Xitron, a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group and the developer of Harlequin-based Navigator RIP and workflow products for commercial, flexo, screen, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing, has been selected as Memjet’s sole developer for the Digital Front End (DFE) of two soon-to-be announced digital print engines.

According to Memjet, the first print engine assemblies will support full color, high-quality output at speeds approaching 500 fpm. In monochrome mode, the print engine will reach speeds close to 1,000 fpm. Xitron’s scalable DFE technology supports these speeds and beyond, with or without variable data.

“Aside from the performance needed to drive these print engines at speed, which is impressive, what really stands out about the DFE is the level of integration,” says Eric Nelsen, Xitron’s VP of product development. ”Navigator doesn’t just provide print data; it fully controls all press functionality.”

Everything from feeders, vacuums, dryers, dehumidifiers, and web tensions are addressed in the DFE dashboard and maintained through configurable MODBUS control.

“This new approach delivers flexibility to machine builders and simplicity for the end users of these systems,” explains Scott Desoto, Memjet’s VP of sales. “In today’s world where labor is tight, this highly integrated approach is critical to asset utilization and company profits.”

“By incorporating MODBUS connectivity, we’ve eliminated the external synchronization issues presented by separate hardware and software subsystems, which can be a major hurdle in getting a press to market,” states Karen Crews, president of Xitron. “This means Memjet’s OEMs will get to the commercialization stage much faster and with an intuitive, single-interface product.”

The first shipments of Memjet’s newly integrated print engine technologies are happening now, through the end of the year, and Memjet expects to accelerate deployments to their customers starting in Q1 of 2023.