The Ryobi 750 series offset presses now have the ability to integrate Kodak Prosper S5 Imprinting Systems into the sheet fed press system.
The announcement follows the results achieved by Komatsu General Printing, which recently installed a Ryobi 750 press with Prosper S5 Imprinting System, as well as customer demand to Ryobi distributors. Michael L. Marsh, Kodak’s general manager of inkjet printing solutions and vice president, says, “Ryobi is a key partner for Kodak. Ryobi engineers have created a unique solution—a one-step, dynamic hybrid sheet fed press that integrates Kodak Prosper press inkjet technology with the precision sheet control of a Ryobi press. Through this partnership, sheet fed printers can enjoy the success and benefits of one-step hybrid printing that web printers have enjoyed with Kodak inkjet products for quite some time.”
The companies say the hybrid will enable customers to print high-quality sheet fed jobs that include variable or versioned information in a single step adding that the process provides valuable benefits to printers, such as eliminating both the use of laser printers to add variable information and the one to two days of job set time prior to laser printing.
Hideki Domoto, corporate officer, and divisional general manager, graphic systems division, Ryobi, says, “Kodak provides specific capabilities in the sheet fed hybrid market, offering our customers new and expanded capabilities. This hybrid press marks another important milestone in the history of two innovative companies.”
The new hybrid press provides a single step of offset printing, inkjet printing, and an optional inline varnish station. The companies claim the varnish option is valuable to direct mail printers because it enables a true print and ship capability, which leads to faster time to mail, invoicing and payment. They also believe that direct mailers will benefit from new opportunities made possible by the Ryobi 750 series’ ability to run B2 size sheets, which today cannot be post-printed with laser systems.
The Ryobi 750 series prints up to 10,000 sheets per hour. Operators can select one of the following inkjet printing options on the Ryobi 750 series press: two heads with one drier; four heads with driers; and four heads with driers and an inline UV varnish station.
The companies outline benefits of inkjet printing inline as: faster job turnaround time; lower costs and higher productivity for imprinting applications when compared to sheet fed laser printing; eliminating drying time and enabling imprinting on the sheets as they pass through the offset press.
During drupa Heidelberg, manroland and Komori have all announced inkjet integration in to their presses, with inkjet heads on the end of the printing units.
The Kodak Prosper S-Series Imprinting Systems include the S5, S5 with CMYK, S10, S10 CMYK, S20, and S30. Kodak claims that each solution produces laser-like quality for imprinting at a range of speeds and resolutions, bringing high-quality personalization to offset print jobs. It adds that, with the PROSPER S-Series Imprinting Systems, print providers can leverage their capital investments in offset presses and bridge the gap to digital in a one-step, inline process.
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