Mimaki UJF 6042
When Mimaki introduced its UJF-3042 it came as a trail blazer for users wanting a desktop UV-curable printer to produce all sorts of smaller, durable printed products for a variety of end uses. Yet, amazingly, there were people who grumbled that the size was a bit too diminutive for their needs and, now, their requirements have been addressed with the UJF-6042 which doubles the size of this earlier engine.
This latest desktop unit is the bigger brother of Mimaki’s original compact printer, and this iteration has a bed size of A2, along with some refinements over the earlier model. Ink droplet placement is assisted with the assistance of a ball screw type head type conveyance mechanism and its four picolitre capability is complemented by a maximum resolution of 1800 x 1800 dpi.
Printing direct to rigid materials is straightforward, with substrates either sitting singly on the machine’s bed or, for nested and step and repeat items, a jib can be created to hold multiple smaller objects in precise position. This makes the unit good for producing promotional items, iPhone covers and industrial objects but, with its larger dimensions, two facing pages of an A3 book can be printed at the same time.
There’s a choice of UV-curable inks, with Mimaki’s LH-100 which features CMYK plus white, the company’s LF-100 chemistry that comes in six colours and white and, lastly, the very flexible LF-200 option which can stretch to enable expansion up to 200 percent. The UJF-6042 can be used with an automatic primer for enhanced adhesion, and is supplied with the RasterLink 6 software RIP.
This is a compact flat-bed printer which should appeal to screen-printers, gift manufacturers and display producers who want to print smaller and multiple items, and it’s ideal for personalised products. Low set-up costs and minimal pre-press make it well suited to short runs and one-offs and those who might have been put off by the small size of the UJF-3042 will find greater appeal in the UJF-6042’s larger work area.
Distributed in Australia by DGS Mimaki. www.dgsmimaki.com.au P: 02 4272 3663.