At drupa, Agfa will demonstrate the new Anapurna H2500i LED system, a 2.5m hybrid solution for printing rigid and flexible media. The new printers use air-cooled 16 Watt/cm² UV LED lamps. Willy Van Dromme, marketing manager for wide-format systems at Agfa Graphics, says, “In addition to widening the media range, UV LED curing technology delivers interesting operational and environmental benefits.
Agfa will run its latest 2.5m Anapurna printer at drupa
“Opposed to mercury lamps, which last for about 1000 operating hours, the lifetime of the LED alternative is in line with the economical lifetime of a printer of typically five years. As a consequence, both the cost and the downtime for changing lamps are obviated, while there is no issue in disposing of them either. In addition, the power output remains consistent over the LEDs’ operating life, which is an important element in maintaining good physical characteristics of the print with regards to adhesion for example.†The Anapurna H2500i LED offers a white ink function that includes pre, post, spot, and sandwich white. An optional automatic board feeder can help increase productivity. Agfa says the Anapurna H2500i LED can print on a wider media mix, and can handle more heat-sensitive substrates such as thin-layer styrene. LED lamps have no warm-up or cool-down time and offer reduced power consumption. “Adding UV LED-curing to our successful Anapurna i family strengthens our product offering,†said Van Dromme, “Compared to the mercury bulb version, no compromises are made in either print quality or productivity. Instead, our customers will benefit from the operational savings, the broader media range and the environmental advantages that UV LED curing adds to the system.â€
