Kodak has introduced its latest inkjet imprinting system, the Prosper Plus 5, which essentially adds an extra entry-level option to this series. These imprinting modules can be integrated directly on an analogue press or on a finishing line to add variable data, either for personalization or serialization coding.
Kodak has had considerable success with its Prosper Imprinting heads, largely because they are based on Kodak’s Prosper Stream continuous inkjet printheads and are fast enough to keep up with many analogue lines, with the fastest models running at up to 600mpm. However, this latest variation runs at just 152mpm print speed, albeit at a resolution of 600 x 900 dpi.
Joshua Howard, senior director of inkjet R&D at Kodak, explained to me, “What we looked at with the Plus 5 was to really target customers and applications that maybe are at the entry point. There are some customers who, from a price point, might not need the full capability or the full speed of a Plus 20. So we broadened our portfolio to offer those customers that may not need the full speed capability.”
He continued, “Depending on the application, we can be much faster than some of the finishing. Or there may be a customer that may not feel as comfortable jumping in at the top speed, so they may want to get comfortable with it. And then if they want to run faster and have the capability for throughput, we can upgrade them in the field, versus making that investment earlier on and having it under-utilized. So it’s really about growth; that’s really what we are trying to offer here.”
However, Kodak did not want to give any idea as to how much cheaper the Prosper Plus 5 will be, which is going to make it harder for customers who were not already looking at this system to evaluate if the numbers will work for them.
At the same time, Kodak has renamed its existing Prosper Plus Modules from the more confusing 1/1W and 2/2W series to the Prosper Plus 10, which can run at up to 300mpm at 600 x 600 dpi, and the Prosper Plus 20, which can achieve 600mpm at 600 x 300 dpi.
Despite the various names, the hardware for all the Prosper Plus modules is identical. It only takes a license change in the software to convert a Prosper Plus from a 5 to a 10 or 20 model. For both the Plus 10 and Plus 20 the base speed is 200mpm at 600 x 900 dpi, with the faster speeds achieved by dropping the resolution. Each module runs a single channel.
In theory, customers could go the other way and downgrade to a cheaper solution, but Howard says this never happens, noting: “Part of our pre-sales activity is to make sure that they are buying the right configuration from us.”
All the Prosper Plus modules have the same print width of 105mm, but it is possible to gang two together with a dual fluid system to print 210mm, or multiple heads together on the Prosper Printbar, with a seamless stitch between heads. Howard adds, “The Print bar is also fully capable of handling the Plus 5 series as well.”
Kodak continues to sell the older Prosper S-series print modules, albeit mostly to existing customers who are comfortable using those units.
Howard says that in talking with customers, Kodak touts the improvements made to the Prosper Plus, explaining, “We made a number of changes moving from the S-series to the Prosper Plus to deal with serviceability, a redesign for easier access, bigger tanks, the ability to choose different drop sizes.” But he accepts that some S-series customers don’t need to change drop sizes. Equally, he points out that many customers run a hybrid environment with a mixture of S-series and Prosper Plus modules, all with the same CF450 controller that drives both systems.
The new Prosper Plus 5 imprinting modules are available now. You can find further details on all the Prosper inkjet imprinting systems from kodak.com.
