It operates in tandem with an Océ ProCut cutting system, streamlining large format workflow – from prepress to finishing – of rigid and flexible display graphics media requiring cutting.
Director Paul Nevell says the Océ Arizona, with its combination of speed and quality, represented “the most elegant solution currently in the market”.
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| Paul Nevell (right) inspects a print job on his Océ Arizona 550 GT. |
“With the increase in flatsheet work, which has been occurring over the past few years, we needed to boost this area of our operation with a printer which could also deliver high quality at an acceptable speed.
“We also required a printer which utilised moving printheads rather than moving media as we found on a previous non-Océ printer that the stability of the media was sometimes compromised by moving media to a degree which was unacceptable to our customers. The Océ Arizona uses a vacuum system to hold media stationary on a flat surface, ensuring accurate registration even on multiple imaging passes. This is an industry which demands accuracy and predictability and, with the Océ Arizona 550 GT, we get that, as well as superb output.
“Like most printers, we use the Océ ProCut mainly for straight cutting. For instance we have just printed 5500 show cards on the Arizona. Imagine how hard it would be to hand cut all of those. We also use the ProCut for preparing packaging when we have jobs to send out to customers. We can produce a cardboard pack exactly the right size for the order, and can do it much faster than doing it by hand.
“Our experience with Océ service was an additional factor. We have three Océ LightJet photographic printing units, which have been the mainstay of Trannys Crows Nest operation for many years. Océ has given us absolutely first class service with the LightJets and that is continuing with the Océ Arizona. I can honestly say I doubt there is better service in Australia.”
Trannys has a mix of customers, whose products range from standard POP materials to high end cosmetics. Output is increasingly flatsheet work, which is produced on the Arizona, and backlits, which it produces on the Océ LightJets. Paul Nevell sees the growth of backlits and flatsheet as the two major trends in the display graphics industry and says that with his LightJets and the Océ Arizona 550 GT he has the best combination to handle both areas.
The Océ Arizona 550 GT can produce more than 40 square meters of high quality printing per hour, or more than 100 full-size boards per eight-hour shift, utilising rigid substrates such as hard and soft foam board, plastic, glass, wood, acrylic and styrene, and flexible media including paper, film, vinyl and fabric.
It employs the same Océ VariaDot imaging technology used in other members of the award-winning Arizona family such as the Océ Arizona 360 GT / XT display graphics printers, able to produce readable type as small as two point text in high definition mode.
Says Paul Nevell: “We explored the market for a long time before settling on the Océ Arizona 550 GT as offering the best combination of speed, quality and service, as well as providing us with a true work horse flatbed.”
Océ Australia
www.oce.com.au
