Currie Group has launched an “application-focused” booth at PacPrint with all 600 square metres utilised to showcase the HP Indigo digital press range – including the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press – Horizon finishing equipment and EFI’s wide format offering in action plus the EVOKE3D technology.
Currie Group has taken advantage of a partnership with Little Bang Brewing to show a multitude of applications using print from HP Indigo, EFI for wide format printing and Horizon finishing.
Currie Group’s Mark Daws and Marcus Robinson introduced the tour before giving way to Anthony ‘AJ’ Jackson who provided an overview of what visitors can expect to see from the HP Indigo digital presses that are up and running on the stand.
HP Indigo 100K Digital Press
Printing at speeds of up to 6000 sheets per hour in full CMYK, Jackson pointed to the role the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press is playing in shifting print jobs from an offset environment and into the fast-paced world of digital which offers immense opportunities for short run and variable data printing.
The HP Indigo 100K is already installed in three locations across Australia, with a fourth likely to be soon found for the model on the floor at PacPrint.
“This model here is the latest iteration, the Series 5. It has all the new technology and is our flagship with which we are looking to get a lot of offset transfer,” Jackson said.
“It has five input sources, and it is a machine that can make a lot of money and help customers get jobs with faster turnarounds and variable data opportunities.
“Since it was launched globally over 100 have been sold and that is back from when DRUPA was supposed to have happened. The machine has really taken to the market very well. It has beautiful reliability and is easy to operate and maintain so the technology is well and truly proven.”
HP Indigo 7K Digital Press
Also on show is the HP Indigo 7K Digital Press which Jackson described as the “Swiss Army pocket-knife” of printers.
The HP Indigo 7K can handle stocks up to 550 microns thick and a variety of specialty substrates, including magnets. It also prints using a series of specialty inks which combine to create deep and broad colour.
“It is running silver electro inks, so you are getting these beautiful premium colours,” Jackson said.
“It is a seven-colour press and it uses Indichrome Plus which is the orange, violet and the green electro inks so this gives up to 97% of the Pantone colours.”
Packaging printing options are also on display from HP Indigo, and you can read more about them here.
Horizon finishing equipment
Currie Group also has some new Horizon innovations on show for the finishing space.
Currie Group managing director, Bernie Robinson, demonstrated the latest in Horizon technology.
Among the products on display is the new Horizon ice BQ-500 perfect binder which has the ability to produce 1000 perfectly bound and trimmed books an hour.
“This model took over from the BQ-480 and before that the BQ-460 and BQ-440 so it has been around for a long time. Its main change is the technology. The word ice means it goes to the cloud and this software can tell you when it was last serviced or when something is looking like it needs attention. It is a variable machine so it can handle anything from 1mm up to 60mm,” Robinson said.
The BQ-500 uses EVA or PUR glue technology, Robinson said, adding it is an easy swap between the two glue types.
Also on show was the latest rotary die cutter from Horizon, the RD N-4055, which has a magnetic plate to assist in the die cutting process for anything from presentation folders to business cards.
The other new release from Horizon was the BQ-270V which is a smaller version to the BQ-500.
“The V describes it as a variable so every second book can be of a different thickness,” Robinson said.
“You just put it in there and the system automatically adjusts the scores. So, it is just a ‘drop and play’ device. It also connects to the new HT-300 which is a single knife trimmer unit, and it can produce about 350 books an hour while the three-knife trimmer can do 1000 books an hour. So, the difference is this three-knife trimmer is this is a single knife so it rotates the books around to cut it and this is a new product, first being shown here at PacPrint as well.”
EFI
Also on show was the new EFI 30h hybrid wide format printer.
Currie Group’s head of sign and display, Paul Whitehead, said four units have already been sold in Australia.
“This is the first time Currie Group has showcased sign and display at a major event so this is really exciting time representing the EFI brand. This is the first time we have shown the Pro 30h in Australia and New Zealand. It is finally here, and the nice thing is we have already sold four units which is great news,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead said 10 wide format units from EFI are already in the market through Currie Group which he noted spoke to the premium service and support that Currie Group is renowned for.
“What we’ve done at this event is the entire stand in terms of graphics has been produced on EFI UV gear which is really exciting,” Whitehead said.
“Everything here is an application showcase.”
XR Services
Currie Group also provided an overview of a new virtual reality servicing option for Currie Group customers.
The technology is utilised through Microsoft Teams and allows technicians to get see what is taking place, through the special virtual reality headset, as seen below.
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