Canon U.S.A.’s Arizona 2300 Series of UV-curable flatbed printers for the wide-format print market are designed to speed up production, improve operational efficiencies and fuel growth opportunities through new applications. Featuring a true stationary flatbed table structure, this series is built around new Arizona Flow technology – a unique vacuum technique that supports a zone-less, multi-origin table layout. Flow technology offers up to 20% more productivity, Canon said, as it requires less masking and taping – and is supported by easy-to-use, three-sided pneumatic registration pins to better secure the substrate in place on the table. The pneumatic registration pins also allow edge-to-edge printing on the substrate, aligning it to either the left or the right edge of the table, or both. “Users can also easily and accurately print double-sided, as well as confidently print on odd-shaped, heavy, smooth or pre-cut media without the use of a jig,” said the OEM. No operator time is required for taping the media down, resulting in faster changeovers between jobs, shorter set-up times and hassle-free job switching. Through its Flow technology, printing on unusual and more challenging media – including canvas, wood or glass, or even printing large images tiled over multiple large boards – can be easily accomplished. Canon added that, as a result of these features, users can expect to reduce waste, labour costs and turnaround times.
The new series can also print up to 1,001 square feet per hour. An automated maintenance system offers hands-free printhead maintenance and reduces downtime by restoring nozzle function in as little as 24 seconds – including white ink, which can be difficult to maintain. The 2300 Series’ high-resolution camera alignment system enables quick and precise printhead alignment and flatbed table mapping. With Arizona Xpert, the series offers self-learning capabilities so users can design – and then repeat – complex, multi-layered projects. This software is equipped with machine-learning capabilities to help customers when they want to print a similar application, saving them set-up time and automating the production process.
Sustainable by design.The Arizona 2300 offers UV-LED curing at 40% less energy consumption than Canon’s traditional curing systems, and has been safety certified for the North American market by TÜV and DGUV. It uses less than 0.74 ml of ink per square foot on average, including maintenance. The precise ink droplet size is used across each print for low-ink consumption, and the series’ UV inks have been UL Greenguard Gold Certified, making prints safe for use in schools and hospitals. An air filtration option is also available to maintain a healthy working environment for customers with less than ideal surroundings. Users can achieve exceptional print quality across a broad media range at fast production speeds, as a result of the series’ high-key print mode, pixel placement compensation, enhanced screening, and VariaDot printhead technology. This technology offers bright white inks and a clear, glossy varnish – which can help customers optimize configurations for high-value, high-margin applications.
The roll media option also allows customers to explore a huge range of roll media – including thin, heat-sensitive media such as vinyl up to 86.6” wide. This feature allows users to easily switch between rigid and flexible media jobs with no machine preparation. Print shops can meet any customer demand for printing on hard plastic materials, such as acrylic, polycarbonate and styrene. To support this, a static suppression upgrade kit, providing active suppression of static electricity, can be added at any time. The Arizona 2300 Series can also be equipped with Canon’s textured printing software, Touchstone, enabling the addition of texture effects to applications such as point-of-purchase displays and interior decor products – including wallpaper, fine-art reproductions and similar applications.
“We are committed to the research and development of our flatbed series with a focus on smart productivity, application versatility and sustainability,” said Shinichi Yoshida, Executive VP and GM at Canon U.S.A. “With our customers in mind, the Arizona 2300 Series will make the production process smarter and more automated, enabling our customers to have the time to focus on what matters the most: growing their businesses. With the addition of the new Arizona 2300 series to our portfolio, we have a range of large-format solutions to suit any and every print need of our customers. We are confident the new flatbed printers will enable them to boost profits, expand their application possibilities and open up new market opportunities, while achieving operational excellence,” he added.
Canon unveils Arizona 2300 Series of wide-format printers
