Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu 27 Issue 253 - June / July 2024 email: news@signlink.co.uk hr. At the other end of the range, the values for the same machines in high quality mode are up to 215sq ft per hr and up to 559sq ft per/h respectively. Holding Tight Size is nothing without control and the security of the substrate on the VK3220T-HS bed itself has been considered as much as the inkjet systems themselves. The printer has a seven-zone vacuum table which is made of aluminium and each of these zones can be selected wherever needed to ensure the substrate is held fast – a vital component when you need high-quality printed materials. With the aforementioned size of substrate possible, another element of the printer that Vanguard considered carefully was the flatness of the table. It is controlled during manufacture within +/-50µm across the whole width and length which considerably adds to the accuracy of the dot placement. Vanguard has clearly looked to see how it can build long-term relationships with printing partners and the VK3220T-HS and the associated Growing Your Business Together Program clearly seem to provide a plan for success. Speed and quality with inkjet printers are always competing against each other but the flexibility of this type of printer is one of the unique selling points. Each of the configurations comes with four different speed selections: draft, express, production, and high quality. The output of various configurations then depends on the number of heads you selected but as an example, a single row machine in draft mode will produce up to 2,637sq ft per hr whereas a triple row machine will produce up to 3,875sq ft per any of the equipment. Printhead Configurations Regardless of what machine is selected, at the heart are the industrial standard Kyocera KJ4A printheads which can deliver ink droplets as small as 4 picolitres. The base colours available are the process CMYK but there is the option of moving up to adding white and varnish if this is the upgrade route taken. As mentioned earlier, the Kyocera printheads can come as either single, double, or triple configurations with the maximum being 15 printheads provided by three rows of five. Regardless of the configuration, the Vanguard VK3220T-HS uses an electro-magnetic drive and variable dot technology to ensure there is a very confined placement of each dot making lines much sharper and text clearer at even the highest of print speeds at up to 1,800dpi. All of the inks and varnishes are cured by integral LED UV systems and the eco-credentials are nailed down by them all being Greenguard Gold compliant. This means they are VOC- and NVC-free meaning they meet strict criteria allowing them to be used on products needed in schools and healthcare facilities. This combination of colours and varnishes enables a wide range of applications which can be applied to an equally impressive series of substrates such as papers, acrylic, aluminium, composite panels, wood, banners, polyester, polycarbonate, polystyrene, (high-density) PVC, flexible foam panels, glass, and many other materials. The size of the substrates that can be printed extends to the largest extremities of the printer being 3.2m x 2m in width and length and up to 100mm in height. Given the size of this substrate, avoiding damage to the printing head is paramount and the VK3220T-HS comes with integrated anti-collision systems. UNDER THE HOOD / VANGUARD VK3220T-HS Resolution 1800dpi Colours CMYK, W, and varnish options Printheads Kyocera KJ4A Printhead configuration Up to 15 in 3 rows Maximum substrate thickness 100mm Maximum print area 3200 x 2050mm Statistics
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