UV printer "UCJV330-160" is introduced to challenge a new field. Unknown possible machine

Digital print studio

Sakawa Digital Printing Studio Yoshida, opened in December 2021, is a five-year renovation of an offset printing factory (Yoshida Factory) in Yoshida-cho, Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture.

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This studio specializes in digital printing, having installed and operating a number of digital printing and processing equipment, including large format printers for outdoor signage, sublimation transfer printers, and garment printers.

Sakawa Printing was founded in this area in 1947, and in 2001 it moved its large offset printing plant and in 2002 its head office to Matsuyama, while the Yoshida Factory was engaged in office printing, but the workload was gradually decreasing due to the times. The company was considering integrating the Yoshida Factory with the head office factory, but many of its employees are living in the Uwajima area and the loss of the Yoshida Factory would have a negative impact on the local economy. For this reason, the Yoshida Factory converted to a factory specializing in digital printing.

President Masazumi Sakawa says, “We want to create new high value-added products not only through production, but also through experimentation and research and development. This is why we named the factory 'Studio.' "

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Introduced UV inkjet printer "UCJV330-160"

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Mimaki Engineering's UCJV330-160 was introduced in April 2024. UCJV330 series is the flagship model of Mimaki's UV-curable printers for sign and graphic applications, which Mimaki announced the year before, and can print on a wide range of substrates, including PET, polyurethane, cloth, and uncoated paper, as well as PVC media for signage. The UV-LED system does not generate high temperatures, making it possible to print even on heat-sensitive media. In addition to the basic CMYK ink, white and clear inks are standard. It is possible to print on milky white (translucent), transparent, and base-colored sheets with a variety of expressions.

In addition, special prints such as "2.5D print" with embossing and unevenness by layering inks and “5-layer print” with different designs on the front and back sides are also available.

A cutting plotter function is also included, allowing for cutting after printing, and UV ink cures immediately after output, so there is no waiting time for cutting, laminating, or other post-processing.

President Sakawa is attempting to develop output products that take advantage of these features.

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A job that only printing company can do.

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Sakawa Printing has a base in printing technology, its main business, and in 2020 won two awards at the FESPA Awards 2020, an international printing event, in the "Creative Special Effects" and "People's Choice Award" categories. The winning entry was the "Japanese Fishes Calendar" a realistic-looking print of fish caught in the waters around Ehime, which won first place in the number of votes in the public voting category.

This calendar is the compilation of "Fish of E" a free magazine published four times a year to support Ehime's fisheries industry, and was created using photographs and other materials from the magazine. The UV ink technology is used to create a 2.5D print with a three-dimensional, relief-like effect that can be "seen, touched, and enjoyed" with a texture, color, and shine close to that of the real thing.

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President Sakawa said, "Ehime, especially the Uwajima region where I was born, is a town of primary industry. The sea catches a lot of fishes, and the catch is one of the highest in Japan. I wanted to support these industries, so I created this printed material."

The introduction of the first UCJV330-160 was intended to explore the combination of printing technology and digital printing in the production of such products.

A remarkable production example has already been completed. The "PR Poster Sample of Uwajima Region," which combines the output from this printer with foil, has the "Ehime Uwajima" part expressed with gold-glittering, high-intensity foil. The printer does not have gold ink, and the printing is done post-processing, but "this special processing is possible because the printer is equipped with quick-drying UV ink," says President Sakawa.

One sample that uses only this printer's functions is a printout of mandarin oranges, a specialty of Yoshida-cho, where the company was founded, in which even the unevenness of the peel and fruit is reproduced in clear ink. This is a unique attempt to express the fresh texture of fresh fruit using a printer.

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Printer that can take on the challenge

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President Sakawa recalls, "UCJV330-160 is a challenging UV roll-type printer, so it takes wisdom to master it. However, Yoshida's studio has a lot of production experience, so we decided to install it because we knew we could use it and wanted to try it out."

In the past, the company has utilized flatbed type UV curable printers, but output was mostly on hard and thick materials such as boards and cardboard. While UV ink has the advantage of being able to print on any material, it has the disadvantage of being susceptible to bending and cracking after curing.

UCJV330 series offers flexible inks that overcome these issues. This allows the printed media to be rolled and transported after printing, reducing shipping costs, and it can also be applied to curved surfaces during installation.

Furthermore, since it is a roll type printer, there is no need to reload media during output, and continuous output contributes to labor saving and automation of printing.

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Sakawa Digital Printing Studio is both a factory and a place for research and development, with the mission of creating products with more added value than ordinary printing.

One of the goals of establishing the studio is to stop subcontracting work in the red ocean. The printing industry is in an era in which profits can only be earned with high value-added products. The company continues to create products with the enthusiasm of "printing on everything, not just paper."  As a result, despite being a relatively new business, it has grown to account for 20-30% of the company's sales.

President Sakawa quoted the "Ansoff Growth Matrix" and said, "We have been doing 'Market Development.' " In April this year, they exhibited at "Interpet 2024", an exhibition for the pet market, and promoted its service of creating original goods for pets using printers under the brand name "HAKOKOROKO".

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Furthermore, with the introduction of the UCJV330-160, which enables high value-added printing on a variety of roll media, the company has also seen an initiative to "introduce new products to new markets" in its growth matrix.

President Sakawa said, "It is meaningless for the printing company to attend printing exhibitions. It is important to introduce and sell new products to new markets. The UCJV330-160 has many unknown attractions, and I believe it will be a great weapon for creating new businesses. It is really good for users to have more choices. I hope that many companies will take up the challenge of using this printer and create a new printing market."

Click here to visit Sakawa Printing's dedicated website, which is full of UCJV330's appeals. *Japanese

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