GERBER SOLARAUV2

Rigid and Roll-to-Roll UV Inkjet

What We Are Going to Cover

• Brief Review Of UV Inkjet Technology• Features of the SOLARA UV2• Material Qualification Strategy• Inks – Color & Costs• Resolution & Speed• Operations – Loading materials• Software RIP• What’s Included with the Printer• Pricing & Leasing• Installation & Training• Site Requirements• Distribution• Warranty Information• The Competition

Ultraviolet (UV) Technology

• HOW UV WORKS– Inks are a mix of resins, pigment, and photo-initiators

• These types of inks have been used successfully in screen printing for years• Not the same as HP UV inks

– Head-mounted lamps cure ink

• Ink dries instantly – improves production (immediate handling / application)

• Inks form a mechanical bond and do not attack the substrate– No loss of adhesion of vinyl relative to solvent printers– Better abrasion resistance

• Low maintenance– Ink does not dry on the print head surface– Minimal head maintenance, Low daily maintenance when in use– Easy printer start-up process– Minimal waste – more efficient use of ink– No special procedures when machine is inactive for long periods (2 weeks or more)

Ultraviolet (UV) Technology

• Less substrate dependence– Expands applications by printing to a broader range of media than most inkjet

printers

– Better substrate-to-substrate color matching

– Greater predictability of output

• Shop-friendly– No ventilation required

– Low odor

– Lower emissions

– No Harmful VOCs

The Basics

UV Curable Inkjet Printer• Versatile Design

– Rigid Flat Stock (up to ½”) and Roll-to-roll Printing

• Instantly Dry Prints – no need to wait

• Exceptional, Expanded Sign Maker’s Color Gamut– Unique CMYK, Violet & Green 6 color ink set– Greater Consistency of Output

• Up to 60” wide media• 50 square ft/hr in production mode, up to 75 sq ft in draft mode.• Up to 3 year outdoor durability w/o lamination• Simple maintenance requirements and minimal waste • Low odor - no ventilation required, no harmful VOCs• User Friendly• Driven by ImageRIP by Onyx software• Built and backed by Gerber Scientific Products

Specifications

Ethernet TCP/IPInterface:

220 VAC +/- 10%, 50/60 HzPower:

1 Year Parts & Labor (6 months on print heads *)Warranty:

Gerber ImageRIP by OnyxSoftware RIP:

75 ft2/hr (2-Pass)Draft Speed:

50 ft2/hr (3-Pass)Production Speed:

25 ft2/hr (6-Pass)High Quality Speed:

6 piezo headsPrint Method

300 x360 dpi native / 600 dpi apparentResolution:

Up to 3 years without laminationDurability:

230ml (250g) cassettes 12 includedInk Delivery:

6–color CMYKVG (violet, green) UV Curable InksInk Configuration:

Front & Rear tables included for printing rigid stock up to ½”

Winder unit included for roll-to-roll printingMedia Handling:

59” maximumPrint Width:

18” to 60”Media Width:

* Print head warranty solely covers defects in materials and workmanship

New Features for Rigid Printing

• Adjustable Lamp Height

• Adjustable Beam Height

• Adjustable Force on Pinch Rollers

• New UV Shields

Media Handling

• Automatic winder for roll-to-roll configuration – included with printer

• Robust front and rear tables for printing on rigid materials –included with printer

Features

Inks Keypad

Front Material Release Handle

Rear Material Release Handle

Smoked Window (large format sunglasses)

Ink Date Stamp

Material Qualification

• Rigid Materials

– 9 materials have been profiled in both 3 and

6 pass modes

• Roll Media

– 9 materials have been profiled in both 3 and

6 pass modes

3-Tier Material Qualification for Rigid Stock on the SOLARA UV2.

• Bronze —meet the criteria for basic printability and safety. Materials listed in generic category, i.e. corrugated plastic.

• Silver —meet the above “Bronze” requirements optimal ink profile has been developed for the specific material. Materials will often reflect a specific brand, i.e. Coroplast

• Gold —have all of the attributes of “Bronze” and “Silver”, and have undergone a rigorous battery of weather, chemical and abrasion tests.

Rigid Materials

Rigid Media

• Bronze Status

– Corrugated Plastic

– Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

– Foam Core (clay coated, Styrene coated)

– Polystyrene

– Aluminum

– Medium density Overlay (MDO)

• Silver Status

– Dibond

• Gold Status

– Duraplast Corrugated Plastic

– Plaskolite Polystyrene Sheet

– Sintra

All of these materials have been profiled in 3-Pass and 6-Pass modes.

This listing will change frequently as more materials are brought through test.

Watch for a constantly updated materials compatibility chart which will be posted soon on the Gerber website

Roll Media Selections

• These roll media have been profiles in 3-Pass and 6–Pass modes:

• IP 2507 Cast Vinyl

• IP 5700 WG Calendered Vinyl

• 13 oz 1 sided Banner

• 10 oz Mesh Banner

• IP Translucent 230

• IP Instachange Removable Vinyl

• IP Backlit

• Paper

• 280 Reflective

ImagePerfect Solara UV Inks

CMY Y K + Violet & Green

Revolutionary Ink Set

Unsurpassed Color Gamut

Color

• CMYKVG ink set provides a signmaker’s color gamut

• Violet / green combination is unique

– Green ink produces green better than C + Y

– Violet ink contributes to better blues

• Larger gamut

– UV inks allow pigment density to increase without pooling due toinstant drying of each layer of ink

• Enhanced gamut produces better blues, greens, violets

– Stronger spot color reproduction – Pantone, vinyl and GerberColor

Color

•Reproduces GerberColor spot colors with greater accuracy

–30% more of the GerberColorspot colors reproducible with CMYKVG but not with standard CMYK

•CMYKVG gamut is 50% greater than CMYK competitors

–Provides greater range of process color output

ImagePerfect Solara UV Inks

•UV inks optimized for sign making to balance flexibility and durability

•Tested for performance with Gerber ImagePerfect medias and popular rigid substrates

•Cartridges may be hot swapped for uninterrupted printing

•Individual open and shut valves to allow for purging and priming of single colors

•Supplied in 230ml cartridges

•Average shelf life 9 months from date of manufacture

•Storage environment–Temperature: 59°F to 95°F (15°C to 35°C)–Protect from direct sunlight and artificial light including fluorescent

•Like all inks, protective clothing required when handling–Some people may have sensitivity to inks

Ink Costs

Don’t let your prospects make a mountain out of a mole hill

Ink Cost is the most insignificant and misleading factor with UV printing

Square foot cost will vary based on ink coverage, image and other factors

Example:

• 230 ml cassettes @ $95 each

• Typical usage: ink cost is between $ 0.25 – $ 0.50 sq. ft

• Ink costs for a 4’ x 8’ sign are less than $10

Resolution

•300 x 360 dpi native resolution, 600 dpi apparent resolution

•Apparent Printer resolution driven by two factors:

–DPI: Increase number of dots per inch

–COLOR DEPTH: Increase number of possible colors at each point

•Traditional approach measures DPI only

–physically packing and overlapping drops

•Solara approach uses DPI and COLOR DEPTH

–Gain more colors with multi-drop technology – 1, 2, or 3 drops of ink per pixel

Apparent resolution refers to how the eye perceives the COLOR DEPTH relative to SPATIAL resolution – typically a factor of 2x

Very low dot gain (spreading) due to UV ink properties also contributes to apparent resolution

Speed

•50 sq. ft per hour in production (3 pass) mode

–But what does that really mean?

• 12 - 4’ x 8’ boards a day

•100 - 18” x 24” signs a day

•Hidden speed factors that customers must consider:

• Drying time

• Lamination

• Maintenance

• Down time

• Service and support

•Speed driven by curing and printhead throughput

–UV inks, lamps, and head technology advancements continue

Outdoor Durability & Applications

•Output durable for up to 3 years without lamination for most applications

•Lamination recommended for vehicles and other harsh environments

•Minimum 1” bend radius for installations.

•Not recommended for compound curves, rivets, vehicle wraps, etc.

•Five times more resistant to abrasion than thermal transfer

Loading Vinyl

When Loading Vinyl –

• Pinch rollers should be set on High Force

• Lamps should be set in Low Position

• Material Guides should be set as shown below

Loading Rigid Substrates

• Pinch Rollers set to Low Force

• Lamp Height on High Position

• Material Guide set as shown below

Loading Rigid Substrates

• Material guide on rear table helps to keep rigid material tracking straight as it goes through the printer

Setting Beam Height

• To accommodate for material up to ½”thick the beam can be raised or lowered using the Material Wheel on the left side of the printer.

– Raise the beam prior to loading the material (turn clockwise)

– Load Material

– Lower pinch rollers

– An audible chirp will be heard

– Lower the beam (counter-clockwise) until chirp stops and fans turn on.

– Turn wheel one full turn down (counter-

clockwise).

Software

• The SOLARA UV2 is driven by Gerber ImageRIP by Onyx software family

• ImageRIP plus and pro are based on the Onyx PosterShop platform

• For customers who already own a version of Onyx 6.5, the SOLARA UV2 driver is available directly from ONYX at no charge

• Image RIP software does not automatically ship with the printer; please be sure to pick the appropriate software package for each printer installation

YesYesPreflight

YesYesCutServer

YesRequires upgrade to ImageRip Pro

Allows 3rd Part Printer drivers

YesNoColor Correction Tools

21Number of Active Printers

ImageRIP ProImageRIP Plus

What Ships with the SOLARA UV2

GERBER SOLARA UV2 printer

Material winder unit is attached to the SOLARA printer when it ships

1 - Line conditioner

2 – 5’ x 6.5’ Material tables

1 – Material Wheel handle (To be installed using a M2 Allen wrench)

1 – CAT-5 crossover Ethernet cable

1 – CAT-5 straight-through Ethernet cable (20 ft)

2 – Power cords (GERBER SOLARA UV2 and Winding Unit)

1 – pair of UV protective eyewear

1 – box Nitrile gloves

1 – cleaning brush (for grit wheels)

1 – package (qty 56) Lint-free wipes

1 – package (qty 50 ) Cleaning swabs

1 – GERBER SOLARA UV2 Cleaning Solution (2 oz)

2 - full sets of GERBER SOLARA UV2 Ink (12 cartridges)

1 - 10 yard roll of 60" wide IP5700 media (for initial calibrations and test prints)

1 – GERBER SOLARA UV2 Unpacking, Packing and Installation Guide

1 – Gerber SOLARA UV2 documentation CD

Pricing

• Ink Price: $95 per 230 ml cassette

• Print Head Replacement: $ each – Expected Print head life is 1000 hours (4 hours per day = 1 year)

• Lamp Replacement: Considered a consumable item– Average every 6 months @ 2 x $450 = $900 list.– Assumes 4 hours of printing per day with queuing of jobs

• 1 lamp off/on cycle subtracts 3 hours from lamp life

Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer &ImageRIP Pro Software Bundle

P79554A+

P77957A

Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer &ImageRIP Plus Software Bundle

P79554A+

P77957A

Gerber SOLARA UV2 Inkjet Printer(no-charge driver is available directly from Onyx)

P79554A

PriceProductPart Number

Warranty

The SOLARA UV2 warranty period is one year including parts and labor (6-month warranty on print heads). Note

that the print head warranty solely covers defects in

materials and workmanship as specified in the manufacturer’s warranty policy.

Note: Replacement lamp cartridges are excluded from the

warranty and service plans. These lamps are

consumable items and are covered solely by a limited 90 day warranty. Expected lamp life is 6 months or

approximately 1700 hrs.

Site Requirements

• Pre-site Checklist must be completed prior to scheduling install

• Power:

– 208-240 VAC, single phase, 50/60Hz

• NEMA 6-15P plug on unit requires a NEMA 6-15R receptacle

– Winding unit requires a separate outlet – 110/240 VAC, 50/60Hz

• Shipping:

– Crated Size: 120” long x 60” wide x 68” high

– Crated weight: 1650 lbs

– Unit will not fit on a lift gate

– Forklift with 8’ extended forks needed

– Printer ships fully assembled, only tables require assembly

Site Requirements

• Operating Conditions:

– Temperature; 65ºF to 85ºF

– Humidity: 40% to 60%

– Altitude: up to 8,000 ft

– No Ventilation Required

• Footprint:

– Fully assembled SOLARA UV2 with tables: 181” long x 109” wide

– Gerber recommends an additional 3 feet of space on all sides of the SOLARA UV2 printer

The Competition

• Colorspan DisplayMaker® 72UVR– Max Resolution- 600 dpi

– Advertised Speed – 100-400 sq ft/hr

• End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr

– Number of Inks - 4 (CMYK)

– 16 Print Heads

– Max Width 72 inches

– Accommodates 5’ sheet lengths, additional tables needed for longer lengths

– Head Height - 1/4”

– (does not include RIP)

• SOLARA Advantages:• Color Gamut is 50% greater• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media• Quicker media change over time• Ease of use• MTS – Gerber Service• UL and CSA approved• Price (less expensive)

The Competition

• Colorspan DisplayMaker® 72UVX– Max Resolution- 600 dpi

– Advertised Speed – 100-400 sq ft/hr

• End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr

– Number of Inks - 4 (CMYK)

– 16 Print Heads

– Accommodates 5’ sheet lengths, additional tables needed for longer lengths

– Max Width 72 inches

– Head Height - 1/2”

– (does not include RIP)

• SOLARA Advantages:• Color Gamut is 50% greater• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media• Quicker media change over time• Ease of use• MTS – Gerber Service• UL and CSA approved• Price (less expensive)

The Competition

• Raster RP-720UV Flatbed Printer– 720-dpi resolution maximum

– six-color printer (cmyk lm lc)

– Advertised Speed – 100-200 sq ft/hr

• End User feedback indicates 80 - 120 sq ft/hr

– Media Thickness: 1 inch

– Price (RIP and inks not included)

• SOLARA Advantages:• Color Gamut is 50% greater• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media• Quicker media change over time• Ease of use• MTS – Gerber Service• UL and CSA approved• Made in USA

The Competition

• Raster daytona Flatbed Printer– 600-dpi resolution maximum

– four-color printer (cmyk)

– 8 print heads

– Advertised Speed – up to 650 sq ft/hr

• End User feedback indicates up to 120 sq ft/hr

– Media Thickness: 1 inch

– Price (RIP and inks not included)

• SOLARA Advantages:• Color Gamut is 50% greater• Easily handles full sheets of 1/2” media• Quicker media change over time• Ease of use• MTS – Gerber Service• UL and CSA approved• Made in USA

More Information

• Literature:

• Website: www.gspinc.com

SOLARA UV2 Tri-fold Brochure

P78956 A

SOLARA UV2Sell Sheet

P78955 A

SOLARA UV2Update Newsletter

FY06-66S

What Our Customers Are Saying

• Unsurpassed Color “The colors we are getting out of the SOLARA UV2 are amazing—we are printing reds and other colors that our solvent printer couldn’t dream of hitting”

• Productivity“We just completed a large repeat job (12@4’x8’ plastic signs) that we originally did last year for a show. Last year, this job took four guys and two full 13 hour days to finish—it was exhaustive with labor. This year, one guy did the entire job on the SOLARA UV2 virtually hands free and in his spare moments.”

• Ease of Use“I’m the only one who runs the SOLARA UV2 thus far. I took a few days off last week and a large job came in. I instructed my father, who has no experience on the machine, what to do over the phone and he was able to print the entire job out the door with no problem.”

QUIZ

• What is the maximum thickness of rigid material the SOLARA UV2 will print?

• How long do I have wait for the ink to dry after printing?

• What are the SOLARA ink colors?

• How much larger is the SOLARA color gamut than traditional CMYK?

• Explain the 3 tier qualifications for rigid materials?

• What special procedures are needed when SOLARA is not used for long periods?

• What Lamp height is used for rigid material?