For a while now Memjet has posted on its web site and YouTube channel videos showing a wide format machine, which uses 5 Memjet printheads to print 42 inches wide in a single pass. We’ve also seen many of the patent applications covering this machine published and have reviewed them in our patent review journal Directions.
A couple of weeks ago Xanté announced the Excelagraphix 4200 which uses the Memjet wide format engine, and this week at LabelExpo 2011 in Brussels Hungarian company OWN-X announced their version, the WideStar 2000.
As usual, seeing is believing, and the speed at which a wide image emerges from the machine is impressive at 300 mm (12 inches) per second. Prints on various inkjet coated media looked excellent, on plain paper pretty good.
The OWN-X booth was busy every time I went past, with the crowds attracted to the SpeedStar 3000 label printers – also Memjet-based – that were introduced a year ago and have been selling well. The WideStar is attractive for CAD applications, including architecture, but OWN-X were printing signage and labels on it at the show to try and tempt customers.
Memjet also features in the IMI Europe 19th Annual Inkjet Conference programme that we have been organising. Thomas Roetker, Vice President of Engineering of Memjet Labels will be talking about where Memjet has got to, and where they are going from a technological and performance viewpoint as well as commercial. His presentation will be followed by Ivan Bulaev, Head of Marketing of Lomond, who are marketing the 60 page/minute office Memjet printer, and will discuss “Taking the Memjet-powered Evojet Office into the market’.
The conference is in Lisbon, Portugal November 9-11, 2011. You can find full details of the conference and presentations at IMI Europe’s web site at www.imieurope.com We have a great line up of presentations this year from adphos, Agfa Gevaert, com2C, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Global Graphics, Hewlett-Packard, Infotrends, INGEDE, IT Strategies, Konica Minolta, Lomond, Lumen Dynamics, Memjet Labels, MGI Digital Graphic Technology, Sepiax Ink Technology, Stork Prints, Tonejet, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Xennia Technology and Xerox.
Mike Willis, Pivotal Resources