Durst will present the latest developments to the Rho direct to media inkjet range at Sign UK

Demonstrated on the Durst UK stand (G20), will be the first European showing of the new white ink feature on the recently introduced Rho160 Plus. Also, the unique Rho Feeder/Stacker system, which allows for unattended operation of sheet fed material. The new Rho 205 direct to media inkjet printer will be presented on the Coates Screen stand, adjacent to the Durst stand. Coates Screen are Durst UKπs distributor for the Rho range within the screen printing market.

White Ink Feature
Announced at PMA in the US, the white ink feature allows users to create a white background, ideal for coloured and clear media. Several different user selectable print white ink print options include, underprinting white areas, fill white areas or details, print white as a spot colour, produce cleaner backgrounds on coloured media, and create more contrast in images.
The Rho160 Plus features a new revolutionary print head layout, which allows for faster printing speeds without sacrificing image quality. There are four printing modes, offering real high speed printing up to approximately 80m2 per hour, (using 62 inch wide roll media).
Additional new features also include, increased front-to-back registration of ± 0.5 mm, a user selectable CMYK or RGB workflow (unique to the Rho 160 Plus) with corresponding Colour Management System and an optional Durst feeder/stacker system.
In accordance with Durst philosophy, all existing Durst Rho 160s can be upgraded to the new Rho160 Plus, thus offering Rho customers the benefits derived from the continuous technological development.

Rho Feeder/Stacker System
Unlike other digital flatbed printers the Rho 160 Plus has a continuous same way feed of materials. This offers Rho users many advantages. In addition to the length of imaging only being governed by the length of the material, it enabled the Rho from the outset to be able to provide unattended roll to roll printing. Now, with the introduction of the new feeder/stacker, unattended sheet fed printing is a practical option. The sheets are fed from a stack delivered on a pallet, aligned and right-justified to the direction of feed and transported to the pinch rollers in the Rho.

In addition to the increase in throughput by minimising loading and unloading times, the main advantage is that one person can easily operate the Rho. They are able to handle heavy or large sheets of material, even those with sensitive surfaces such as glass and polycarbonates. In fact, it is possible for a single person to operate several output devices at once, with the Rho being loaded and left to print a large volume of work, unattended.

Durst Rho 205 industrial standard direct to media inkjet printer
First shown at Sign Italia in November 2003, the Rho 205 has already received a great deal of interest from both the media and potential customs. With several machines currently being installed and 35 firm orders placed around the world, it is destined to be an extremely popular addition to the Rho range.

The Rho 205 is specifically tailored for smaller businesses mainly in the screen printing and digital display markets. It features a modular design approach, which will allow the machine to grow with an ownerπs business, for example in speed and, as other options become available, for example, the white ink feature. It can also be used with Durst's new feeder/stacker system for sheet fed material. Designed to last, with the same high build standard as the Rho 160 Plus, the 205 represents a lower initial investment. Used for printing boards mainly, it features CMYK work flow and can print boards up to 205cm wide by any length. Using Durstπs own highly regarded UV curing ink and piezo inkjet technology as the Rho 160 Plus, the Rho 205 has 3 levels of productivity. In standard mode it is capable of printing 20m2 per hour at 360 dpi on a
vast range of different materials including those with a structured surface i.e. hard foam boards, soft foam boards, aluminium, acrylics, cardboard, corrugated boards etc. It will print on boards up to a thickness of 40mm, the Rho 205i, designed for industrial applications, will print up to 70mm.

Proprietary Durst Rho UNIX software features "on-the-fly" image processing (scaling-pixel interpolation, sharpening, cropping, panelling and corrections) and "on-the-fly" dithering for maximum productivity and minimum hard disk usage. The arrival of the Rho 205 follows the successful world-wide launch of the Rho160 two years ago. In that time the Rho160 has established itself as a market leader, with more than 100 units in operation around the world. It has also been highly acclaimed by the trade press for its flexibility, high quality output, and overall productivity. In the German "Large Format" Magazine, it was recently voted the "ROI ≠ Champion" (Return on Investment ≠ Champion) in a Large Format European Flatbed Printer Performance Contest.