Thanks to Meteor Inkjet technology, Hangzhou Eastcom can offer its customers a reliable, high-speed, high-quality digital inkjet press that they can trust and be confident can handle jobs for several hours at a time.
Key Facts
- Hangzhou Eastcom specialises in the research & development, manufacture and sales of offset CTP, digital flexo CTP, digital book printers and digital textile printers.
- The Eastcom DX4400 digital inkjet press for book printing prints up to 100m per minute. Applications include government publications, industrial manuals and teaching aids.
The Challenge
When leading Chinese printer manufacturer Hangzhou Eastcom saw the potential growth in the digital inkjet market, it chose Meteor Inkjet as its partner to expand its portfolio and develop a digital inkjet press for book printing.
Mr Shen, general manager of research and development at Hangzhou Eastcom explains: “In recent years we’ve seen a decline in traditional printing methods and an increase in inkjet, and many companies have emerged that can print small runs. Digital inkjet is also more environmentally friendly; it meets the national guidance requirements for energy saving and emission reduction, as well as less waste, compared with traditional printing methods.”
Initial research
The company began by carrying out some product research, comparing the electronics boards from six manufacturers both in China and abroad. They also undertook some user experience research and finally chose Meteor Inkjet as its supplier.
“Reliability played a key role in our choice of supplier,” continues Mr Shen. “Our digital presses need to work for several hours at a time, sometimes for 24 hours, seven days a week. Our customers can’t afford to lose money with an unreliable solution, or turn down jobs because they don’t believe their press is powerful enough.”
Compatibility
As well as quality and reliability, compatibility across applications was a key factor in choosing Meteor Inkjet. “Compatibility is a great advantage,” continues Mr Shen. “Meteor Inkjet’s electronics solutions have a wide range of application scenarios compatible with all types of printheads. The software is also compatible and consistent across applications, so we can use different printheads on the same product without the need for redesign and development work. This compatibility is a great benefit and allows Hangzhou Eastcom to focus on the printhead, ink and the product itself.”
The Solution
After discussing Hangzhou Eastcom’s application requirements and various use scenarios, Meteor was able to determine the appropriate printboard and provide the supporting software for Eastcom’s new DX4400 digital inkjet press.
Meteor installed a PDC-2K600 printboard for its Kyocera printhead and for the software Meteor recommended MetPrint, a digital front end that can be customised and configured for double-sided (recto-verso) printing. MetPrint also provided a pre-built, ready-made application, which avoided the need to invest in
development work.
There were some initial problems: Eastcom discovered some quality issues during the test phase when printing at speeds in excess of 80m per minute. Some banding, uneven colour and patches of no ink occurred due to the waveform which did not function well. The waveform was replaced and Meteor engineers also used tickling to reduce the nozzle dry-out time to help rectify the problem. Mr Shen adds: “Meteor’s team, both in China and the UK, offered excellent support. They were able to answer all our queries, and we in turn have been able to improve our knowledge.”
The Result
Hangzhou Eastcom has expanded its portfolio with a digital inkjet press specially designed for book printing. The Eastcom DX4400 digital inkjet printer achieves dual-colour (black and red) at speeds of up to 100m per minute. It is equipped with automatic ink supply and cleaning functions to meet commercial printing and publishing-on-demand applications.
