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HP PageWide Advantage 2200

A high-throughput inkjet web press flexible enough to change with the user’s needs, says Simon Eccles

press. The A2200 Quality mode at 101m/
minute is a third more than the T250 HD’s
Quality mode.
The press is controlled and monitored
from a touchscreen towards the end of the
units. Print is monitored by the HP Color
Quick vision system with feedback to the
operator. After printing the web passes
through new high efficiency driers and a
cooling module. Depending on the choice
of media, weight and speed, one, two or
three drier zones can be fitted.
Albee says: “Our high-efficiency driers
maximise mass transfer of large volumes of
air for effective moisture removal at high
speeds and use heat efficiently by heating
air close to the web and recirculating up to
What does it do? while the web is accelerating up to speed, 80%. The ‘cushion of air’ minimises media
This is the latest in HPs’ PageWide and it can also vary the speed in response to stress.”
family of inkjet web presses. It is a rela- signals from inline finishers. Albee stresses the ability to change paper
tively compact single-engine duplex There are six print bars and printhead types quickly, using pre-loaded auto-splic-
CMYK press for 521mm print widths on Specifications sockets, wide enough to cover both side-by- ing roll feeders from Contiweb, Tecnau and
webs up to 558mm. Speed is up to 152m/ Process Web-fed side webs at once, instead of 12 narrow bars Hunkeler. “HP customers have the flexibil-
minute in colour or up to 244m/minute thermal inkjet used on the more conventionally threaded ity now to run a variety of jobs with limited
in black-only. The inks are suited to T250 HD model. Albee says the arrange- paper waste.” Options include sheeting,
coated (gloss, silk, matte and dull) paper, Ink HP Brilliant ment makes for a more compact overall
plus uncoated, treated and HP-specified water-based footprint. Fewer components should also stacking, folding and other inline or near-
ColorPRO paper. mean higher uptime, he says. The heads line finishing options. Post print coater
Colours Extended are HP’s own High Definition Architecture options include the H&B Excelcoat ZRW+,
When was it launched and what gamut CMYK type, with 2,400 nozzles per inch for both designed for the A2200. This can be sup-
markets is it aimed at? high resolution and considerable redun- plied as aqueous-only, aqueous and UV
Web width range dancy on the run. They have dual drop combo, or upgradeable aqueous that can
The PageWide Advantage 2200 was 203-558mm weights, boosting tonal range. These are
announced at the US Printing United show thermal heads so need replacing more often have UV added later onsite.
in October 2022. Kris Albee, global busi- Max print width than piezo types, but HP says they can be
ness and strategic marketing master for HP 521mm swapped out by the operator in about five What’s the USP?
PageWide Industrial Presses, says it is minutes. The water-based extended gamut Albee says the modular design, including
intended for “higher productivity, versatil- Paper weights HP Brilliant Inks are the same as the T400 up to three drying units, lets the A2200
ity, and offset-class print quality.” Also that 40-300gsm and T250 models. HP Optimizer pre-coat- “print high-coverage, high-value jobs on
it is “designed to grow/scale with custom- Nozzle spacing ing binder is used with some stocks to help thick substrates, giving PSPs one flexible
ers as their applications and business needs 2,400dpi accept the aqueous ink. It’s only printed press to produce high-volume commercial
change”. where needed under the colour dots. There work with integrated finishing.”
are three speed settings: Quality,
How does it work? Performance and Performance HDK. What does it cost?
This is what HP calls a ‘single-arch’ con- Quality uses dual drop mode for smoother
figuration inkjet web press, with a paper skin and shadow tones and vibrant colours HP won’t reveal pricing, but Albee says
path that loops back on itself after the first (and also uses less ink). Performance uses it’s “economically attractive.” It’s pay-as-
side is printed and dried, going through larger drops only for higher speeds, while you-go: “No clicks, the pricing is consuma-
turner bars to travel back and up again next Performance HDK uses higher weights for bles-based. You purchase inks, printheads
to the first side, with the second side upper- colour and dual weights for black, improv- and web wipe cassettes as they’re con-
most. The A2200 can “print on ramp,” ie ing shadow detail without slowing the sumed.”
“This is what HP calls a ‘single-arch’ configuration inkjet web press.”

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