Soyang Europe announced that it had secured the Great Britain distribution rights for Platinum Technologies LIYU earlier this year. Subsequently, the company will showcase this technology on stand S410 at The Print Show, with three machines running close to the main entrance of the event: the Signature Hybrid, the Platinum KCXL and the Platinum PCT LED. There has been plenty of noise around the change. The NEC Birmingham – which is the first major UK exhibition since the new agreement was put in place – provides potential buyers with a chance to get some substantive clarity on the matter.
Platinum Technologies LIYU itself is considerably more established than its UK profile sometimes suggests. The company has manufactured large-format printers since 2004 and says it now produces more than 1,200 machines a year, with an established European operation and a sizeable installed base. LIYU Italia alone reports more than 380 installations since inception. Platinum Technologies LIYU Signature Hybrid is a signature model is the heavyweight of the three machines.It is a 3.2m UV hybrid built to handle serious volumes of rigid and flexible work from the same printer. Platinum Technologies LIYU says it operates at speeds of up to 350m²/h using Ricoh printheads, but those numbers only tell part of the story. The reason to look at Signature is the breadth of work it is designed to absorb.
Platinum Technologies LIYU KCXL is for a different set of production circumstances. This is a dedicated UV flatbed, measuring 3050 x 2050mm, according to the current product literature, and is aimed squarely at rigid-media production. Key features include a top speed of 180sq m/hr on media up to 100mm thick, as well as a maximum print resolution of up to 2400dpi. Its application range covers acrylic, wood, glass, MDF, signage, display, packaging, décor and customised industrial graphics. Platinum Technologies LIYU PCT LED was the easiest machine here to place. It is a 3.2m UV LED roll-to-roll printer targeted at companies producing flexible media in meaningful volume. At The Print Show visitors got a good initial overview.