Galaxy UD-18R2LU Roll-to-Roll UV LED Printer

Galaxy UD-18R2LU Roll-to-Roll UV LED Printer

The Galaxy UD-18R2LU is an entry-level roll-to-roll UV LED printer built around Epson i3200 U1 printheads, supplied with one or two heads. It prints CMYK across a maximum width of 1800 mm on rolls up to 100 m long, and is rated at 20 m²/h in six-pass production mode. With two heads the machine can be configured as 2 × CMYK, which doubles the nozzle count available for a colour rather than adding further inks.

UV LED curing is the reason to choose this machine over an eco-solvent one at the same width. The ink is cured by ultraviolet light as it is laid down rather than dried by heat, so the print is finished the moment it leaves the carriage and can be wound, cut or laminated immediately, with no outgassing period before mounting. It also means the machine will take media that do not have a solvent-receptive coating.

Ink is fed from a chipless CISS bulk supply refilled from bottles, and the supplied colour profiles are built to reach a given result with less ink. The catalogue puts running cost at 1 €/m² at average photographic coverage — higher than eco-solvent, which is the trade-off for instant curing and wider media compatibility. An anti-crush system protects the carriage from media that has lifted off the platen, and a take-up system is included.

The machine takes frontlit and backlit media, mesh, self-adhesive vinyl and paper, and runs under the FlexiPrint RIP. It needs 5 × 2 m of floor space, a 220 V supply and 3400 W, weighs 204 kg, and is aimed at workshops producing up to roughly 200 m² a day of indoor and outdoor work.

Applications

• Self-adhesive vinyl graphics that are laminated straight after printing
• Frontlit and backlit roll media for indoor and outdoor signage
• Mesh prints for fences and scaffolding
• Short-run poster and paper work with no drying wait
• Technical films and uncoated roll media unsuited to eco-solvent ink
• Entry-level UV production for workshops printing around 200 m² a day