A Look Back at Graph Expo 16 - In-plant Impressions

By Bob Neubauer

The Océ VarioPrint i300 cut-sheet inkjet press appeared for the first time at Graph Expo this year at the Canon U.S.A. booth. Printing a maximum of 294 8.5x11˝ images per minute (duplex) at resolutions of 600x600 dpi, the VarioPrint i300 was shown with the new ColorGrip technology, an in-line paper conditioning step.

Xerox had its own cut-sheet inkjet press at the show, the Brenva HD, which incorporates technologies from the iGen, Impika, Nuvera, CiPress and FreeFlow families. It’s rated at 182 letter-sized images per minute, with 600x600 dpi quality. Xerox also showed the Rialto 900 inkjet press and the new Direct to Object Inkjet Printer, which was very busy personalizing water bottles for eager visitors.

Scores of in-plant managers turned out for a luncheon held by the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. It featured analyst Dr. Joe Webb delivering a report on the state of the in-plant industry, and Jimmy Vainstein of The World Bank demonstrating omni-channel technology.

Duplo USA showed off its 350R In-line Booklet System running in-line with a Ricoh Pro C7110x digital printer. The system integrates the Duplo DBM-350/T bookletmaker and trimmer with the DSS-350 square spine module.

Neopost’s William Longua prepares to demonstrate the MACH 6 digital color printer, winner of a Must See ’Ems “Best of Category” award. Using Memjet technology and a straight paper path, it accommodates 10x13˝ envelopes, stuffed envelopes, chip board, corrugated cardboard and flat cartons with an integrated heavy-duty feeder.

At the Konica Minolta booth at Graph Expo 2016, The World Bank’s Jimmy Vainstein (right) uses virtual reality goggles to examine the AccurioJet KM-1 inkjet press, which was not physically at Graph Expo.

Despite the deluge of digital technology, offset still had a place at Graph Expo. RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology (RMGT) demonstrated this five-unit RMGT 9 Series LED-UV press for a very interested audience.

At the busy Xanté booth, Arthur Verway demonstrated the Impressia digital multi-media print system with the Enterprise high-speed feeder. The system can produce full-color envelopes on demand with rapid print speeds and enhanced color quality, all at a low cost per print.

At the show, Ricoh unveiled the Ricoh Pro 8220s series, its latest high-speed black-and-white digital print platform offering tight registration and a new High Capacity Interposer, a two-tray system with 1,750-sheet-per-tray capacity for post-fusing insertion of front and back covers or color inserts.

An in-plant panel discussion on conquering in-plant challenges packed the room on the second day of the show. Part of the show’s seminar series, the session was moderated by Elisha Kasinskas of Rochester Software Associates (at podium) and featured (from left) John Cruser of Bloomberg, Gayle Robinson of Tanner Health System, Mike George of Villanova University, and Amy Bellows with Mutual of Omaha Insurance.

Presstek showed off a four-color, two-page 52DI ECO-UV waterless digital offset press with an integrated UV curing system that dries sheets instantly.

Standard Finishing Systems’ exhibit featured the Standard Horizon SmartSlitter, which can slit, gutter cut, edge trim, cross-cut, perforate and crease all in one pass.

0 Comments

View Comments

Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.