed. It’s also possible to upgrade existing Karibus to the new S variant. 

There’s also an option for double-sided printing for both the existing Karibu and the new Karibu S, which is useful for some applications such as blockout banners, ceiling hangers and stretch banners. This works by printing a QR code on the front side, and then using a camera to read the codes, ensuring that both sides line up – even if the material is not inserted accurately before printing on the reverse side or if the roll is inserted in the opposite running direction. The system always recognises the correct positions for the subjects. In any case, the printer’s Lory software guides operators through the process. 

In addition, the company has introduced two neon colours – yellow and pink – for use with all its LED UV printers, which increases the range of effects and therefore applications that users can achieve. 

The Karibu S is available to order now, with prices starting around £360,000. You can find further details from swissqprint.com.