HP has announced two new HP Indigo generations that target higher print volumes for commercial printers and converters.
The company says that, in driving higher speed and productivity, both digital press platforms will unlock new opportunities for the analogue to digital transformation.
Currie Group supplies HP Indigo in New Zealand, Phillip Rennell, sales and marketing director at Currie Group, says, “With this news, HP Indigo has continued to innovate and increased the ability to meet changing customer demands for our Australian and New Zealand customers. HP have also enabled us to see where the future will be, showcasing the HP Indigo 100K and V12 digital presses and we can’t wait for that.”
High productivity
The new B2-format HP Indigo 100K Digital Press for commercial print, the first press in the new Series 5 platform, is engineered for higher productivity to deliver more than one million B2 duplex sheets per month. Printing at 6000 sheets per hour, the press is designed for offset printers to adopt highly productive, on-demand printing with less waste.
For label production, the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, designed with next generation HP Indigo LEPX architecture, is a narrow web press that exploits the core power of Indigo’s Liquid Electrophotography (LEP) technology. First in the Series 6 platform, the HP Indigo V12 offers up to 12 colours on press; a speed of up to 120 meters per minute; and multiplies productivity performance to match analogue speed, according to HP.
The company says its new, automated colour matching technology, Spot Master, provides the industry’s fastest time to colour.
The drupa portfolio also delivers continued innovation in eight additional new presses: the B2 HP Indigo 15K, SRA3+ HP Indigo 7K and HP Indigo 7eco for commercial printing, the HP Indigo 6K, HP Indigo 8K, HP Indigo 25K for labels and packaging, and the HP Indigo 35K and B1 HP Indigo 90K for folding carton and specialty applications. Value packs with upgrade options will allow existing customers to benefit from these new features and capabilities.
Santi Morera, general manager and global head of graphics solutions, HP Inc, says, “The need for high-quality, versatility and productive digital printing is crucial today, given the rising demand for same-day delivery, sustainability and customised print experiences. With the new portfolio, we’ve set the stage for our customers to grow and build the print factories of the future. In today’s fast-paced environment, where jobs can suddenly land on your doorstep, customers need the agility to react quickly so they can profitably cash in on those opportunities.”
Alon Bar-Shany, general manager, HP Indigo, says, “Over the last four years, HP customers have almost doubled business, generating US$15bn in revenue in the last year alone from over 100 million print orders. We believe the dramatic innovations in our drupa portfolio will usher in a new era that will drive continued growth for customers over the next decade and beyond.”
Called the world’s most productive digital B2 solution, the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press is designed for high productivity required by offset printers to transition more work to digital and boost sustainability with on demand printing.
First Series 5 press – HP Indigo 100K
Engineered for nonstop printing, the new HP Indigo 100K is Indigo’s first Series 5 press. HO says it delivers significantly higher productivity with HP Indigo digital offset look and feel. Delivering 6000 sheets per hour, the HP Indigo 100K four-colour press aims to boost margins on short run digital production and introduces new calculations that confirm a lower total cost of ownership. The HP Indigo 100K uses advanced paper handling and offset-like gripper to gripper design for precision registration, and also enjoys boosted digital capabilities including a five-input source feeder, colour automation, calibration and fast switchover between jobs and media.
Customer beta testing, launched before 2019 peak season, is now concluding at commercial print service providers globally, including offset players. The HP Indigo 100K is scheduled for commercial release at drupa.
Since its drupa 2012 debut, the HP Indigo B2 format digital sheetfed is the market leader with more than 1000 units sold.
LEPX architecture
HP says the new LEPX architecture releases the core physics of LEP technology, producing Indigo’s renowned, high-quality digital printing. In LEPX architecture, six imaging engines operate inline simultaneously, instead of LEP’s single engine, multiplying speed to match analogue with the added benefits of digital printing. As a result, LEPX offers the speed and efficiency for print service providers to profitably produce large print volumes than previously possible.
HP lists the highlights of the LEPX:
- Operators can run jobs at a single predictable speed, regardless of the type of graphics, ink coverage or specialty colours.
- Up to 12 colours on press. Change inks on the fly and create any colour combination.
- Crisp 1600 dpi native print resolution.
Speedy narrow web, faster software
The HP Indigo V12 narrow-web press prints at 120 linear meters per minute for any job with up to six colours, comparable to analogue speed. The press also supports the digital label industry’s largest range of substrates, from 12 microns unsupported film to 450-micron (18 pt) board, using the integrated inline primer.
HP 3D printing production opens a new era of digital manufacturing
More than 100 parts in the new HP Indigo drupa portfolio of presses were produced using HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology, including on the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press, HP Indigo V12 Digital Press, and HP Indigo 15K Digital Press.
HP 3D printing technology enables HP to accelerate learning and design cycles, delivering parts in days versus weeks, reducing carbon footprint by decreasing energy and material consumption, with some parts up to 90 per cent lighter.
HP PrintOSX unites cloud-platform applications with an AI-driven service and support infrastructure to enable customers to get the most out of their press investment. Based on PrintOSX advanced technology, tools and know-how, HP says customers can start building the ‘print factory of the future’ and reach operational excellence, automate production, and innovate with high value applications.
Launched at drupa 2016, more than 12,000 HP customers now connect on HP PrintOS, using a range of applications that leverage big data on the cloud in real time for all types of production challenges. Applications helping drive success for print service providers include:
Marketplace, now featuring a new UI, is loaded with new applications and partner solutions, including information on the latest market trends and business opportunities, as well as hundreds of free open artwork files that customers can customize for their needs.
Mosaic now made easier. In collaboration with Microsoft Xiaoice, unlimited specific ‘mosaic-ready’ seed patterns created by AI technology are available in Marketplace. Enabling designers to create unique hyper-customization projects faster and more cost effectively, the first 4000 mosaic patterns are available free of charge until the end of 2020.
HP Site Flow is an end to end production automation solution from ordering to shipping. Site Flow offers now three user levels: Lite, Pro and Enterprise – supporting PSPs producing as few as 50 jobs per day to over 10,000. In 2019, more than 20 million print orders were processed by Site Flow, a 34 per cent increase year over year.
Colour Beat now enables automated G7 colour certification via HP Indigo press connectivity.
Predictive Press Care algorithms proactively address potential press issues before they impact production.
The B2 HP Indigo 100K and HP Indigo 15K, SRA3+ HP Indigo 7K and HP Indigo 7eco for commercial, as well as the HP Indigo 6K, HP Indigo 8K, HP Indigo 25K, HP Indigo 35K, and HP Indigo 90K for labels and packaging are all scheduled to be available in June or later in 2020.
The HP Indigo V12 Digital Press will be demonstrated at drupa 2021. The press is scheduled for commercial availability in 2022.
