The OEM has launched the Pro L4100 latex series in the country.
IT Online reported on the launch of the wide-format series in South Africa, after it was released in Europe in January 2014. The series includes the Pro L4160 and L4130, which are “roll-to-roll” machines with widths of 1,361mm or 1,610mm, supporting “up to seven colours in various configurations” and printing at around 18 square metres per hour.
The printers were said in the original launch to “deliver high print productivity and quality” due to Ricoh’s utilisation of piezo electric printheads, and also meet “market need for products that reduce environmental impacts [of] printing” through the use of aqueous latex ink and low power consumption.
The inks are suitable for indoor and outdoor applications and can be used on a wide range of different media. Both devices use “only 50 percent of the energy of competitor products”, with the latex ink used aqueous and containing “a low level of volatile organic compounds”, or VOCs. The piezo inkjet heads produce three different droplet sizes at once, as small as four picolitres, and produce “smooth, lifelike” images and “fine details”, according to Ricoh.
The machines also utilise an Uninterrupted Ink Supply System (UISS), which “adds to the productivity” of the printers by “switch[ing] automatically to the second cartridge” for “unattended printing […] in a busy print production environment”, ensuring they “run […] smoothly and productively”.
Jacques van Wyk, COO of Ricoh South Africa, stated: “The new latex device also supports orange, green and white inks in addition to the usual CMYK. This device is aimed at the display and specialist signage market as well as print service providers looking to grow their business lines and develop new revenue streams. It helps them to develop their expertise in production printing and help their customers be ready for the future as they integrate a wider set of services.
“The series has been through our rigorous quality assurance process, and incorporates a great deal of customer feedback, particularly from Europe where the equipment has been available and in use since January. The latex ink will endure between one and two year’s outdoors, and two to three years when laminated.
“The white ink gives the print service provider’s customers brilliant colour on all substrates, including transparent and dark material, for signage, branded materials, and window displays. Orange and green inks extend the vibrancy of the colour range for indoor and outdoor materials and means the printers can reproduce corporate colours accurately.
“When one CMYK ink cartridge runs out of ink, the system switches automatically to the second cartridge of the same colour for uninterrupted printing. It ensures smooth operations and higher productivity with minimal operator intervention in busy print production environments.”