FUJIFILM Graphic Communication South Africa held an open house event at its Technology Centre in Sandton on the 21 February 2024. The theme of the event was ‘A Cut Above the Rest,’ with FUJIFILM showcasing wide format solutions, with a focus on cutting solutions and various substrates from their partners Plexiglas® and Papercor.
Tiffany Fernandes, brand and marketing at FUJIFILM, highlighted FUJIFILM’s dedication to excellence, precision, innovation, quality and sustainability. She also mentioned the economic growth of the large format markets, which are projected to reach R9 billion by 2025. She said that FUJIFILM can help give businesses a strategic advantage by leveraging trends in substrate usage, machine customisation and strategic local sourcing and partnerships, expanding and opening businesses up to new markets.
Anja Kirton, Wide Format Product Manager at FUJIFILM, introduced the substrates provided by Plexiglas® and Papercor, discussing how they paired with the printers and cutters on display.
Kirton stated, ‘There are specific materials that you need to select that complement the print side. If customers are educated on the materials and equipment, it’s a win-win recipe for both of us.’
Kirton also presented on the Acuity Prime flatbed printer series. Speaking about the Acuity Prime 20, Acuity Prime 30, Acuity Prime L and Acuity Prime Hybrid, she said the range’s benefits include industrial build quality, ultra-reliable performance, versatile media handling, superb colour gamut, high resolution greyscale printheads and vacuum zones for bed masking.
Kirton went on to introduce the highlighted cutters on display, the Summa F Series F1432 Flatbed Cutter and the Valiani Omnia 100. She said one of the main exciting features of the Summa F Series is their multi-functional cutting heads that are able to hold up to three cutting modules at once. The system is therefore able to efficiently process cutting jobs, including multiple cutting techniques, or to quickly switch between jobs in which different materials are used. The LED pointer in the central unit and integrated camera system enable fast and accurate mark recognition.
‘We showcased the complements of our flatbed printers together with the flatbed cutters. We also showcased the HF router on the Summa F1432, which is the high frequency router, cutting Plexiglas®. You can do multiple tools on the machine, so it’s really a scalable investment. You can add many different tools for different applications, and you can grow your business by investing in such equipment,’ said Kirton.
David Van Eyk, Technician Manager at Röhm, provided a detailed presentation on Plexiglas®. This included a company overview, how the Plexiglas® GS, XT and Lexan® PC ranges are made, Plexiglas® as a product for printing, the storage and cleaning of Plexiglas® sheets, cutting and cutting methods, sanding and polishing and finally the technical support and training Röhm provides for working with Plexiglas®.
Marjorie Rossouw, Sales and Marketing Representative at Papercor Holdings, addressed the packaging application possibilities with their Hi-Q Titan Paper, a 350gsm, heavy weight coated paper. Rossouw mentioned the partnership between Papercor and FUJIFILM, as well as the national availability of the products they stock due to their locations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Mikael Bryske, Sales Director EMEA at Valiani, presented the Valiani Omnia 100 and its key features and applications. The main key feature of the machine is its versatility, as it can be used for cutting a wide range of materials with different thicknesses. These include coated paper, folding or corrugated cardboard, vinyls, leather, fabrics, foam, carbon fibre and more. The model has a similar versatility in its many applications, which include packaging, labels (kiss cut), business cards, greeting cards, folders, leaflets, small POS displays, post press digital finishing and much more.
‘The Omnia 100 is your B2 size. It’s 750mm by 1050mm and it is a continuous feed machine, so you can stack up to 600 sheets, and it just continues cutting the sheets for you. It’s a continuous speed machine, so it’s really nice for your production to industrial continuous speed cutting,’ said Kirton.
The event concluded with a demonstration of the the Summa F Series F1432 Flatbed Cutter and the Valiani Omnia 100 in the show room. The Summa F1432 cut Plexiglas® coasters, which were printed using the Acuity Prime UV 30 Flatbed printer. The Valiani Omnia cut digital print folders made of Papercor’s Hi-Q Titan Paper. Also on display were several units of FUJIFILM’s Acuity Prime range.
Kirton concluded about the event: ‘It went really great. It’s nice to see the collaboration between partners and it was well received by customers. I think they enjoyed insights into how to handle specific materials, the best equipment to process those materials, and tips and tricks, which can help them be more productive and cost effective.’
FUJIFILM SOUTH AFRICA
+27 11 430 5400
https://www.fujifilmgraphicsystems.co.za/
