As the commercial market is metamorphising towards short-run jobs, commercial and digital printers are searching for an economical press to serve their demands. Ryobi 760E is the latest member of B2 (500 mm x 707mm) size offset printing presses from Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology (earlier Ryobi Group). The Japanese manufacturer says it has proved its mettle with customers, worldwide.

 

However, the machine is yet to register its first install in India.

 

The Ryobi 760E was earlier part of Ryobi’s portfolio but since the announcement of the joint venture of Ryobi and MHI PPM, the newly formed company Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology, hold the rights of the product. It was announced in Drupa 2012, and the machine became commercially available by the end of the year. Since then, the manufacturer has installed 30 printing presses worldwide.

 

The press uses smart inking systems, which prepare the machine for jobs by pre-setting ink ducts and ink sweeps before it comes on to the press. “This means the job gets up and running with minimal waste – about 50 sheets,” says Vinay Kaushal, director, Provin Technos, the Indian representative of Ryboi MHI Graphic Technology. The semi-automatic plate changing reduces the plate changes to 40 seconds per unit.

 

Kaushal says, “The press is built on the platform of the well-established Ryobi 750 series with an unitised design. The press can be configured from two to six-colour unit as a straight or a perfecting press. Best of the features have been incorporated in this model to make the machine more productive without compromising on the print quality. The machine uses the established double diameter impression and transfer cylinder system with double diameter skeleton transfer drum at delivery to achieve excellent print quality without damages to the print at delivery. Automation features like semi-automatic plate change system, presets for paper and impression cylinder, roller, blanket and impression cylinder cleaning system etc., available on 750 series have been integrated to make the machine productive with a small footprint.”

 

“The rollers are set in seven o’clock position in relation to the blanket cylinder, which means the sheet can be fully printed before it is transferred. In presses where the cylinders are not set in a seven o’clock position, the sheet has to commence its transfer towards the next unit while it’s still being printed, resulting in either dot elongation or a shock mark,” adds Kaushal.

 

Ryobi was represented in India by Bengaluru-based Indo European Machinery till 2013. Recently, after the merger of Mitsubishi and Ryobi, the new company Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology elected Provin Technos as its Indian representative. Provin Technos had already been representing Mitsubishi sheetfed offset printing presses in India.

 

For the machine, Provin is targeting digital-cum-commercial colour printers, who require a short-run B2 machine to print a range of products such as leaflets, flyers and posters. Not every printer has space for a full-size multi-colour B2 printing press. “It could also be utilised by a B3 printer looking at moving up in sheet-size but doesn’t have the floor space. For example, the working length of our 525GX is about 10 metres. With the same working space, we can install the 765E. With this ergonomically designed machine with approximately 27% lesser footprint and 19% lesser power consumption, printers can take advantage of lower operating cost,” adds Kaushal.

 

To achieve this, the manufacturer has shortened the delivery length using a semi-high pile delivery system. It has also mounted the printing control system above the delivery system, so there is no additional freestanding module which takes up space.

 

At its top speed of 13,000sph, the 760E is 2,000sph slower than the 780E and 3,000sph slower than the 750G, which deliver at the rate of 15,000sph and 16,000sph, respectively. Kaushal points out that this is a response to the changing needs. The slower speed and semi-high pile delivery are a reflection of the growth of shorter runs in the market, which means a high running speed is not essential.

 

Suitable for a price sensitive market

Kaushal says, “The Indian market is becoming very price conscious. At the same time, printers are not open to compromise on print quality. Ryobi 760E makes specific sense for the printers who want to do quality job but are stuck with the space and power constraints. In addition, availability of automation features make the machine more productive. Pricewise too, this machine completely suits the Indian market.”

 

Talking about installations of the machine, he says, “India is still a virgin market for the product but the 750 series machine has found good acceptance in the country. We have installed more than 10 printing presses in the country, and the range of presses includes a normal four-colour printing press to six-colour online coating and UV dryer.”

 

Service is the most critical factor determining the decision to buy a press in India. After which is, the price of the printing press, and the brand image and product satisfaction. Smaller footfall and lesser power consumption with the availability of automation features are the USP of this model. Also, Ryobi 760E can be used for paper and paper board of up to 0.6 mm thickness. “Compared with competitors, you can save power up to 18 to 20%,” says Kaushal.

 

“From our point of view, all the printing presses are good in this segment. However, 760E and Komori E29 have been specifically designed for price conscious markets. Customer should make a detailed comparison of features to get the best value for his money. But the 760E stands best among all with printing capability up to 765mmx 580mm; power consump-tion, too, is best in class, and printing speed of 13,000 sheets an hour,” he adds. Smart inking systems incorporated in the machine limits wastage to 50 sheets per job.

 

Kaushal concludes by saying, “From the first day of this year, Provin’s service support system is available for all the presses manufactured by Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology. You can expect the best-in-class service. A dedicated team of engineers and print specialists will definitely help customers across India make the best use of these machines.”