Ricoh has launched another digital printing line, the Pro C9100 series for the graphic arts sector, designed as a durable high volume range of presses.
The range is suited for larger commercial printers seeking to start up or expand their hybrid digital and offset workflow and can easily integrate into existing operations. The new additions are productive from the first page out and deliver high volume, personalised print runs, with fast turnaround times.
With these new models, the company can offer a more affordable digital colour production printer with high productivity, greater media handling capabilities and high print quality. These features help to break down the cost barriers of entry for clients looking to enter the digital colour production space at these high speeds.
With speeds up to 130 ppm, a maximum monthly volume of up to one million A4 sheets and a duty cycle of 1.75 million A4 sheets, the Pro C9100 series fills a void for customers who have demands for such turnaround performance.
At the same time, for those who don’t have the high monthly volumes needed to justify the cost of competing printers, the affordability of the Pro C9100 series means that these printers are no longer penalised for not meeting monthly print volumes. The digital print market is expanding rapidly and without a lower cost of entry for clients, they may be unable to compete with other providers who have larger budgets.
Stephen Palmer, head of production print, said, ‘While technology led-change is driving a new future for the graphic arts market, the necessity to enhance client value and increase client satisfaction remains at the fore of every business. Alongside that, the need to drive profits is essential to ensure a stable business that can continue to support its clients into the future. We are really excited to launch the Ricoh Pro 9100 series of digital production powerhouses to help our clients achieve these goals. They can invest in confidence in Ricoh’s services and software, and our technology, which was the number one choice for colour, digital cut sheet presses in Western Europe for 2013. The Pro C9100 series gives clients options they have not had at this price point in the past, bringing positive disruption to a previously static market.’
The Pro C9100 series has the capability to print onto uncoated, textured and coated media from 52 gsm to 400 gsm, duplex banner sheet printing up to 700 mm and even speciality media such as super-gloss, magnet, metallic, transparent or synthetic. The press can allow printers to include light packaging, direct mail, books, promotional materials, brochures and business cards, into the services they offer.
The systems include Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology providing image quality up to 1200 x 4800 dpi. Productivity levels are high with print speeds up to 110 ppm for the Pro C9100 and 130 ppm for the Pro C9110. All speeds are maintained, regardless of paper weight, and productivity is further increased for A3 due to minimal processing adjustments, enabling 75 ppm for A3 or 150 ppm A4 equivalent. Daily use is also optimised with the sturdy and durable design of the presses and the Operator Replaceable Units (ORUs) that enable trained users to increase uptime and performance. The expansion of Ricoh’s media library allows users to adjust and associate different parameters per substrate to ensure image quality and reliability, including different ICC profiles for front and back of a sheet. The Pro C9100 series is available with either the EFi E-43 or the faster and more powerful E-83 print server.
