From drop-on-demand to solid ink for 3D printing, Ricoh celebrates more than 30 years of inkjet leadership and innovation

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- (SGIA EXPO, Booth 1351) -- Ricoh USA, Inc. is celebrating more than 30 years at the forefront of the inkjet industry, a market it continues to revolutionize and redefine. Its commitment to pushing inkjet boldly forward with new applications and offerings is illustrated by many industry-shaping launches including "solid ink" technology, the first-ever Grand Format Billboard printer powered by Ricoh's inkjet technology, and the first drop on demand inkjet solution for high-volume document production. Ricoh will be celebrating these milestone accomplishments – along with displaying many of the newest inkjet solutions that continue to help customers broaden revenue streams – at SGIA EXPO, October 10-12, in New Orleans. Attendees are invited to take a look at Ricoh, Booth 1351.
Ricoh's inkjet innovations span an impressive gamut: drop-on-demand piezoelectric printheads used by many vendors around the world due to their speed and efficiency; developments in 3D printing; and leveraging inkjet for new and exciting ways to print on substrates such as metal, wood and other décor. Ricoh's development of inkjet technology, with the introduction in 1995 of the first Grand Format Billboard printer, enabled developers to replace a "spray gun" approach which delivered print quality improvements four times over (300 dpi compared to 72 dpi). Further advancing inkjet technology are the high temperature operating characteristics of Ricoh "solid ink" technology which enable emerging 3D printing applications, leading to the production of pioneering medical devices such as prosthetics, hearing aids and dental appliances.  
When Ricoh's InfoPrint 5000 debuted in 2007, it was the first inkjet platform to simplify the full color inkjet process due to the speed and efficiency of digital technology. The InfoPrint 5000 proved not only that inkjet was viable, but that its potential was enormous. From there, Ricoh set out to help develop that potential and has done so with its continued development of award-winning continuous feed platforms including the RICOH Pro VC60000 and the new RICOH Pro VC40000.
Crucial to those efforts is Ricoh's patented drop-on-demand, variable-drop printhead technology. This technology provides extremely granular control over how ink is applied to – and how it presents on – media. That level of flexibility in turn grants these printheads impressive range, in terms of speed, volume, image quality, substrate type and even the substance being jetted, allowing for accurate 3D printing. For those reasons, Ricoh's printhead technology is widely licensed for use in solutions both customized and mass-produced around the world. They are also integral to Ricoh's work in the industrial print space, which is the focus of Ricoh's SGIA EXPO booth.
Visitors to booth 1351 can learn more about how the brand-new RICOH Pro T7210 platform is continuing to push the envelope for inkjet. Ideal for the decor market, it features high ink adhesion for diverse substrate applications including acrylic, glass, wood, aluminum, steel and more.
"It was not all that long ago that inkjet seemed nearly impossible to get right in a meaningful, cost-effective way," said John Fulena, Vice President, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc. "The science behind inkjet, which involves jetting billions of drops of ink, in a short period of time, onto fast-moving substrates, is absolutely incredible. Often, the substrate is moving so fast, the movement of the droplets even has to account for the flow of air over the media to land exactly where you want it to. The inkjet innovation is truly amazing when you think about it. That's what we are always trying to do: make the impossible possible for our customers. We are proud of what we've accomplished in these thirty years, and we're excited to share what we have in store for the next decade."
For details on Ricoh's full line of products, services and solutions for the production print market, please visit www.ricoh-usa.com and follow @RicohProPrint on Twitter, Ricoh USA Production Print on LinkedIn and Ricoh USA Production Print on Facebook.
To learn more about Ricoh's work in the industrial printing market, visit Ricoh at booth 1351 at SGIA Expo, October 10-12, in New Orleans or follow the conversation on Twitter at #LookatRicoh.