Heidelberg has developed a new DFE for the latest versions of the Versafire digital presses that are now available. Once again these are based on the latest Ricoh engines, the Pro C9500 and Pro C7500. These are being launched at Ricoh’s Customer Experience Centre in Telford this week.
Heidelberg’s major difference to Ricoh is a Prinect DFE which helps create a unified workflow between digital and litho presses. There is a new user interface built around feedback from several thousand installations of existing Versafires alongside Speedmasters.
A key aspect to the second generation of the DFE is its colour management software which delivers consistency across analogue and digital print. Heidelberg has focused on this aspect of hybrid print production, something that it says helps address the shortage of suitably skilled workers in the industry, an approach it calls “two printing processes – one workflow technology”.
The introduction of the new presses continues a partnership with Ricoh that is now a decade old. Over that time volumes of digital print have grown to cover 20% of the global market with a steady growth projected at 3% a year. Heidelberg’s sales and production of equivalent format litho presses have shrunk over the same period.
All tasks from job creation, preflighting, colour management and imposition can be automated through the DFE says Heidelberg. There is connectivity beyond Heidelberg’s own applications with a link from Prinect to Zaikio’s Mission Control platform completed to open up integration with a greater range of applications.
The new presses are the Versafire LP, equivalent to the Ricoh Pro C9500. This includes closed loop tools for colour and register control, the ability to refill toner while the press is running, and can print banners to 1,260mm long. It will also print 470gsm light boards.
The Versafire LV offers a fifth colour option for white, clear, metallic and neon toners.
