The latest version of the Onset large format, flatbed UV inkjet printers from Inca Digital feature for the first time the potential of having 14 channels for ink, providing ‘future proof’ scalability.

The Onset X Series sets a new benchmark with the 900 square metres per hour (9687 square feet)Onset X3, which is Inca’s fastest ever printer. It also has a masking-free 25-zone vacuum table and can be upgraded on site. The Onset X is sold globally and exclusively by Fujifilm.

The companies describe the X series as a ‘major evolution’ of Inca’s ‘Scalable Architecture’ concept. Each Onset X printer is based on a new common scalable architecture platform which features a larger 25-zone vacuum table and UV control system to eliminate masking, and – uniquely, it’s claimed, among high-end large-format flatbed printers – a carriage that can incorporate up to 14 ink channels. Customers can configure their Onset X printer for the combination of productivity, colour and quality that best matches their changing production requirements.

It is possible to start out with the Onset X1 (560m2/hr, 112 full-bed sheets/hr) and, as business develops, upgrade to the Onset X2 (725m2/hr, 145 beds/hr) and eventually to the new ultra-high-productivity high-quality printer that sits at the pinnacle of the Onset X Series – the Onset X3 (900m2/hr,180 beds/hr).

Each model in the Onset X Series can handle substrates in sizes up to 3.22 x 1.6 metres and thicknesses up to 50 mm, and is compatible with different types of automated media handling systems to optimize productivity.

The Onset X models can be configured in different ways for ink choices. The Onset X1 features eight active channels: four print CMYK and the remainder can be configured as required using a combination of light magenta, light cyan, white and orange (LmLcWO). An additional carriage can be added to scale up to an Onset X2 or X3.

Onset X2 can have a second set of CMYK inks for higher productivity, while an optional six LmLcWO channels can be populated to add versatility. A choice of uni-directional, bi-directional and super high-quality print modes can be selected depending on the specific job requirements.

Onset X3 features three CMYK ink channels plus the choice of white or orange, and either 14 or 27-picolitre printheads. With this printer, said Inca, users of analogue screen printing lines can take the digital route, confident they can print long runs of high-quality print with consistency and reliability.

The new 25-zone vacuum table completely eliminates bed masking for substrates of any size, greatly reduces set-up times for standard POS substrates and increases throughput of short-run, fast-turnaround print. Vacuum zones are independently controlled and easily managed by the operator using the auto zone function.  Frequently-used formats can be automatically programmed and stored in a user-generated database.  Inca Digital said this innovation can increase the Onset X series’ productivity by up to 20 per cent compared to previous Onset printers.

Inca has also developed a new GUI to provide a powerful yet simple-to-use printer and job management tool for the Onset X. The operator can finalise and initiate jobs, save settings, create print queues and manage and optimise every stage of the print process.

John Mills, Inca Digital’s CEO said: ‘Strong sales of the Onset have shown that the modular concept is right for the highly dynamic high-end large-format UV sector, which is evolving at such a pace, and in so many directions, that print service providers often face a dilemma in choosing the right printer. The new Onset X Series is designed to remove the traditional compromise of quality and productivity and make the choice of printer the easiest decision they have to make.’