Ricoh launches one product after another. After announcing the ricoh Pro Z75 sheet-fed press on the market the Japanese manufacturer unveils the new generation of its high-speed rotary digital platform, the Ricoh Pro VC80000.
The Ricoh Pro VC80000, a compact, high-speed press
Measuring less than 10 meters, the Ricoh Pro VC80000 nevertheless enables duplex printing, making it the smallest machine in its class. With a speed of 150 m/min and various automated functions, its productivity is 50% higher than that of the previous generation Pro VC70000 launched in 2018.
Designed to produce high-quality direct mail, color books, catalogs, magazines and commercial prints on coated substrates up to 300 g/m² 2 (compared with 250 previously), this CMYK rotary press features new Ricoh temperature-controlled inkjet heads and a resolution of up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi.
Thanks to Firefly drying technology, which uses small heated rollers to bring the press to the right temperature, start-up is twice as fast as with a conventional drying system.
Colors, substrates... many automated tasks
Another new feature is the Ricoh Pro VC80000's standard integration of high-level quality control and Ricoh's Pro Digitizer. The digitizer inspects the performance of each printhead, enabling the press to adjust adjacent nozzles to correct defective ones.
This new rotary inkjet press is also equipped with a spectrophotometer that monitors color reproduction in real time, eliminating the need for manual corrections. Any variations in production are spotted and necessary adjustments made quickly, says Ricoh.
The manufacturer has also equipped its reel-to-reel machine with automated paper configuration. This function enables the use of media not stored in the media library at the touch of a button.
German printer Sattler Media Group, specializing in marketing communications, was the beta-tester site for the new press. Christian Haneke, Head of Innovation and Solutions at Sattler Media Group, says he appreciates the machine's level of automation and ease of use, which have helped to change the role of inkjet in the Group's production portfolio.
The Ricoh Pro VC80000 high-speed inkjet press will be available in early 2024.
