Agfa Graphics Oceania managing director Frederik Dehing told ProPrint that the launch comes after the M-Press Tiger garnered a fair amount of interest from local screen printers since its first installation earlier this year at StylePrint in Melbourne.
"The Apogee Vibe option was already shared with them during our recent visits and clearly showed to be a feature of interest today, and a must for the future, as the trend towards shorter runs with variable data will continue," he said.
With the Vibe module, users define the variable elements of a job, which are then retrieved from a database or spreadsheet and merged with the rest of the artwork on the fly. A preview option also allows the user to check the correct elements are in place.
Vibe was developed for Agfa's Dotrix UV-cured digital web press, and was modified to support the M-Press when a demand from M-Press users for variable data arose.
Meanwhile, the company has added another new-launch plate to its Ipex pre-press line-up, with the announcement that it will debut its next-generation ThermoFuse chemistry-free plate, the Amigo TS, at the show.
Described as an environmentally friendly successor to the Amigo, the Amigo TS features improved contrast and runs of up to 200,000 plus impression without post baking, although it can also be baked for longer runs.
In addition, the plate is said to be up to 50% faster to image than its predecessor and has a longer bath life, meaning greater efficiency and lower maintenance for users.
"Our two ThermoFuse products - the Azura TS and Amigo - have been extremely well received in the Australian market and have experienced double digit growth since their introduction," Dehing said.
"Apart from the reduction in carbon footprint, the main driver for printers to choose these plates is the immediate costs savings in terms of chemistry usage, waste handling, energy, and water."
The Amigo TS will join the Azura V and Azura TS plates and the Avalon N platesetter on Agfa's stand at next month's Ipex exhibition in Birmingham.