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Skyjet Flat Master and Glass Master UV-cured inkjet flatbed printers

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FLAAR has been inspecting SkyJet printers (from Sky Air-Ship) since ISA 2005.

Then at ISA 2006 and again at FESPA Digital 2006, we found a brochure that listed the SkyJet UV-Belt-2008, SkyJet UV Belt-2012. In the forthcoming FLAAR Report we list the history of these printers (they are today in their 4th generation). The brochure available at the summer 2006 Shanghai trade show called it only the UV Flat-bed printer, with no model number. This seems to be the designation still at FESPA 2009. We have nicknamed it the SkyJet FlatMaster.

Since there is so little information about this printer available, we have issued a FLAAR Fast Facts, now available. We are updating this with notes from the recent Shanghai summer 2006 trade show and then subsequent Shanghai trade shows, especially now in 2009. Then we inspected the third and fourth generations at the factory for two days. The resulting full report has been available for several months.  

The Skyjet UV Flat-bed printing samples at Shanghai 2007.

Two Skyjet UV-curable printers appear at Shanghai ‘07

The UV Flat-bed Printer 2418 or Skyjet UV Flat-bed Printer 2412 were exhibited at Shanghai '07.

Sky Air-ship Digital Printing Equipment Co.,Ltd. also exhibited their alpha stage Skyjet Cylinder Digital Printer, that looked like an early attempt to recreate the successful HP Scitex TurboJet UV printer at a smaller size. I admire their initiative. The cylinder drum UV printer was not at Shanghai 2008 and is no longer on their web site in 2009, as the company is now focusing on dedicated flatbed UV-curing printers, for both signage and glass. Their regular flatbed UV seems to have progressed and has been exhibited both in 2008 and 2009.

Skyjet UV Flat-bed printer at Shanghai 2007.

The Skyjet UV Flat-bed printing samples at Shanghai 2008.

Today, since summer 2009, the SkyAir Ship company is more advanced. For example, at FESPA, in the booth of their European partner, the young Chinese representative spoke good English, came up immediately to introduce himself and to ask if I had questions. This is a good sign of a professional manner of doing business internationally.

The European distributor had a large successful-looking booth. Frankly the entire layout looked more inspiring than the booths of other brands of Chinese printers elsewhere at FESPA.

After Shanghai show Dr Nicholas Hellmuth and Technical Writer Jose Melgar spent several days visiting the world headquarters of SkyAir Ship to take notes and prepare a comprehensive FLAAR Report. In the meantime, I would also add that SkyAir Ship has teamed up with companies in America interested in printing on glass (IGE Solutions).

SkyAir Ship is the #1 selling flatbed UV printer in China

SkyAir Ship has sold over 150 flatbed printers within China, mostly for printing on glass. Dozens of their two flatbed models, FlatMaster or GlassMaster, are also installed in many countries including USA, Canada, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Kazakstan, Cyprus, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Bolivia ect.

Sky Air-Ship cylinder-based textile printer

Sky Air-Ship also offers a sophisticate drum-based textile printer, the TPL-1908, TPL-1916, TPL-3208, and TPL-3216.

Here is Mark Ma, International Sales Manager (at the left), Hui Wang, General Manager (in the middle) and Dr. Hellmuth (at the right)with the Skyjet textile printer at APPPEXPO Shanghai 2009.

In this photograph, Jian Liang, President (at the left) and Hui Wang, General Manager (at the right) holding a sample of Nicholas Hellmuth's PhaseOne P25+ 22-megapixel image of Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, printed by the Skyjet UV Flat-bed.

Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth analyzing the Skyjet textile printer at a visit to the factory of Sky Air-ship in Shenyang, China, 2009. They also make solvent printers, but not low-bid copies: their SkyJet solvent printers are completely unique (and print on both sides of the material with precision rarely available elsewhere).

Our knowledge of the printers comes from inspecting them in person and up close. This factory (Sky Air-Ship) produces more dedicated flatbed UV printers than most other factories in all China combined.

Most recently updated October 23, 2009.

First posted May 20, 2005. Updated November 28, 2005 and May 29, 2006, August 29, 2006, Oct. 1, 2007. Updated July 3, 2009, after FESPA before Shanghai trade show in China.