FUJIFILM South Africa hosted an open day on 18 May at its Technology Centre in Sandton. The company highlighted its commitment to sustainability as well as its large format offerings, most notably the Acuity Ultra R2 LED – the first model of this machine in Africa. Also demonstrated was how the company’s products fit together to produce an ideal print, cut and workflow process.
‘Sustainability is something we should not only be embracing in our personal lives but in our business lives too,’ said Grant Potgieter, general manager of FUJIFILM South Africa’s Graphic Communication Division. ‘We need to start treating sustainability with the importance that it deserves.’
‘FUJIFILM is very much aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Everything that we do, from a Research and Development (R&D) perspective, evolves around sustainability. Before we even start building a printer, before we start developing an ink, before we start doing anything, the first thought that goes into all our R&D is: ‘how sustainable is this product?’,’ said Potgieter.
Potgieter added that FUJIFILM’s daily global spend on R&D is in the region of $8 million, and at the forefront of that is sustainability. FUJIFILM South Africa is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its products and operations, and is proactively working to preserve the environment. The company strives to educate printers about environmental best practice and considers sustainable development as the most important issue for the planet, the human race, and all business entities.
FUJIFILM’s inks and machines contribute to this by: massively reducing raw material use; using fewer and more sustainable consumables; needing far fewer replacement parts; producing less waste; consuming less water and producing 100% recyclable printed products.
Importantly, the new South African head office was constructed to fall in line with FUJIFILM Holdings’ climate action targets. The head office has been designed with the help of a green energy consultant. As such, it incorporates the use of solar power panels with a capacity of 65 kVA, biometric access control, motion sensors, day/night lighting and energy efficient plumbing that consumes less water.
Key trends driving the growth of the green large format market include:
Consumer demand: awareness of the environmental impact of purchases are driving increased demand for sustainable products and services.
Growing awareness of the environmental impact of traditional large format printing, which uses a variety of materials and processes that can have a negative impact on the environment.
Government regulations promoting the use of sustainable materials, such as: The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), The Air Quality Act, The Water Act and The Waste Management Act.
Technological advancements in the manufacturing of green materials.
Cost savings: reducing energy costs, waste disposal costs and other environmental costs.
Some of the products and solutions highlighted included:
Acuity Ultra R2 LED
This is a high quality, high productivity superwide platform that is available in UV and LED configurations. Engineered with the operator in mind, it is designed with specialist inks to support the printing of near-photographic interior graphics of exceptional quality, and the high speed printing of banners and PVC signage. The Acuity Ultra R2 is unique in being able to combine ultra-high quality with superb productivity and a groundbreaking return on investment, all in one platform.
Acuity Prime Flatbed LED
The Prime’s increased print productivity combined with a seemingly reduced ink consumption shows a very promising cost-in-use potential. Uvijet HM inks are: GREENGUARD and AgBB certified; compliant with strict environmental testing; free from ozone-depleting chemicals, aromatic hydrocarbons and harmful volatile solvents; and have low energy consumption.
Summa F1432 Flatbed Cutter
Up to three tools can be inserted at one time into the multi-module tool holder. Changing those tools is quick and easy, thanks to the simple, single-point fastening system. Automatic tool recognition, combined with digital and mechanical depth/pressure control, ensures precision cutting on a vast array of materials. The base unit comes standard-equipped with an ultra-fast drag knife module, as well as Summa’s revolutionary OPOS-CAM optical camera marker recognition system for unparalleled contour cutting accuracy.
Caldera
CalderaRIP offers productivity and efficiency for optimal colour management; automates pre-press tools; and consolidates production with a single RIP for coherent output and time, ink and media savings. It also aids an efficient print to cut workflow.
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