Ricoh has a queue of print companies who want more information about Ricoh’s B2 sheetfed inkjet press and who are willing to sign non disclosure agreements to do so – even if they cannot yet stand in front of the machine.
The press was finally announced at the end of last year with taster videos released on YouTube, more to whet the appetite than than to convey detailed technical information about the press. A CGI dragon has featured prominently.
It is a machine that was widely expected to make an appearance at Drupa last year even though Ricoh knew it would not be ready at that point. Its existence had been rumoured since the end of Drupa 2016 when it was clear that inkjet and that B2 digital printing were to have a strong future.
Now by lifting a corner of the dust sheet of detail that covers the press, Ricoh has managed to both reveal and conceal information. More information is anticipated in May, 12 months after Drupa ought to have taken place. But printers that have not signed up to the secret reveal, should not expect much more than they already know.
That amounts to a name: the Pro Z75, presumably because it prints on a 750mm B2 format sheet (even this detail has not been released). The format ought to accommodate six US-letter-sized pages. If not Ricoh will have made a mistake, as Fujifilm did when first introducing the Jetpress printing just four pages to view.
The teaser campaign includes comments from a number of potential early adopters, loyal Ricoh customers, were able to see an early prelaunch version of the machine more than a year ago in Japan and importantly to hear Ricoh executives discuss market positioning, costs, performance and target applications. The feedback gathered will have been included in the machine that is now due to reach the market this year.
The new machine will include technology and lessons learned from the continuous feed presses. especially the flagship Pro VC70000. This has a 1200dpi imaging resolution, a starting point for any quality printing on paper. It uses an aqueous ink and because of the characteristics of this ink can print on all manner of papers without priming. And it has temperature control for the heads to ensure consistent quality. This is almost essential for a press aimed at commercial printers: the key advantage of sheetfed over continuous feed is the flexibility to print on a wider range of papers, switching swiftly between one surface finish and another, one thickness and a different calliper. Managing levels of a priming coat can add unwanted complexity.
The images released suggest a central drum, known from other B2 digital presses. HP Indigos have a central drum to hold the paper during printing. Likewise the Komori iS29/Konica Minolta KM1 have this configuration. The drum is designed to allow even drying, perhaps like that on the Pro VC70000.
The machine will have “market leading speed, offering the reliability and excellent up times that commercial printers which is key to getting outstanding productivity,” says Eef de Ridder, vice president, commercial and industrial printing at Ricoh Europe. “We made it clear some time ago that we would not bring a B2 sheetfed product until it is right. Well that time is almost here now. Our design engineers have synthesised an extraordinary platform: it combines high ink coverage with the lower cost of inkjet and efficient B2 duplex capability more than previously thought possible.”
This is described as an end to end Ricoh design, unlike Konica Minolta which has married its inkjet expertise with Komori’s paper handling prowess and Fujifilm which has worked with RMGT on the paper transport for the Jetpress rather than reinvent proven handling systems.
Given Ricoh’s existing naming conventions for its production print machines, the Pro Z75 is likely to be renamed for launch. Less certain is whether this machine will be made available to Heidelberg or whether the Germany company would want to add it to Ricoh’s toner machines it already distributes under the Versafire badge. Heidelberg has discontinued the Primefire B1 machine but has retained inkjet knowledge and has not ruled out a return to inkjet printing. If as Ricoh believes this is the ideal machine for commercial printers, Heidelberg remains in pole position with access to printers in this market.
Ricoh has also made it clear that, in Europe at least, this will not be a distributor handled product, but one that Ricoh handles directly. Like printers, distributors must wait their turn.
