Komori Debuts Impremia IS29 Press at Open House

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — Incorporating the theme “Navigating the Direct Mail Terrain” to demonstrate the production of an integrated direct mail campaign, Komori America hosted more than 70 commercial printers at its Graphic Technology Center here on Feb. 9-10.

Open house attendees were invited to walk through each step of an integrated marketing campaign — from the digital printing of a variable direct mail piece that invited the recipient to build a personalized Jeep using a link to a landing page, to the production of a full-color brochure designed to showcase the requested features of the new vehicle. The demonstration illustrated printers’ increasing need to marry digital and offset printing, online and mobile technologies within their customers’ multichannel communications.

The fictitious direct mail campaign incorporated full-color output from a continuous-feed Screen TruePress Jet520HD inkjet press; Komori’s brand-new, 23x29˝ Impremia IS29 cut-sheet UV inkjet machine; and an eight-color Komori Lithrone (GL40P) sheetfed offset perfector with H-UV technology.

“It was exciting to show customers how fast and efficient it can be to create variable, versioned inkjet print and high-quality offset work that can generate higher response rates and build brand awareness and customer loyalty for their clients,” said Jacki Hudmon, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Komori America.

The open house event also served as the official U.S. launch of Komori’s Impremia IS29, a cut-sheet UV inkjet press that operates in both perfecting or straight modes, doesn’t require pre-coated paper and runs at speeds of 3,000 sheets/hr. in straight mode (1,500 double-sided).

Designed for stable sheet transport, the IS29 incorporates a fully automatic gripper-to-gripper perfecting changeover mechanism. The triple-size cylinder in the center of the printing unit features inkjet heads above the cylinder and the UV LED drying system set to the rear.

Attendees were especially impressed with the excellent color match between the inkjet output of the B2-format Impremia IS29 and the lithographic output from the 40˝ GL840P.

Also on display in the showroom was a continuous-feed TruePress Jet520HD inkjet press powered by Screen’s Equios digital front end. Komori America is the sole U.S. distributor of the 1,200x1,200 dpi, single-pass, piezo drop-on-demand, full-color press, which debuted at Graph Expo 15.

An eight-color Lithrone G40 perfector (GL40P) press — the third press demonstrated at the open house — was equipped with Komori’s H-UV drying technology. With H-UV, the press delivers bindery-ready sheets with no wait time required, making it well-suited for shorter-run, fast-turnaround jobs.

Afternoon sessions presented each day by Highcon (digital diecutters), Mitsubishi Imaging (inkjet papers) and MBO America (digital finishing solutions) also gave attendees a greater understanding of the overall digital landscape.

“We wanted to show our commitment as a true business partner, continuing to provide our customers a roadmap for increasing profits and meeting future market demands,” noted Hudmon, referring to the open house event. PI