Ryobi Enters 40˝ Press Market

HIROSHIMA, JAPAN—Best known for its smaller format sheetfed offset presses, Ryobi Graphic Systems has big plans for its new 1050 series of 40˝ presses, which will debut as a five-color model at Drupa in Düsseldorf, Germany, May 29 to June 11.

The announcement came during a pre-Drupa briefing and plant tour held here February 21, which included 140 customers, distributors and industry journalists from around the world. The new 16,000 sph model, which will be distributed exclusively in the United States by xpedx, will become commercially available 12 months after Drupa.

Although Ryobi will be entering an already crowded field of 40˝ press manufacturers, Koji Ishii, corporate officer and divisional general manager of the Graphic Systems Div., reported that the 1050 series will combine a very attractive price point with high-tech features, such as double-diameter impression cylinders and transfer drums; moveable, shell-type skeleton transfer drums enabling a wide range of paper thicknesses; optional in-line PQS Printing Quality Control System; new PCS-L dual-monitor control system; and semi-automatic plate changers (auto plate changers optional).

Targeted at both commercial and package printers, the new press series will be available in two versions: the S format with a maximum 41.34x27.95˝ print area and the larger XL at 41.34x30.31˝. A perfecting model is slated to be available in 2010.

Along with tours of its automated die casting operations and recently expanded press assembly facilities, Ryobi officials announced other Drupa highlights that will appear under its “Evolving With You” theme in Hall 17. These include a five-color Ryobi 755 equipped with an in-line UV casting and foiling system, which enables hologram effects and foil application from a single unit at speeds to 15,000 sph. Shown as a technology demonstration will be a five-color Ryobi 525GX featuring a new LED UV curing system. Using special LED UV inks developed by Toyo Ink, power consumption is said to be reduced by up to 80 percent in comparison to conventional UV lamps, ozone emissions are eliminated, and the LED lamps last up to 12 times longer.