LFP - Large-Format-Printing

JCT Developments Cuts Production Time From Eight Hours to 45 Minutes with EFI VUTEk HS125 F4 Press

Monday 04. March 2019 - Ringwood, UK-based JCT Developments is expanding with a recently installed EFI VUTEk HS125 F4 hybrid flatbedroll-to-roll printer from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII). The printer allows the company to increase printing capacity and focus on new business.

“The machine is far outperforming all expectations, cutting the production time of 100 double-sided set-size Foamex boards (1200mm x 1700mm x 5mm) from eight hours to 45 minutes,” said JCT Developments Managing Director Julian Turner.
The VUTEk HS125 F4 printer’s production speed, which is faster than anticipated, enables JCT to further improve print capacity and focus on expanding its business. Turner expects good growth for his company in 2019.
JCT Developments’ new VUTEk is a versatile 3.2-metre hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll inkjet printer, featuring Fast-4 technology that uses eight ink channels in a CMYK x 2 configuration for high-speed throughput. This results in higher speeds for outdoor- and distance-viewed graphics. The machine prints up to 225 boards per hour with resolutions of 600 or 1000 dpi and greyscale print capability.
The EFI VUTEk HS125 F4 performed better than any other machine JCT Developments tested. Moreover, the fact that the printer is a hybrid flatbed and roll-to-roll solution brought an additional bonus to the company; JCT Developments now has even more capacity to produce short to high run work on an extensive selection of flat sheet and roll fed substrates.
Turner was particularly interested in the printer’s ink adhesion and the manufacturing process on Correx, a corrugated plastic. According to him, the adhesion proved to be outstanding and the best he had ever seen, with no loss of colour gamut or speed. “Correx is a very hard substrate to strike a happy medium on,” said Turner, “but we can run it full throttle on the HS125 F4.
“It quickly became clear that the HS125 F4 is not only fast, but provides good quality of print, plus less expensive ink prices compared to other suppliers I use,” he added.
JCT Developments specialises in advertising and POS (point of sale) signs as well as display graphics, works for various well-known UK blue chip clients, and has a production staff of 24 people.
Mayday Graphic Products, a UK-based referral representative for EFI, assisted EFI on the VUTEk printer sale to JCT Developments.