Africa Print Journal January 2018 | Page 15

INDUSTRY NEWS Meggan McCarthy attended the 2018 EFI Connect Conference Presents Production Opportunities With Advanced Inkjet Innovations Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed single-pass LED inkjet corrugated packaging press. EFI partner Ricoh Americas Corp. featured EFI inkjet technology as well, with the versatile EFI Pro 16h hybrid LED printer running in its booth. Many of the new opportunities for customers discussed at the 19th Annual EFI Connect Conference, held from 23-26 January in Las Vegas, refl ected a market redefi nition happening for the print industry in the wake of continued digital industrial transformation. During his opening keynote speech at Connect, EFI CEO Guy Gecht said, 'The new Print is all about putting spectacular images on essentially any material. With digital inkjet technology and automation, the new Print brings immense opportunity in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.' • The event, one of the printing industry’s largest, longest-running and most infl uential users’ group conferences, provided attendees with the latest training and technology details to help them profi t from the analogue to digital transition. Several new EFI products were debuted, including: • • • EFI VUTEk® HS125 Pro and HS100 Pro Fast- 4™ hybrid fl atbed/roll inkjet press models that offer a range of super-fast 4-colour grayscale modes, with speeds up to 225 boards per hour. This enables more cost- effective grayscale production of distance- viewed signage and graphics. The EFI VUTEk FabriVU® 340i, a soft signage printer that delivers a lower cost of entry into high-growth soft signage applications by offering fully integrated inline sublimation without compromising engine speed or quality. • • • Version 6 of EFI’s Enterprise Commercial, Midmarket Print, Publication, Quick Print, Packaging and Corrugated Packaging Productivity Suites for advanced, end-to-end business and production MIS/ERP workfl ows. EFI MarketDirect, a next-generation cross media customer engagement platform that gives printing companies the power to deliver comprehensive management on loyalty programmes, offers, newsletters, surveys and other customer communication programmes. Escada software, EFI’s recently acquired, robust corrugated process control product. EFI iQuote technology for enhanced estimating of versioned and variable-data digital print work. EFI Optitex 3D