The Graphium, a new narrow web inkjet press will be launched later this year
In July 2013, FFEI moved into new leasehold premises, The Cube, in Hemel Hempstead, where all R&D, manufacturing facilities, administration and sales functions are now housed. It is also home to a new narrow web inkjet press, the Graphium, which will be launched later this year. Andy Cook gave DL&P an exclusive tour of the new facilities.
FFEI has been selling the Caslon, developed jointly with Nilpeter, as a hybrid digital-flexo label press, for several years. It has taken the experiences gained with this and developed a new machine, the Graphium. This uses Xaar heads and a new UV ink series developed by Fujifilm and takes the performance to a new level.
With a transport system developed with UK flexo press manufacturer Edale, the press has six printhead stations and is available in four, five or six colours at 330 or 410 mm print width at speeds of up to 50 m/min. It also features unwind, splicing table, corona and web cleaner, print unit with interdeck LED pinning, final cure and rewind.
As a point of interest, Graphium takes its name from the exotic and colourful swallowtail butterfly. The word comes from latin, meaning the stylus used by scribes to write into clay tablets in ancient Greece.
