The newly launched Hitachi RX2 and UX continuous inkjet printers and NGT4+ thermal transfer coder complete with advanced a:touch 2 touch screen and a:control software will be on display in the UK for the first time. The company will also be demonstrating a Super Compact hot foil coder and several models from its XL range of cost effective intermittent and continuous thermal transfer coders, including the 53XL80 with PR5 handset and 53XLC with iView touch screen. 

 

The new environmentally-friendly Hitachi UX inkjet printer series offers reduced fluid consumption, ease of use and ergonomically designed print head, suitable for printing on drinks containers such as milk and juice cartons. Using the latest patented Hitachi technology, a new fluid consumption reduction system ensures it is one of the lowest consumers of make-up available on the printer market, thereby significantly reducing running costs.

Specially developed for exceptionally fast and challenging production environments, the latest Hitachi RX2 continuous inkjet printer offers high speed printing and superior print head technology for stable drop placement and print quality. It is capable of applying best before dates, logos, graphics, barcodes, lot numbers and 2D data matrix codes onto uneven or flexible substrates including glass, plastics, metal and rubber. 

 

An economical yet high pressure ink system and low maintenance minimises the overall total cost of ownership of the RX2. The ‘quick disconnect’ design of the main ink filter allows easy and convenient replacement by the customer, without any tools. Operation is via an intuitive 10.4 inch colour TFT-LCD touch panel display.  

The RX2 is manufactured using Hitachi components ensuring high quality, reliability and excellent value for money. The print head is produced from cast aluminium making it ideal for use in harsh environments and to facilitate easy cleaning, low maintenance and long-lasting operation. It is easy to integrate into existing production lines and networks and the print head can be quickly installed either inline or at 90 degrees. It also offers IP55 dust and drip proof protection. 

 

The standard RX2 can print up to three lines of text (option: up to five lines) and 120 characters (option: up to 1000 characters). It can operate at speeds up to 1148 characters per second, with the option to upgrade to 2296 characters.

 

The high speed NGT4+ thermal transfer coder is suitable for chemical, agricultural and hardware manufacturers who require large amounts of information to be applied to packaging or labels. It has a compact and lightweight design and can be easily switched between intermittent and continuous mode via the robust and flexible a:touch 2 which is the company’s latest Windows 7 based IPC touch screen with a:control printer software. The a:touch 2 features a 10.1in colour display, has a multilingual user interface with brightly coloured icons and allows the configuration of up to ten NGT units in a network. 

 

The NGT4+ is said to offer excellent print quality, can be easily integrated into other packaging and labelling equipment and has a USB interface for back up and formatting. The system offers a maximum print area of 107 x 90mm and can run at speeds to 500mm/s (intermittent mode) and 29m/min (continuous mode).

 

Allen Coding’s cost effective 53XL80 thermal transfer coder with PR5 handset will also be on display. As well as a two component, space saving design, the 53XL80 offers Ethernet and USB connectivity, and dual processors (one for communication and one for printing) to ensure high speed performance. Developed to provide seamless Unicode operation for efficient printing of variable information in a wide range of languages, the 53XL80 offers a 600m ribbon capacity for extended use and minimal downtime. It provides reliable and accurate printing of barcodes, sell-by dates, batch numbers, prices, source codes and other text and graphics, including Julian date and 2D data matrix codes. It features a maximum print area of 53 x 80mm.

 

The 53XLC is a continuous version with print area of 53 x 300mm. It will be on display with Allen Coding’s iView touch screen which can be configured in a wide range of languages.  

 

Allen Coding’s Super Compact hot foil coder incorporates the latest digital technology for print accuracy and speed and quality benefits while ensuring that the foil is used to maximum efficiency. It offers a maximum print area of 50 x 30mm and is capable of speeds to 800 prints per minute. Stand A01