Page 66 - Print 21 Sep-Oct 2019

PrintEx
PRINT21 PANEL: The Ricoh L5160 roll-to-roll latex printer is one of a trio of new application
defined solutions that leverage Ricoh’s undoubted technological prowess into new areas, with everything from the print heads to the engineering to the ink being manufactured
HOT PICK: Ricoh L5160
Ricoh leverages
by Ricoh itself.
Hot stuff: (l-r)
technology into new opportunities
Ricoh brought its new Inkerching philosophy to PrintEx, which it explains as a focus on providing printers with the money making
opportunities, and which it is leveraging its technology into new solutions to do so.
Solutions launched on the stand included a roll-to-roll latex printer, its first flatbed UV printer, along with a new direct to garment printer.
Henryk Kraszewski, senior product manager at Ricoh, said, “Ricoh has built its graphic arts business on its digital cutsheet printers, which were all on the stand. The company is now leveraging that technology to new print applications, which we saw on the booth.”
According to Kraszewski, the Pro L5160 roll-to-roll latex printer has a number of key features including print speed of up to 46.7 square metres per hour, image quality, an option for high-opacity white, support for a variety of permeable and impermeable substrates, low-temperature curing, and environmentally-friendly operation.
Also appealing will be its ability to print white ink. Ricoh said this will enable new applications and a wider range of effects.
The Ricoh printheads are stainless steel for long life, their credibility shown by the fact that many inkjet printing systems manufacturers use the Ricoh heads themselves.
Also launched on the Ricoh stand were the two new flatbed UV printers: the 2.5mx1.3m Pro TF6250, with Ricoh also having a bigger model, the 2.1mx3.2m T7210.
“Similar to the Pro L5160, our new flatbed range are Ricoh-designed models that use Ricoh industrial inkjet heads and Ricoh UV ink technology,” said Kraszewski.
Ricoh’s new flatbeds can print on almost any material up to 110mm thick, according to Kraszewski, including wood, MDF, corflute, acrylic, glass, steel, aluminium, PETC, PC, and PVC. They can each operate at speeds up to 116 square metres per hour, and have a versatile ink configuration supporting CMYK plus white, clear, and primer.
“Our flatbeds also offer easy setup and automatic maintenance, and safety features that protect operators while the machines are running,” added Kraszewski.
Printers looking for additional revenue streams at minimal cost will be interested in the Ri1000, launched at the show, the latest of the Ricoh direct to garment printers.
The Ri 1000 delivers print quality with enhanced resolution of 1200 dpi x 1200 dpi, and supports CMYK plus white ink to ensure results on fabric of any colour.
The Ri 1000’s application flexibility is supported by a new pre-treatment liquid suitable for 100 per cent light polyester and polycotton blends. This opens up greater opportunities for garments and textile products in a number of sectors including sports.
Quick operation and production versatility are made easy with the ability to smoothly switch between multiple styles of platens up to 406.4mm x 508mm.
Ricoh had its full suite of digital cutsheet colour printers on the stand, including the Ricoh Pro C9200, which it describes as a robust four-colour digital cut-sheet press that will handle up to a million prints per month. It was being shown along with the Ricoh Pro C7210X, a versatile five-colour digital cut-sheet press. Five optional colours add value to print jobs. Ricoh says substrate and finishing flexibility means printers can offer their customers more options. 21
George Fryer and Simon Lane from Ricoh with Patrick Howard
Kuhn invests in Ricoh
PVCA president Walter Kuhn, CEO of Kuhn Corp, signed a deal to purchase a Ricoh Pro C7210x digital press at PrintEx.
Speaking to Print21 at the show, Kuhn said it would enable his company to expand its short-run printing capabilities.
“It is replacing one of our machines with better technology. It’s an all-around better machine.
“We did a fair bit of analysis on the output of the machine as well as the cost to run it, and believed it was the best investment,” he said.
According to Roberta Van Trier, senior account manager at Ricoh Brisbane, “We had an understanding on his business and what he wanted to achieve in output, getting close to offset with a digital product. Walter came in and had a demonstration, and I believe we were able to tick all the boxes for him,” she said.
Michael Leins, production
analyst at Ricoh, said he was glad
to strengthen the company’s relationship with Kuhn Corp. “We’re always looking forward to having good partnerships with our customers.”
Walter Kuhn (centre) with Simon Lane and Roberta Van Trier, Ricoh.
Inkerching: Dean Edelman and Henryk Kraszewski (r) with flatbed UV output
66 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019