EFI debuts VUTEk XT hybrid printer

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. debuted the VUTEK XT display graphics printer, which is a redesigned, next-generation successor to the EFI VUTEk HS series of hybrid high-volume printers. The new printer will print more than 375 boards per hour – nearly twice the throughput of the VUTEk HS125 F4 printer, the company said. The new VUTEk XT represents the next-generation hybrid architecture for EFI’s proven pin-and-cure technology, which sets UV ink using LED lamps for sharp definition and accurate placement, followed by a full UV cure at high production speeds.

The printer includes a new media transport eliminating the need for material edge guides, ensuring highly accurate registration and smooth transport of even thick boards, according to EFI. The printer’s new vacuum belt and vacuum table ably handle a wide range of materials. As a result, printing even difficult types of materials can be easy and accurate, reducing waste and improving overall throughput.

The VUTEk XT also features superior front-to-back registration, within 1 mm, and produces boards in up to three printing lanes that can be the same or different files.

CP5G ink delivery

Another advantage, the company says, is the XT model’s CP5G ink system, delivering complete ink circulation, superior dot placement, 5-picoliter drops, and grayscale imaging – a robust combination of features that provides fine text imaging and near-lithographic quality without expanding beyond four-color CMYK ink sets. CP5G also expands users’ capabilities further in media compatibility, providing improved adhesion to a broader range of substrates.

In addition to the VUTEk XT setting a new image quality standard with its 4-color grayscale printing, thanks to CP5G, the printer also gives customers the significant economic advantage of a 30-50 percent ink yield increase compared to other display graphics inkjet printers.

Customers can choose from a number of automation options to configure the printer to their exact needs. This includes the ability to feed one or two large rolls of media, as well as three-quarter in and out and full pallet-to-pallet automation options. All options minimize the need for operator intervention and speed work through the printer.

The EFI VUTEk XT is part of a new super high-speed class of printers from EFI designed to drive the analog-to-digital transformation of display graphics into newer, even higher volumes.