Untitled Document
FLAAR Reports:

Durst Rho 160 is one of the tried and trusted UV curable inkjet printers.

Durst was one of the first major companies to produce a UV-flatbed ink printer, their Durst Rho 160. Vutek followed with the PressVu; Inca came out with the Eagle. Today (2006), a dozen UV-curable inkjet printers are available. By 2005 more than 50 different brands and models were available from over 30 manufacturers. Inca alone makes five models; Durst now has its fifth model.

The original Durst Rho 160 and the first VUTEk UV flatbed printers cost over $460,000. These are industrial strength printers, not for the neighborhood sign shop.

Durst Rho 160 inkjet printer, solvent based ink printers, printing on thick rigid materials

In the last year the prices have tumbled as Korea, Taiwan, and Mainland China have launched lower-priced UV-curable ink flatbeds. DuPont has their Cromaprint 22uv printers manufactured by Flora in China, for example.

But buyer beware: not a single Chinese printer passed even the most rudimentary portions of the FLAAR standards for UV-curable ink flatbeds. None of the Chinese printers were past beta stage at the ISA trade show in early 2004.

By October 2004, several Chinese printers were no longer being shown. One main Korean brand disappeared (at least it was not at SGIA). Seemingly Hypernics and Azero Creon both have disappeared. The Oce Arizona T220 UV has been withdrawn permanently (but Oce of course is doing fine and has offered newer model printers since 2006).

What happened if your company had put a quarter of a million dollars into such a printer, on the premise that an Asian model cost less than a Durst! The word is cheaper, not “costs less.” If you can't get repair parts, the printer is not a good deal. And if the resale value is zilch because the company has gone out of business or because that model has been abandoned, your investment has shrunk to zero.

We recognize that eventually Chinese printers will be worthy of our FLAAR certification, but we will have to see their quality in the manufacturing plant and then the printers will have to pass inspection in site-visit case studies. The Durst Rho passed our scrutiny in a successful print shop in Toledo, Ohio. This Durst Rho 160 is repaying its original purchase price plus providing a tidy profit.

The Durst Rho 160 is produced by a known and reputable company; it is backed by an

Durst Rho 160 inkjet printer evaluations

international service organization that has already been proven for years (through the Durst Lambda printers); and the Rho can be seen to function well when we do a site-visit case study. Now you know why we found this printer worthy of consideration in it's time.

Since deciding whether to select a Durst, an Inca, or a VUTEk is a costly decision "which UV curable inkjet printer to buy?" or, "should I buy now or wait one more year..." you might want to hire Dr Hellmuth as a consultant in this matter. He collects facts from the leading trade shows in Europe and across the USA . Plus he has access to a fascinating amount of rather interesting information.

Recently a Fortune 500 company hired Professor Hellmuth to accompany them at SGIA for an entire day, to go with them to every single UV curable inkjet printer booth (so Nicholas could translate the mumbo-jumbo into actual reality). Besides, Nicholas got the visitors past the receptionist straight to the pertinent technical people who really knew the printers. You definitely get attention when you visit a booth with the author of the FLAAR Reports.

Naturally Durst was one booth to visit. In these early years their prime model was the Rho 160. Then came the Rho 160R, a special version for 3M.

Today, in 2008, lots has changed. But there are probably about a hundred Durst Rho 160 printers available used. So if you compare prices, it looks tempting at a price used. Just realize that technology has advanced significantly since the heyday of this model: the new Durst Rho models are dramatically improved.

Durst Rho 160 inkjet printer reviews

For additional information and for help making your decision, order the "FLAAR report series for UV inkjet printing on thick and/or rigid material." This report series includes lots of useful information. We found one flatbed which even prints on round objects or material with rough or uneven surface. Sounds like a practical printer to have for a large sign shop. You can definitely get ahead of your local competition in your home city if you had a versatile printer such as this.

These FLAAR reports have been updated based on inspecting printers at trade shows during 2004 and all 2005, both across the USA and in Europe.

Starting in 2005 and continuing into 2006 we are moving all FLAAR coverage of UV-curable and solvent inkjet printers to our sister site, www.large-format-printers.org. The wide-format site will concentrate on water-based printers from Canon, ColorSpan, Encad, Epson, HP, Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland, and other aqueous-based printers.

So if you wish to learn more about the newer Durst Rho printers, such as the Durst Rhopac 160 or Durst Rho 700, take a look at our other pages (that will be updated after DRUPA '08).

 

Moved from wide-format site to the large format site May 2008.

Previously updated: December 9, 2001, revised May 13, 2002; also updated Nov. 18, 2002; updated March 10, 2004, Oct 27, 2004, January 17, 2006.

" The complete reports are in full-color PDF format. Our university-based institute has comprehensive FLAAR Reports on over 73 different wide format inkjet printers, RIP software, color management, scanners, digital cameras and on countless markets such as wide format inkjet printers for photography, giclee, proofing, CAD, GIS, graphic design, signs, and specialty applications too. All FLAAR Reports by Dr Nicholas Hellmuth and lab personnel are available on <http://www.wide-format-printers.NET>www.wide-format-printers.NET ."

Untitled Document
GCC 250UV
WP Digital RR50 invitation
Durst Rho 351R
Gerber Ion
XY flatbed
BARBIERI Factory
Yuhan K MC3 Premium
FESPA List
Durst Rho 800
Dilli Neo Titan
Raster T600
Yuhan K MC3 Express
Color Management Glossary
GCC CO2
Cruse Art Petrus
IP&I 1606
Cruse Scanner
FLAAR Lectures
Lowel PHOTO ESSAY
BetterLight photo essay
DRUPA 08
SIGN Africa
Who is reading
LexJet Legend 72HUV samples
3D wide-format decor giclee
Legend 72HUV
Untitled Document
GRAPO manta
Digifab
GRAPO shark
Caldera RIP
WP Digital UV-cured flatbed digital applications FESPA 09
Dilli Neo Venus
Color Management & ICC color profiles
Yuhan K2 Keundo
FESPA Textiles
GCC 183
Octopus II
Fabrics & Soft Signage notification
Raster Printers H700UV
Glossary Solvent
consulting services
ISA 2009
Seiko ColorPainter
IP&I Cube 260
Graph Expo 2008. preshow
Infrared photography
VISCOM Italy textiles
Introduction UV inks
LEC 300uv LED
HP Scitex FB6100
UV lamps
Untitled Document
Printing on Ceramic tiles
HP Z3100ps GP
HP latex ink
Epson 7900
3D
GRAPO applications
HP Z2100
Fabrics & Soft Signage for Wide-Format Inkjet Printing
UV flatbeb symposium
Textile Printers at ISA 09
UV factory visits
3D IB ProCADD face
HP Z3100
Learning about UV printers
Printing doors
Printing table
Lenticular Images
Yuhan-Kimberly UJET MC2
doormats
Durst Rho 700
Gandinnovations AquaJet
Epson 7800
Durst 320R
Untitled Document
RIP Software
Flatbed XY Cutters
UV-Curable ink, OEM
Color Gamut of UV inks
Sun, Sericol, Triangle
and all other UV inks
UV-Coaters, Laminators
Printheads for UV Printers
HP Scitex X2 (MEMS)
KonicaMinolta
Ricoh
Spectra Dimatix
Spectra M Class (MEMS)
Toshiba Tec
All other UV printheads
UV-Curable, third-party ink
(others in preparation)
Trade Shows & Trade Magazines
Interesting inks &
Alternative Inks
Sepiax ink
(more in preparation)
Solvent, Eco-solvent, Mild-solvent
Textile, Fabric Printers

Documento sin título
Teckwin Tecksmart 1600
Oce Arizona 250
Mimaki 1631
DRUPA 2008
ColorSpan 9840UV
Untitled Document

Most of our updates for 2008-2009 onward are in FLAAR Reports in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. It is more efficient for us to make new information available in PDF format. So if the web page itself is not updated, check out www.wide-format-printers.NET to see if the printer, RIP, or other subject is covered in an update in a PDF download.

Any problem with this site please report it to webmaster, or if you note any error, omission, or have a different opinion on a review, please contact the review editor, ReaderService@FLAAR.org, or find out how to meet Nicholas Hellmuth and speak with him personally. © 2001-2009 FLAAR