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Star product

Gallus Smartfire

Gallus’ offering for anyone entering the short run labels market, says Barney Cox

What’s the USP?
“The ‘plug and print’ simplicity with the
ability to produce fantastic quality from file
to finished label in one pass,” Jackson says.

How easy is it to implement and
use?
“It’s incredibly simple with an intuitive
HMI,” he says. “Training is two days rec-
ommended but dependant on the individ-
ual operator you could be up and running
after one day’s training.” The system arrives
on two pallets and can be installed and in
production within a few days. One standard
electrical source (three pin plug
What does it do? proofs, semi-rotary die-cutter for produc- 240V/50Hz) is all that is needed to power it
The Smartfire is a narrow-web digital tion and a matrix rewind. As a CMYK as there is no need for heavy duty drying kit.
label line that combines aqueous inkjet only machine it is limited to reflective
printing with inline laminating and semi- stocks only. Control of the machine is via As it uses water-based inks there are no
rotary die cutting and includes an easy to Specifications the HMI (PC) used to set up the hard- VOCs, so no venting. That said, you do need
use Human Machine Interface (HMI) to ware and also includes the job prepara- to use substrates with a coating suited to
handle costing, pre-press and production Max resolution tion and pre-press software, which is Memjet inks, of which there are currently
in one. 1,600x1,600 or from Caldera. According to Jackson given
1,600x800dpi the target market and price point Caldera in excess of 200 certified label stocks.
When was it announced and what was considered a more appropriate soft- Standard training is two days on site after
are the target markets? Max speed 9m/min ware platform than Heidelberg’s Prinect
or 18m/min Digital Front End. installation. The vast majority of parts are
It was launched in the summer of 2018 at depending on reso-
the Gallus Innovation Days. The target lution How fast is it? classed as ‘operator-replaceable units’
market for the 220mm print width (ORU’s) meaning that there is little or no
machine encompasses a wide range of Max print width It has two speeds. In productivity mode it need for engineer visits. Spare parts are
businesses, from printers through to 220mm runs at 18m/min with a resolution of
brand owners, who need short runs, with 1,600x800dpi and in high-definition held at the Heidelberg World Logistic
a “sweet spot” of up to 300 linear metres. Colours CMYK mode it runs at 9m/min with a resolution Centre and can be delivered in the UK typi-
“I don’t think it is possible to pigeon hole of 1,600x1,600dpi. cally next day, with the service and back up
this product to label printers,” says Printing technology of Heidelberg UK if required.
Heidelberg UK product executive labels Memjet water- How does it differ from previous
Chris Jackson. “We have seen interest based thermal products?
from sheetfed press users wishing to inkjet “For Gallus this is the first truly digital How much does it cost?
complement their existing offerings and only label press and is not to be confused £143,000 for the hardware, with additional
to add labels to their portfolio. Price From £152,000 with the Labelfire,” he says. In fact, there
Additionally, because of the simplicity of are significant differences in capability, costs for installation and training of circa
the equipment and the small footprint, it technology, format and throughput £9,000. “It’s a low-cost low risk invest-
may be used in-house for some brand between the two machines, as well as ment,” Jackson says. But upfront costs are
owners.” price, with the Smartfire a fraction of the
upfront cost of its heavy duty bigger sib- only a part of the total cost of ownership.
How does it work? ling. Compared to many other Memjet- Memjet inks aren’t the cheapest per litre
At the heart of the Smartfire are based machines the Smartfire is a heavier and specially coated substrates can carry a
Memjet’s water-based single-pass heads, duty machine with greater inline produc- premium too, so it’s essential to fully under-
which are integrated into a Gallus trans- tion capabilities, whereas other offerings
port system with inline finishing includ- in this segment use either UV inkjet or stand the economics of your applications
ing laminating, a plotter cutter for toner imaging. and volumes.
“It’s incredibly simple with an intuitive HMI.”

34 PrintWeek MENA February 2024 www.printweekmena.com