27 January / February 2023 standard and the machine comes with FOGRA certification. The final touches Next to the colour, within the production loop of the AlphaJET 4.0 there is provision for 2D/3D spot UV coating and all these processes are backed up with inbuilt UV drying systems by either LED, UV, or IR drying capacity. When you see the machine in action, it really is quite impressive; the clear panels of the AlphaJET 4.0 allow you to see the Smart Trays flying at 18,000 sheets per hour around the production loop with the sheets having one of a number of the processes applied to them. The machine is controlled with an impressive array of screens displaying the production status of each of the Smart Trays as they rotate around the machine. As well as monitoring the status of the machine, the control system allows the operator to program and schedule each job as well as prepare and pre-flight any of the jobs planned for production. MGI and Konica have developed a machine which, as they say, is a factory that can be installed in your factory. The ability to scope three or four processes in one and save on time and resources by producing a product in a single process is very impressive. Given the care and detail that’s gone into the engineering, I would be confident you will have a very efficient one-stop printing shop with this machine. Brian Sims Principal Consultant, Metis Print Consultancy, www.metis-uk.eu you would see on any other B1 printer be it an inkjet or conventional lithographic press. The AlphaJET 4.0 can print on stock up to B1 in size and has a scope of substrate from 135gsm up to 2mm. The printing system can produce on a whole series of different substrates with some of the selection being normal box folding board, coated and uncoated papers, folding carton, e-flue cardboard, and synthetics. Applying the colour So much for the clever configuration of the production process and the Smart Trays, at the heart of the machine is the need to add colour that can tick all the boxes. MGI has decided to adopt water-based inkjet heads for the AlphaJET 4.0, as the company feels the future is much more aligned to the stronger eco-credentials of water-based inks. This does not detract from the output of the CMYK set of Memjet DuraLink printing heads. MGI claims the depth of colour possible with the five nozzle heads is so capable it can produce over 90% of the Pantone range from the standard colour set. This added to the capacity of the printing heads means there is no banding or marking on any of the sheets meaning 1,800 sheets per hour An AlphaJet 4.0 has been installed at Konica Minolta's Center of Competence in Paris the production of high-quality products such as packaging is bread and butter to the AlphaJET 4.0. Depending on the substrate used the MGI engineers have designed into the AlphaJET 4.0 a pre-coating unit that sits within the production loop of the machine. All of this means regardless of the product required, there is no need for additional processing, you just program the step into the process. Each of the printing heads have self-cleaning functions and easy maintenance and the ability to switch off nozzles to cope with issues with one of them. Colour and ink calibration is MGI claims the five nozzle heads can produce over 90% of the Pantone range from the standard colour set Production speed
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