Troubled Ilford Imaging has announced a plan to take the company forward following its recent financial difficulties. Not only has it undergone a management buy out but it has also secured a technology partnership with Lintec Sign Systems Inc.
Lintec Sign Systems Inc., experts in the wide format printing and commercial sign and display market, instantly recognised the potential synergies between the two companies. An agreement has now been reached that will result in the latest coating technologies offered by Ilford being applied to a range of bases manufactured by Lintec Sign Systems Inc. The products will be available on a global basis under the Lintec brand.
Ilford Imaging Switzerland GmbH have been developing high performance coatings for the commercial sign and display market for a number of years and recently announced that it developed a step change in coating technology for both ecosolvent and aqueous printer technologies. The new NanoSolvent™ coating was developed specifically to capitalise on the latest improvements, including speed, introduced by the ecosolvent printer manufacturers. Available under the Ilford OMNIJET brand, the NanoSolvent™ products give print service providers the benefit of excellent image quality in combination with increased productivity. In addition, Ilford also recently announced AquaBlock™, a highly advanced water fast coating layer which enables print service providers to capitalise on the lucrative outdoor market using their existing aqueous pigment wide format printers.
The technology partnership will see Lintec Sign Systems Inc., taking advantage of these latest innovative coatings and offering its customer base products that will open up new applications and business opportunities. The first results of the technology partnership will be demonstrated at the Sign & Display Show in Tokyo on 19 – 21st September.
Commenting on the new partnership, Paul Willems, Chief Executive Officer, Ilford Imaging Switzerland said “I am delighted that we have established a solid partnership with one of Japan’s most innovative and forward thinking suppliers to the commercial wide format market. The collaboration will benefit both companies and more importantly our customers.” Willems continued, “I am looking forward to working with the Lintec team as I believe that with the combination of their manufacturing technology and our coating capability, we will continue to push the boundaries within the commercial sign and display market.
Finally, Mr Kojima, Chief Executive Officer, Lintec Sign Systems Inc. concluded “Lintec prides itself on being at the forefront of innovative technology within our market. The team at Ilford has demonstrated that their leading edge coating capabilities will enhance our existing product range as well as allow us to develop new products to meet the demands and needs of our customers. I am delighted that we will be able to demonstrate the results of this collaboration at one of the most important shows for the business, the Sign & Display Show in Tokyo and again show our customers that Lintec is constantly striving to bring them the latest in product innovation.”
Ilford Imaging
www.ilford.com