drupa 2016 - no. 1 for print and crossmedia solutions
Nagano, Japan (May 16, 2016)
Mimaki Engineering (head office: Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture; president and representative director: Kazuaki Ikeda) will participate in drupa 2016, the world's largest printing trade show, which will be held from May 31 to June 10, 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany.
As the industry progressed from the mass-production age of analog printing to the on-demand era of digital printing, Mimaki started early on to provide digital printers for the small-lot and prototype production sector, and has since continued to deliver new solutions as an innovator in the digital printing industry.
At drupa 2016, a venue with a reputation as the starting point of world-wide trends in the printing industry, Mimaki's booth will present the latest in digital printing technology under the theme of "New digital printing technologies that will shape the next generation in printing." Mimaki will exhibit three new technologies as next generation solutions. These include "Surface imaging," which leaps beyond the boundaries of graphical expression on flat surfaces, "Mimaki IoT," which is set to revolutionize manufacturing paradigms in industrial printing, and "3D" that uses high-definition modeling technology in vibrant full-color featuring more than 10 million colors. Our staff will be on hand to provide visitors with samples and examples demonstrating how well-received our printers have been in the sign/graphics (SG) and Industrial Products (IP) markets.
Mimaki booth at drupa 2016: Hall 09 / A04
Exhibit Overview
| Our exhibit theme "New digital printing technologies that will shape the next generation" |
1. Surface Imaging
Our "Surface Imaging" technology has expressive power and impact that exceed the boundaries of conventional graphic expression on flat surfaces. Our Surface Imaging exhibits will demonstrate new visual sensations that no one else can offer, made possible by our versatile lineup of special-property inks which go beyond anything that CMYK printing could achieve. It is something you must touch and feel to truly experience.
A sense of depth and realism for even greater appeal
UV clear ink can provide both a deluxe glossy finish and a refined matte finish to add a touch of class, and printing with it in selective areas gives a sense of depth to a design that imparts both freshness and excitement.
The result is a greater quality of print with a more powerful impact.
Special ink becomes visible in black light
This special ink is normally invisible and can only be seen under black light. Designed for security applications, it can also be used on wallpaper, tables and other elements of room interiors to give a space an otherworldly, dream-like atmosphere under special lighting.
"Digital-MAKIE" and metallic effects that create a high-class feel
Application of a UV primer ink makes it possible to produce a metallic effect by applying glitters or metallic leaf sheets. This gives designs a unique, high-quality feel, like the work of a craftsman, that will charm and draw attention.
MAKIE: Japanese traditional lacquer artwork
Durable printing with excellent weatherability and rub/scratch resistance that delivers long-term use and preservation
Compared to organic pigment ink, inorganic pigment UV ink has excellent weatherability and thermal resistance, and a heat-treatment process after printing improves its rubfastness even further. The "heat-treatment type" of ink is great for printing on long-life materials that allow heat treatment, such as tiles. On materials such as glass or plastics where heat treatment after printing is difficult, the "non-heat-treatment type" still offers excellent weatherability. At our exhibit booth, we will recommend solutions using the two inorganic pigment UV inks.
Ink that can be stretched up to 900% while keeping a beautiful appearance
After printing, the LUS-900 (tentative name, still at lab testing) and LUS-350 UV hardening inks become stretchable when heated, and return to their normal excellent durability after cooling to room temperature. When heated, LUS-900 can be stretched up to 900% and LUS-350 up to 350%. Thermoformed parts that used to require screen printing to be decorated can now be printed on a flat surface before forming, which makes the technology ideal for making car parts or mock-ups. In addition to CMYK, LUS-350 also features clear ink in its lineup. Clear ink has fine texture-forming capabilities and a glossy finish that colored ink alone cannot achieve. Another advantage of this ink is that two or three layers can be applied to form raised areas of intricate and attractive design without worrying about cracking.
2. Mimaki's Internet of Things (IoT)
As an innovator that continues to deliver new solutions to the industrial printing market while keeping a steady eye on the future, Mimaki is actively embracing the concept of IoT as a means to connect Mimaki products over networks.
1) Open systems for connecting production lines
In a transition away from proprietary systems to open systems, Mimaki is moving forward with system architecture that enables printers to be interconnected with production lines over networks in a wide variety of environments. Mimaki printers, industrial robots, inspection devices, and the product control system to manage them will be connected to a network, along all lines from planning to pre-press, press, and through to post-press. This will enable automatic sharing of information and make it possible to assess and perform the most appropriate actions, while jig settings, inspections and other work will become automated and unmanned. The resulting streamlining of work will improve quality (through improved accuracy) and reduce costs.
2) Interconnected worldwide management and support system
An open system will enable centralized management of production lines scattered throughout the world, from anywhere else in the world. For example, if production at a Japanese factory stops for any reason, the system will automatically search for a factory and printers in another country that can take over and send the production information (production volume, design, print conditions, etc.) to ensure the print job is done and deadlines are kept. The connection of physically separated production centers and consumption areas via IoT will make it possible to automatically perform additional production runs in the precise amounts needed to make up for sold items, and meet the needs of each and every consumer—in other words, to create the ultimate in on-demand production.
Mimaki also intends to build an automatic system that will allow the company to maintain and support Mimaki printers anywhere in the world. The Mimaki call center may notify customers when printer heads start to malfunction or break down and send service personnel as needed to ensure quick recovery.
At drupa 2016, we will exhibit a concept model of a UV printer integrated with a robot arm, as a first step towards an open system that will lay the groundwork for Mimaki IoT. Be sure to visit our booth to see a demonstration of this model and receive print samples.
3. 3D
The Mimaki 3D printer now under development will use a full-color UV inkjet method for high-definition printing. Our booth will present use cases and show samples of what Mimaki 3D printers make possible in the SG and IP markets. We think that 3D signage that combines the realistic 3D object with 2D surface, especially in the SG market, will grow into "killer content" that will vitalize the SG sector, which is why we are intending to propose 3D signage made by 3D printer to the market. The high impact, visibility, and feeling of presence of 3D signage will take the appeal of signage to whole different level, and we are convinced that the demand for 3D signage will grow on a world-wide scale. Come see and touch the incredible realism in 3D signage that the modeling technology of our Mimaki 3D printers can achieve. We're looking forward to your visit!
drupa 2016
| Frequency | Drupa is held once every four years (It will be changed to once every three years after 2016.) |
| Date | May 31 - June 10, 2016 |
| Opening hours | Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Venue | Düsseldorf Fairgrounds Halls 1 - 17 |
| Mimaki booth | Hall 09 / A04 |
| Total number of visitors in 2012 | About 314,500 |
| Web page | http://www.drupa.com/ |