The LED-UV based digital press runs at a speed of 3,000sph simplex and 1,500sph duplex and prints at a resolution of 1,200x1,200dpi on a maximum sheet size of 585x750mm, the company said. The maximum printing area is 575x735mm single-sided and 575x730mm when perfecting.
Komori said the press produces litho quality print and differs from rival sheetfed inkjet digital offerings because it can handle any type of substrate in thicknesses of 0.06–0.6mm single-sided and 0.06–0.45mm double-sided.
It also features instant drying, double-sided one-pass printing and the ability to immediately start post-press processes, the company added. It sees the IS29 as a complementary machine to the H-UV equipped Komori offset presses, both sheetfed and web.
The Impremia IS29 came out of collaboration with Konica Minolta, which sells an almost identical machine under the KM-1 badge. Both machines use Konica Minolta printhead modules, controllers and RIPs and a Komori transport system, based on its existing litho sheetfed technology. Komori also assembles both machines.
The Impremia IS29, which has a list price of €1.5m (£1.08m) however has the extra benefit of a station that colour matches between its offset and digital machines. Komori said print quality is comparable to H-UV offset print produced on its Lithrone presses.
The first European Impremia will be installed at Komori International Europe’s recently refurbished Graphics Centre in the Netherlands town of Utrecht, early next year. The company plans an open house in February, with the date still to be confirmed. After this it says the press will be available for individual customer demonstrations and print tests.
Komori International Europe business development manager Denis Radet said there were no current plans for beta test sites, in the UK or elsewhere.
A KM-1 is due to start beta testing in a secret European location in January.
Both machines are due to have their official launch at Drupa in Düsseldorf, Germany from 31 May to 10 June.
Radet said the two manufacturers had not made any sales and marketing agreements, so they will be chasing the same market but through different customer bases.
“Our target is not to fight with the KM-1 because we believe we’re working in a different market. We will sell our products through different channels.”
He said Komori-commissioned InfoTrends research estimates the B2 digital press market in 2016 to be 100 presses in total across Europe, with 15 to 20 units in the UK. Radet would not reveal what market share Komori thinks it can harness but said it believed it had the edge over competitors.
“What we have which is new with the IS29 is UV low energy ink. It works with any kind of paper and this is totally new regarding the competition. They have to work with pre-coated or primed paper. We can print on any kind of uncoated paper and even on plastic and this is totally new in this market.
“The IS29 has a similar print quality to offset. We’ve used our offset history and experience and it is a very strong, very accurate machine and the print quality is amazing.”
The machine’s ability to colour match with litho was also a key advantage with the Komori offering, he said.
Satoshi Mochida, president, representative director and chief operation officer of Komori Corporation said: “We strongly believe in the future of print and in the complementary nature of offset and digital technologies.”
Separately Komori plans to debut the revamped version of the Landa S10 B1 Nanography press, which uses a Komori chassis, on its stand at Drupa. The initial design of the Landa device was shown at Drupa 2012 but the firm went back to the drawing board with its plans.
Although Landa’s plans may differ, Radet said Komori would not show the S10 before Drupa.
