FESPA Digital 2016 will take place at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam from 8 to 11 March, will cover 42,000sqm, making it the biggest digital event to date. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the exhibition since its launch in Amsterdam in 2006.
A statement from FESPA claimed that the European Sign Expo has exceeded all expectations, and is 250% larger than the inaugural event in 2013, while FESPA Textile 2016 is the first textile event, taking up two dedicated halls as well as a digital textile conference around the exhibition.
The sold out event is set to feature more than 450 exhibitors displaying their latest products and technology across wide-format digital print, textile print, signage and printed interior decoration.With so much on display at the digital show, visitors will need to whittle what they see down to the essentials. Start planning your trip with our breakdown of what's on show on the exhibitors' stands.
Leading brands who will showcase their latest products include Corporate Partner HP, Platinum Partners EFI and Hexis, Gold Partners Mimaki and Durst, Digital Textile Partners d.gen and Kornit Digital, Wrap Partner Avery Dennison as well as manufacturers Epson, Canon, Roland DG, Orafol, MS Printing Solutions, Ricoh, Bullmer, swissQprint, Mutoh, Pongs, Muchcolours, Hollanders, MTEX, Fotoba, Menden, Vivialyte, SloanLED, Screen and Fujifilm.
Some of these products have already been announced in our news columns, we recommend using the Search function on www.wideformatonline.com.au in order to locate more details on any particular news that you are searching for.
Companies claiming to show new products for the first time include those listed below. This list. provided by FESPA is still growing, so keep coming back to either FESPA (www.fespadigital.com) or Wide Format Online (www.wideformatonline.com.au) for more information on new product announcements.
Aslan, Stand T110 Hall 7
Self-adhesive films specialist Aslan will be unveiling a new matt colour film range which breaks the ground for all design-oriented applications. The colour palette incorporates ten different shades and is based upon colours trends of the year, chosen by the colour institute Pantone.
WindowClear Aslan DFP 18, a highly transparent digital printing film, is another new addition to the specialist's range. This self-adhesive PVC-film is ideally suited for the design of large-scale prints on to glass surfaces, particularly when a highly transparent finish is desired.
Avery Dennison, Stand E30 Hall 1
Six new digital products will be launched by Avery Dennison at this year's FESPA Digital, under the theme 'Here for you' featuring the new MPI 1104 cast films. The company will also be showing a new digital wall film portfolio, and its latest application-trainings and workshops.
The range of self-adhesive graphics substrates is PVC-free and phthalate-free to offer enhanced sustainability. Also, on the show, will be the vendor’s Supreme Wrapping Films and new film for latex inks.
Bordeaux Digital Printink, Stand S150 Hall 7
Bordeaux Digital Printink will exhibit a range of inks, coatings and technologies for “almost every inkjet technology and application” at FESPA. Products on show will include a new water-based pigment ink for all fabrics accompanied with its longtime industry leading printer specific inks, the company informed.
According to Bordeaux, it recognised the need to simplify digital processes for textiles and developed one pigment ink that can print on all types of fabric and in a single process. Its range of varnishes on show will include UV curable coatings, water- and UV-based liquid laminates and coatings for wide-format and digital presses.
Brett Martin, Stand R143 Hall 7
UK-based specialist plastic sheet manufacturer Brett Martin will launch a new range of flat sheet products for the print and display sector. The renewed Foamalux range aims to offer versatility, high strength-to-weight ratio, workability, quality performance and highly durability, according to the company.
Other highlights include the company’s latest Transparent Sheets, Marlon FS Polycarbonate and Marpet-a FS aPET, available in thicknesses of 2mm, 3mm and 4mm. Brett Martin said that while these products are more suitable for flat and cold bending applications, such as POS display stands, poster glazing and illuminated signage, it may also be thermoformed and hot-line bent within a controlled temperature range to avoid crystallisation.
Brother, Stand K80 Hall 5
For the first time in Europe, Brother will show the new scanning device and a new low-end pretreatment machine. The successful GT-3 Series garment printer together with new options and platens are a good combination to produce high volumes and/or unique fashion garments.
In addition, they will showcase how to print on shoes and how to combine different techniques like Embroidery and Scan&Cut solutions for textile finishing.
Brother Industrial will be demonstrating several steps of the digital garment printing process, and visitors will have the opportunity to discuss with many experts about their requirements for perfect garment printing.
Epson, Stand F50 Hall 1
Epson will use its appearance at this year’s FESPA Digital to showcase how its range of SureColor aqueous, solvent and dye-sublimation inkjet printers can produce added-value products on a wide range of materials.
The digital event will mark the European debut of four new 64” printers in the form of the 10-colour SureColor SC-S80600, the high-speed CMYK x 2 SureColor SC-S60600, the four-colour SureColor SC-S40600, and the super-fast aqueous SureColor SC-P20000.
Meanwhile, the SureColor SC-F7200 and SC-F6200 dye sublimation printers will both be in the textile zone section of the Epson stand, with the manufacturer to showcase how the devices can produce printed textiles and how they can be used to sublimate onto a range of hard and 3D substrates.
Ergosoft, Stand P44 Hall 5
Ergosoft plans to use FESPA Digital to showcase v15 of its RIP software. The program, which will be presented in beta mode, includes nesting and hot folder tools as well as gamut mapping.
This new feature will help customers to achieve smoother gradients and more colorful results especially in very industry specific color spaces of e.g. textiles, ceramics or high-pressure laminate applications.
Another requested and long-awaited feature is the Nesting, which is now integrated into the JobComposer and the HotFolder application to benefit from the automated arrangement of multiple images per job. Besides to the new and modern appearance, there will be some exciting new features ErgoSoft is looking forward to showing to their visitors.
Esko, Stand H20 Hall 1
At this year’s FESPA Digital, Esko will unveil the Kongsberg C64 cutting table alongside a wide portfolio of digital finishing systems. The Kongsberg C64 is designed for 24/7 production and semi-industrial environments and is unique in its ability to handle materials up to 3.2x3.2m, says Esko.
Thanks to their carbon traverse beam, Kongsberg C Series cutting tables are designed not to decelerate when cutting demanding materials and are capable of working with substrates from paper and textiles to fluted board, plastics, aluminium composites and (unique to the Kongsberg C) corrugated up to triple-wall thickness.
Visitors will also see at FESPA Digital new Esko i-Cut software suite developments. It includes the highly flexible i-cut Production Console (iPC) which drives all functionality on Esko Kongsberg tables. Its simple-to-use interface ensures efficient, safe and high-quality operation. It also delivers operator guidance and precise machine control thanks to its ingenious design and range of logical, user-friendly features.
Drytac, Stand E130 Hall 1
Self-adhesive materials manufacturer Drytac Europe will be debuting the ViziPrint Illuminate film at FESPA Digital. The 100µ translucent matte PET film has been developed for brilliant backlit window graphics and vibrant backlit displays for high-end retail advertising. With its advanced adhesion technology, ViziPrint Illuminate can be repositioned and reapplied multiple times upon installation and leaves no residue after removal.
Additionally, Drytac will be highlighting a new floor graphics application for its Polar HiGrab vinyl. Printable by eco-solvent, latex and UV inkjet technologies, Polar HiGrab is coated on one side with a high tack pressure sensitive, solvent grey opaque acrylic adhesive.
Folex, Stand J51 Hall 1
Digital coating specialist Folex will be presenting a range of new materials for high-speed inkjet printing. The firm said its newly developed nanoporous coating can be applied to some different substrate types, including PET, PP and vinyl.
Among the new products which will be demonstrated is the ‘ReproJet’ series for pigment and eco-solvent inks, which offer the necessary resolution and high density for the most demanding screen, flexo and pad applications.
Fujifilm, Stand H70 Hall 1
On show at the Fujifilm stand will be the new Acuity LED 1600 II roll printer. Unveiled in the Autumn of 2015, the new Acuity builds on the best features of the popular Acuity LED 1600, delivering the highest levels of productivity and versatility.
The updated machine features a new fast printing mode of 33sqm/hr, which is more than 50% faster than the previous model. Fujifilm said this addresses customer demands for quicker job turnarounds and lower output cost.
On the consumables front, Fujifilm will showcase euromedia, a range of hundreds of media products for water-based, solvent and UV printing and laminating.
Gandy Digital, Stand H21 Hall 1
Canadian wide-format equipment manufacturer Gandy Digital will unveil its latest machine, the 5m-wide roll-to-roll Fascin8tor, at this year’s FESPA Digital.
The device, which prints at 1,200dpi and handles substrates up to 50mm thick, uses Gandy Digital’s Blade technology and combines eight Ricoh Gen4 printheads per colour. The printer uses fixed dot printing, which the manufacturer said ensures cost-effective, high print quality in all printing modes and speeds.
The company will also show a range of its other machinery including the Softjet, a direct to fabric roll-to-roll sublimation printer that uses environmentally safe water-based inks, and the Sl8te, a hybrid roll-to-roll and flatbed LED printer.
Hollanders, Stand G150 Hall 1
At this year’s FESPA Digital show, Hollanders will unveil the ColorBooster DS, a double-sided 3.2m-wide textile printer capable to print with a precision of 0.07 mm.
According to Hollanders, high quality coloured wovens can be printed/fixed in one step as with double-sided soft signage. It said these high quality, double-sided coloured fabrics are now achievable at much lower production costs and will be therefore made available for a much wider consumer group, extending creative possibilities.
Also, the company will showcase the ColorBooster 320 digital textile machine, launched at last year’s FESPA 2015. A modular device that can be fitted with different features according to a customer’s requirements, the 320 prints materials from 0.5m to 3.2m in width, in four, six or eight colours. It can handle a maximum media thickness of 10mm.
New at this year’s show will be the possibility to upgrade, in the field, to a stacked head configuration and a speed of 120 sqm/h.
Industrial Tooling, Stand T61 Hall 7
Industrial Tooling Corporation will use FESPA Digital 2016 to introduce the company’s latest products, which include knife and plotting tools and a selection of balanced routing tools for high-speed machining.
ITC has communicated customer feedback with its R&D department, and the result is the extension of balanced tools across ITC's complete single flute tooling lines. It will see ITC present the most comprehensive range of balanced tools at FESPA for improving machining performance and eliminating secondary hand finishing for the end user.
Additionally, ITC will be promoting the fact that its market leading Clearcut range of routing tools has also been extended with the maximum available diameter now being 8mm as opposed to the previous 6mm diameter.
Inktec, Stand J71 Hall 1
InkTec will be exhibiting its brand new Jetrix LX5 which is equipped with 6-picolitre Konica Minolta printheads and is available with a four, six or seven channel colour configuration.
Using InkTec’s specially formulated UV inks, the Jetrix LX5 features production speeds of 39sqm/hr, while still achieving 11sqm/hr fin the best quality setting.
Furthermore, the company has developed a new version of the Jetrix General User Interface (GUI) to meet customers’ increased expectations. This innovative software is designed to achieve a higher quality print with faster speeds than the previous version.
J-Teck3, Stand G50 Hall 1
At FESPA Digital, J-Teck3 will showcase the updated J-Cube range, a new series of digital inks for sublimation and direct-to-fabric printing on polyester. The series, featuring J-Teck’s Cluster Technology, has been developed for digital printers equipped with Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Panasonic and Kyocera printheads.
Other digital water-based inks from J-Teck’s range will be on display, including the J-Next Subly, suitable for Epson DX6 and DX7 printheads and the J-Next Print, which incorporates disperse dye for printing directly onto polyester for high fashion and display graphics.
Kiian Digital, Stand K20 Hall 5
Inkjet ink manufacturer Kiian Digital will be unveiling a new sublimation ink range formulated to meet the demand for striking, high-quality graphics across different textile applications. Comprising of 12 specially engineered inks, the range offers 81 colours, the most comprehensive gamut of high-quality colors for sublimation printers.
The company will also be showcasing the Digistar range of water-based inks, compatible with Ricoh, Kyocera and Epson printheads, and formulated for the soft signage and textile printing industry.
Mimaki, Stand E15 Hall 1
On the Mimaki stand, the newest member of the manufacturer’s product portfolio, the TS300P-1800 wide-format printer, will be exhibited running at full speed. The new dye sublimation inkjet machine, which was unveiled last year, is designed for apparel and textile application.
Visitors will also see real-world examples of the innovative applications Mimaki systems can create in both sign & display graphics, as well as digital textile printing and garment decoration. The manufacturer says it will have other product launches, but will not release details ahead of the show.
Neschen, Stand E200 Hall 1
Wide-format media company Neschen is to boost its display graphic product offering with the launch of several self-produced wallpaper products at FESPA Digital.
Unlike the conventional vinyl wallpapers, the PVC-free wallpapers are breathable and compared to other PVC-free fleece wallpapers allow various textures up to a total width of 160 cm. The dimensional stable and crack-bridging processing ensures accurate fit at the joints. Wallpapers from the "Green Wall" product range are extremely durable in both wet and dry conditions and are suitable for wallpaper pasting technique.
Onyx, Stand J20 Hall 1
Onyx will be introducing new Onyx Thrive features and enhancements at FESPA Digital, focused on simplifying print production, optimising colour output quality and expanding software connectivity within the print production environment.
These new developments include Thrive Production Manager, Onyx Connect JDF and Onyx Textile Edition, which are designed to help achieve the client’s desired results quickly and easily. A single, simple process streamlines job preparation and enables printers to run their entire shop using one RIP and print workflow product, says Onyx.
Ricoh, Stand S132 Hall 7
To address the demands of its fast-growing sign and display graphics customer base, Ricoh is launching its aqueous resin (AR) latex ink for the Ricoh Pro L4100 series of large format printers at FESPA Digital.
The new eco-friendly durable latex ink will be demonstrated on the Ricoh Pro L4160 to show how it enhances productivity and image quality. The AR ink’s ability to deliver sharper, richer, colour on a wider range of substrates with faster drying times and reduced energy consumption compared to the original latex ink will be highlighted.
Print service providers will also learn how they can dramatically expand their indoor and outdoor sign and display graphics offerings.
Roland DG, Stand E120 Hall 1
Roland DG’s flagship product the Versa UV LEF-300 will be on show on March 8. This printer is a larger and faster equivalent to the existing Versa UV LEF-12 and LEF-20 printers, which enable printers to customise a range of ordinary items to turn them into profitable gifts.
The vendor will demonstrate how the machine prints text and images on a variety of substrates including acrylic, wood, board, plastic, metal and glass plus fabrics and soft materials such as leather and 'eco-leather'.
The Roland booth will be divided into five exciting technology zones which will showcase devices and software from across the Roland product portfolio; including personalisation, integrated print & cut, print, textile and UV.
Sun Chemical, Stand C110 Hall 3
At FESPA Digital 2016, Sun Chemical will showcase its capabilities across digital processes through its Streamline and SunJet brands. Stand highlights will include the global launch of SunTex, the company’s new range of inkjet inks designed especially for textile and soft signage applications.
Central to the SunJet offering will be the presentation of Aquacure, its next generation functional aqueous inkjet ink. This ink chemistry delivers performance and production benefits and provides an all-new development platform upon which new inks can be introduced to meet the future needs of the expanding wide format graphics sector.
Screen, Stand K40 Hall 5
Screen Europe will show the latest iteration of its Truepress Jet 3200UV flatbed printer publicly for the first time at this year's FESPA. The 85sqm/hr Truepress Jet 3200UV was launched in 2013 and the 150sqm/hr HS model was released the following year. A further upgrade last year added an optional 3.2m-wide roll-to-roll system.
The new HS2 model, which replaces the HS, further enhances the machine with an additional range of speed and quality boosting features that the firm said will open up the press to a wider market and boost the capabilities of existing users.
New features include Billboard Print mode, which uses five-pass, bidirectional printing and boosts the machine’s top speed to 184sqm/hr.The manufacturer will demonstrate the machine in both roll-to-roll and flatbed modes on a range of flexible and rigid substrates at FESPA Digital.
SwissQprint, Stand J140 Hall 1
The SwissQprint UV inkjet systems portfolio comprises Oryx, Impala and Nyala. All models are flatbed printers with add-on features as required. Examples include the roll-to-roll option for printing on flexible materials and the board option that offers a simple method of printing on oversized formats.
In addition to the CMYK standard, the machines can be equipped with light colours, white, varnish, primer and spot colours thanks to a maximum of nine colour channels. The 9-picolitre droplet size produces a visual print resolution up to 2,160dpi. The firm will showcase new developments including a new model with a larger printbed and faster output, and new special effects print capabilities.
Zünd, Stand G90 Hall 1
The primary focus of Zünd’s stand at FESPA will be on increasing efficiency and automation throughout the production workflow. Stand highlights will include the new collaborative robot being shown as part of an S3 M-800 fully automated cutting configuration.
The integrated robotic off-load system automatically picks up cut parts from the machine and stacks them at predefined locations. The robot is designed to operate autonomously in production environments in which the human operator and robotic device are working together to accomplish a task.
Other highlights on the Zünd stand will be the Automatic Bit Changer (ARC) system, which comes with a freely configurable magazine that holds up to 8 router bits. During processing, the ARC automatically selects the correct bit for the material and task at hand, reducing setup times and enhancing process reliability.
To find out more about the different companies exhibiting at the show and to view the full seminar programme for this year's event, visit www.fespadigital.com. For FREE entry don't forget to use code: ADOZ0116.
Your ticket will include access to FESPA Digital, European Sign Expo, FESPA Textile and Printeriors 2016. Online registration will close on the 7th of March and tickets on the door will be charged at €40.
