Fujifilm India has launched the Vybrant 1800, the wide format eco-solvent printer dubbed as the ‘Made in India, Made for India’ printer. The printer is driven by patent FujiFilm technology and has been designed to yield high quality in affordable cost, thereby offering more value for money to the Indian customer.
The printer has been designed and produced in conjunction with Fujifilm’s partner in India at the manufacturing unit in Pune. Fujifilm has supplied the printhead, the Q-class, which runs on Piezo drop on demand (DOD) technology, and ink while the rest of the parts have been developed by Fujifilm’s OEM partner, Macart Equipment.
“With this launch, we aim to strengthen our presence in the Indian graphics art segment. The push given by the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative gives us great scope for our business,” said Yasunobu Nishiyama, managing director of Fujifilm India, during the launch ceremony.
Priced at Rs 999,999 (excluding taxes), the Vybrant 1800 is aimed at the indoor and outdoor signage and the branding applications market. In terms of specifications, the printer uses Fujifilm four color set and has productivity of 24 sq. m an hour. It has pre- and post-heaters for immediate drying and maximum print width of up to 1.8 m. The printer uses Fujifilm Sericol ecosolvent ink, which will cost Rs 2,499 a liter (excluding taxes). The Vybrant 1800 offers print resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi.
SM Ramprasad, assistant vice president, Graphic Arts Division, Fujifilm India said that the printer was conceptualized and then produced within a year, which in itself is a great achievement. “In places like the US or Europe, it generally takes about 24 to 36 months for a concept to become reality. We took only 12 months here in India, which I think is great,” he stated.
“With this launch, we aim to strengthen our presence in the Indian graphics art segment. The push given by the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative gives us great scope for our business.”
Ramprasad added that the benefit of having a ‘Made in India’ product is that manufacturing cost advantage can be passed on to consumers in the form of affordable ink prices. He further shared that the company has expectations of selling about 200 units in the first year of the launch. The commercial launch of Vybrant 1800 will take place at Media Expo in Delhi, scheduled from 29 September to 1 October 2016. A significant promotional drive is expected to take place in the coming months to increase awareness about the new printer. Ramprasad also indicated of a possible tie-up between Fujifilm and its partners to sell the new printer.
On exports Nishiyama said that their focus at the moment is on servicing the Indian market with the Indian-made printer. However, he added that exports to Gulf countries and other South Asian nations could be thought of after assessing how successful the printer is in the Indian market.
