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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2007
Speed, Quality, Versatility, and Value; Gerber introduces the new Solara ion™ Inkjet Printer
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. - Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. has announced their newest offering in the wide-format UV inkjet printer marketplace the Gerber Solara ionx. The Gerber Solara ionx is the culmination of Gerber's growing expertise in field of inkjet printers. Capitalizing on their experience and success with the Gerber Solara™ series of inkjet printers, GSP® has developed a technologically advanced printer format that meets the varied needs of wide-format, outdoor durable digital printing applications. The result is the merger of a true flatbed and true roll-to-roll printer the Gerber Solara ionx.
Gerber Solara ionx is VERSATILE.
“The Gerber Solara ionx is built on a robust flatbed platform that provides the best possible foundation for printing rigid materials,” explained Curt Brey, director of digital solutions for GSP. Material up to 1" (25.4mm) thick and 64" (1.6m) wide is mounted on a vacuum table which provides the ultimate in stability, while a gantry moves the print head over the substrate during printing. This design eliminates the alignment errors that can occur when moving rigid substrates through a printer. The result is precision printing on a wide variety of rigid materials.
“Gerber was not satisfied to stop with a flatbed printer,” explained Brey. “Wide-format applications require printing on flexible roll stock as well. So a true roll-to-roll system was designed into the Gerber Solara ionx.” Flexible material is pulled across the dedicated roll-to-roll platform by a series of precision crafted friction cylinders. Unlike other industry flatbeds that added a simple roll holder, the Gerber Solara ionx has incorporated a fully engineered, heavy-duty roll system and a winding unit for media up to 64"/1.6m wide.
“You get the best of both worlds with the Gerber Solara ionx the dependability of a flatbed printer and the ability to print on a wide range of rigid, semi-rigid, and roll stock materials,” commented Brey. “The Gerber Solara ionx dual printing system eliminates the capital expense of purchasing two separate printers as well as minimizing the amount of valuable floor space that is required by the equipment.”
Not only is the Gerber Solara ionx exceptionally well designed for maximum versatility, the printer features Gerber's patent-pending, Cold Fire Cure™ technology. This unique UV curing process uses low energy and low temperatures to cure the proprietary GerberCAT™ inks. “The Cold Fire Cure system provides features in inkjet curing that are nothing less than revolutionary,” commented Brey. “Cold Fire Cure offers a vast array of benefits over any competitive curing process in the areas of material compatibility, cost of operation, and even environmental, health, and safety.”
Performance Traditional New
Properties Mercury Vapor Cold Fire Cure™
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Generates environmental ozone Yes No
Lamp cost High Low
Lamp life Very Low Very High
Material compatibility Moderate Very High
Generates heat on material surface Yes No
“GerberCAT inks are an exclusive, four color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) cationic ink set that UV cures at approximately room temperature,” explained Brey. “This greatly expands the range of materials that can be printed by the Gerber Solara ionx. Heat sensitive plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper-based materials can be printed using Gerber's Cold Fire Cure and GerberCAT inks without concern over ink adhesion or material damage.
“Unlike other printers that require ‘dwell times’ to dissipate heat buildup when using slower print modes, the Gerber Solara ionx can print without these delays,” explained Brey. “Since the heat generated by Gerber's Cold Fire Cure UV lamps is so low there is no need to pause between passes to cool the material. Print speeds are maintained, even for delicate materials.”
GerberCAT inks provide unmatched adhesion on materials traditionally problematic for inkjet printers such as glass and textiles. Unlike solvent inks that create a chemical bond by eroding the surface of the substrate, GerberCAT inks cure into a strong, yet flexible mechanical bond that is immediately usable. “Gerber has developed a genuine print-and-apply process for vehicle graphics which allows application immediately after printing; as opposed to solvent ink graphics which require 48-72 hours of complete cure time before application,” said Brey. “The ultra-flexible GerberCAT bond allows the Gerber Solara ionx to support an extensive range of three-dimensional applications including fleet graphics, vehicle wraps with tight curves, and smooth application over rivets.”
Performance Traditional New GerberCat™
Properties Free Radical UV Ink Cationic Ink
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Cure Energy Required High Low
Adhesion Good Excellent
Flexibility Poor Excellent
Chemical Resistance Fair Good
Hardness/Gloss Fair Good
Opacity Good Excellent
Environmental Resistance Good Excellent
The Gerber Solara ionx has an expanded color gamut that produces intense reds, greens, and blues for noticeably more vibrant full color prints. In addition, GerberCAT inks have a three year, outdoor-durable life span and laminating graphics will significantly increase their outdoor durability.
“The combination of Cold Fire Cure and GerberCAT makes the Gerber Solara ionx one of the most versatile printers in the world,” explained Brey. “The versatility of the Solara ionx opens the door to a huge set of applications such as real estate signage, POP, vehicle applications, backlit, traffic signage, exhibit display, banners, and textiles all through one printing system.”
Gerber Solara ionx delivers SPEED
The Gerber Solara ion has a versatile range of user-selectable print modes offering a variety of choices in print speed and resolution. Performance mode is used for the fastest printing of samples or short-term graphics with good quality results. Production mode provides the best combination of speed and resolution, and the two High Quality modes print graphics at resolution up to 1440 dpi.
User-Selectable Print Modes Speed Quality
Performance (2-pass, bi-directional) 639 ft2/hr N/A
Production (4-pass ,bi-directional) 319 ft2/hr 159 ft2/hr
High Quality (8-pass, bi-directional) 159 ft2/hr 80 ft2/hr
Ultra-High Quality (8-pass, uni-directional) 80 ft2/hr 40 ft2/hr
“We have found that Gerber Solara ionx Performance mode provides tremendous speed while achieving far better-than-expected results,” commented Brey, “but it is the wide choice of resolution and speed options that separate the Gerber Solara ionx from the competition, and with the dual printing system, customers have the ultimate in system versatility on both rigid and rolled substrates.”
The Gerber Solara ionx produces crisp, clear six point black type without difficulty making the printer suitable for detailed printing. “From high speed to high resolution, to the combination of true flatbed or roll media the Solara ionx is the most versatile printer on the market,” noted Brey.
Gerber Solara ionx is EASY TO USE
The Gerber Solara ionx is designed for ease of use and dependability. The printer's user interface was developed to be highly intuitive. All critical system commands are on dedicated buttons on the control panel for instant access. “The design of the Gerber Solara ionx control panel is straight-forward so that the learning curve is minimal,” Brey pointed out. “It is so intuitive to use that a new operator can be up and running proficiently in minutes.”
Rigid material loading is simple and quick on the Gerber Solara ionx flatbed. The print head gantry moves completely out of the way for unobstructed access to the table. An automated material thickness sensor measures the loaded substrate and locates the print heads and UV lamps at the correct distance from the substrate for precise printing and curing.
Continuous roll-to-roll printing is accomplished via the roll holder and winding unit. Once the roll material is installed, the Gerber Solara ionx can print multiple jobs with unattended operation.
Even installation is easy. The Gerber Solara ionx is assembled on site and does not require expensive site preparations. “Before assembly, the printer will fit through a standard 36" (91.44cm) door opening,” explained Brey. “There is no added expense to tear down walls just to install our inkjet printer, and unlike heavier printers, the Gerber Solara ionx does not require a concrete floor. The quick assembly and lack of hidden installation costs are two real benefits for our customers even before they begin to use the printer,” noted Brey.
Gerber Solara ionx is a great VALUE
“We developed the Solara ionx to exceed expectations in a wide-format printer, including the price,” said Brey. “You simply won’t find a faster, better built, feature-rich wide-format printer that the Gerber Solara ionx. And unlike most hybrid systems, the Gerber Solara ionx provides both true flatbed and roll-to-roll platforms. It is an excellent choice for any wide-format printing application.”
The Gerber Solara ionx is backed by world-class service and support. Gerber has the widest, most developed service structure in the industry through a highly supportive distribution network and Gerber’s
Service organization including locally-based service engineers that provide installation, training and support. “With Gerber behind the Solara ionx you can rest assured that your investment in new inkjet technology will be supported and protected for years to come,” noted Brey. “Whether it is training, warranty service, or post-warranty support, Gerber is equipped to ensure trouble-free printer performance for the life of the printer.”
“Speed, quality, versatility, and value,” stated Brey “that is the Gerber Solara ionx UV inkjet printer's competitive advantage.”
New Print-to-Cut Finishing Solution
With its recent acquisition of Data Technology, Inc., GSP now offers another new print-to-cut solution for its wide-format printers the M3000 Series Digital Cutting and Finishing Systems. The M3000 is the fourth generation of rugged finishing systems which feature cutting, routing, and engraving and a variety of table sizes to meet specific customer requirements. The M3000 Series Digital Cutting and Finishing Systems are capable of cutting a wide array of flexible and rigid substrates, and are equipped with the MVision-Cut® automatic laser registration system for accurate print-to-cut registration and precise results. “With over 3,500 Data Technology installations worldwide,” said Brey “the MSeries Digital Cutting and Finishing Systems have a legacy of durability and reliability which we are proud to offer to our customers.”
The Gerber Solara ionx and the M3000 Series Digital Cutting and Finishing System will be on display at SGIA October 24-27, 2007 in Orlando, FL. If you would like a more information on either product, contact your Gerber Distributor or visit the GSP website: www.gspinc.com.
About Gerber Scientific Products
Gerber Scientific Products is a leader in the development and manufacture of computerized sign making and specialty graphics systems, software, materials, and accessories. The company’s start-to-finish digital design, printing and production products integrate via its unique Matched Technology System™ to provide customers with comprehensive engineered solutions for every color printing and dimensional signage need. Based in South Windsor, Conn., Gerber Scientific Products operates as a business unit of Gerber Scientific, Inc.
Gerber Scientific is a leading international supplier of sophisticated automated manufacturing systems for sign making and specialty graphics, apparel and flexible materials, and ophthalmic lens processing. Headquartered in South Windsor, Connecticut, the company operates through four businesses: Gerber Scientific Products and Spandex Ltd., Gerber Technology, and Gerber Coburn.
Copyright © 2007 Gerber Scientific International
Gerber Solara ion, GerberCAT, Cold Fire Cure, and Matched Technology System are trademarks, and GSP is a registered trademark of Gerber Scientific Products. MVision-Cut is a registered trademark of Data Technology, Inc.
Gerber Scientific Products, Inc.
83 Gerber Road West
South Windsor, CT 06074
Phone: 800-222-7446 / 860-644-1551
E-Mail: curtis.brey@gspinc.com
Website URL: www.gspinc.com
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