In November, swissQprint is introducing a new vacuum system for the company's large format UV printers. The pumps are up to 50% quieter than those in previous systems. They save electricity and hence reduce operating costs. And because they are installed underneath the machine, the pumps occupy no floor space.

Every flatbed printer needs a capable vacuum system to hold the substrate securely on the print bed. swissQprint has refined its system and launched quieter, more economical vacuum pumps. Stand next to a new swissQprint flatbed printer from November onwards and you will be able to converse in a normal voice. That is when a new vacuum system comes into use, with noise levels as much as 50% lower than its predecessors. Housed inside an optional sound absorber box, the new pumps emit just 63 dBA.

Whereas conventional vacuum pumps operate at the same constant power, the new swissQprint system throttles back rotation speed as soon the desired negative pressure is reached – drawing as much as 75 percent less electricity as a result. For users, that saves money and economizes on resources. Lower rotation speeds also produce less mechanical wear, which means that the new pumps have a longer service life.
Operators can also regulate the negative pressure smoothly by hand and according to the material in use, so they have control over the process.

All swissQprint models (Oryx 2, Impala 2, Nyala 2) have their vacuum pumps built-in beneath the print bed. This gives machine operators total freedom of movement around the printer – a benefit, considering that space in print rooms is often tight. swissQprint machines address the space issue anyway, being compact yet nonetheless capable of handling formats up to 3.2 × 4 m.