Canon announces the launch of the ProStream 3000 series, the next generation of its high-speed, web-fed inkjet presses for commercial print. Built on the established ProStream technology platform, the new ProStream 3000 series delivers consistent offset print quality and brings a wider selection of substrates, including heavyweight paper, up to higher rated print speeds, enabling ultra-fast digital production of a broader range of commercial print jobs.
This extended media capability makes it even easier for print businesses – including general commercial and online printers, book producers and photo product specialists – to migrate high-volume, high-value work from offset and legacy technologies. With ProStream, users can now reap the full end-to-end productivity benefits of inkjet production across the majority of applications, from direct mail and books, to postcards, posters and calendars.
Available in two models – the 80m per minute ProStream 3080 and the 133m per minute ProStream 3133 – the new press series produces ProStream’s renowned high print quality on web widths up to 558mm and for page lengths up to 1524mm. The new ProStream series can print up to 11,300 4/4 B2 sheets per hour or 1790 A4-size 4/4 impressions per minute, equating to 58 million A4 impressions per month, on a wide range of substrates and weights, including standard offset coated, uncoated and inkjet-optimised papers up to 300gsm, without the need to slow down significantly for heavier media weights.
To deliver offset quality at higher speeds across a wider range of substrates, the ProStream 3000 series incorporates an enhanced drying system. The drying system builds upon the success of the ProStream 1000 series, which uses air floatation throughout the paper path to protect the surface quality of the printed output at all stages. The ProStream 3000 series’ new asymmetric design dries all jobs evenly and in a controlled way without coming into contact with the paper, ensuring exceptional quality even on the most scratch-sensitive media.
Consistently high quality with accurate, vibrant colour is delivered by native 1200dpi piezo drop-on-demand print heads in combination with proven water-based polymer pigment inks and Smart ColorGrip, a new version of Canon’s paper conditioning solution. With Smart ColorGrip, which is also now available as an option for the ProStream 1000 series, the amount of ColorGrip solution applied can be customised to specific areas of the page to adjust for heavy or light ink coverage, delivering optimal printed results. Canon’s Inline Quality Control, a high-performance camera system, also provides automatic print quality assurance. This reduces the time needed for operator quality control and improves overall system productivity.
Thanks to the increased efficiency of the drying system, the new ProStream consumes less energy than the 1000 series for most applications and can be connected to a lower rated power connection. This makes the ProStream 3000 series a practical choice and better fit for the electrical infrastructure of smaller print businesses. In addition, the drying and cooling units and the power supply have been relocated in the new product’s architecture, improving accessibility and operability for the operators.
Jennifer Kolloczek, European Planning, Marketing & Innovation Senior Director, Production Print at Canon Europe, comments, “Customers worldwide have already embraced ProStream’s exceptional productivity for everything from high-margin books to premium direct mailing jobs – while benefiting from minimal waste and very high uptime.”
“With the launch of the new ProStream 3000 series, we’re further expanding this successful platform, delivering the speed, efficiency and media versatility printers need to energise their growth. The enhanced productivity on a number of applications means that users can now confidently migrate even more offset and other print work to digital on-demand, reducing turnaround, slashing makeready time and waste, making today’s shrinking run lengths more profitable and meeting brand owners’ demands for shorter time to market.”
The first ProStream 3000 will be installed in the Pixartprinting Group in Italy, joining the company’s existing line-up of three ProStream 1800 printers, which have served to bridge the ‘margin maximisation gap’ between the company’s existing offset and digital B2 toner technologies, without compromising quality. Pixartprinting Group’s Chief Manufacturing Officer, Alessio Piazzetta, remarks: “Our products are printed using only the most advanced machinery. Since the first installation in 2018, the ProStreams have allowed us to further optimise production by choosing the most cost-effective system based on the variables of the job in question. The main benefits have been higher productivity and efficiency, and the fact that the technology is so user friendly.”
Based on the significant commercial impact of the ProStream technology, Pixartprinting has chosen to boost its inkjet firepower further by investing in the next-generation press, aiming to fulfil the company’s OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) requirements and migrate more work to inkjet printing.
The ProStream 3000 series has its global debut at Hunkeler Innovationdays (27th February – 2nd March 2023, Lucerne, Switzerland), where it is being exhibited in live production workflows of a broad range of commercial print applications. The new press series is available immediately, either directly from Canon or from its accredited channel partners, depending on the territory.
