25” x 38” Format and ASAP (Automated Smart Assist Printing) System

Placentia, Calif. – RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America, has announced the launch of the RMGT 970 offset press. The 970 is the newest member to the RMGT 9 Series family of presses that boasts over 80 new installations in North America over the last 6 years. This game changing new press further consolidates RMGT’s strength in the 8-up market sector that was created in 2005 with the introduction of the Ryobi 920 press. The new 8-UP+ (25” x 38”) RMGT 970 was set to debut as part of RMGT’s Assisting Your Potential drupa exhibition along with significant enhancements to the RMGT 10 Series press capabilities. A review of the new features of the RMGT 970 is available as a trailer video and can be viewed at: https://bit.ly/RMGT970

“The entire industry suffered a loss when drupa was cancelled,” states Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales for Print & Finishing Solutions. “RMGT’s planned launch of the new 970 was a key step forward in our continuing leadership of the 8-UP market. The decision to launch now without the drupa push is a welcomed step and we can’t wait to see the RMGT 970 landing stateside. Growing our sheet size to the popular 25” x 38” format and adding RMGT’s new ASAP System will set the 970 apart from other players in this market segment. As we have since 2008, LED-UV curing will continue to play a major role in our customer’s success.”

ASAP (Automated Smart Assist Printing) System
Smart Insta.Color technology has proven itself with fast makeready times for many years, and the release of the ASAP (Automated Smart Assist Printing) system allows pressmen to enjoy an entirely new level of automation and autonomous press operation in the 8-UP press format. With ASAP, the pressman touches one button and the entire printing process—from ink and paper presetting, blanket and impression cleaning, and plate changing through verification of test printing, register adjustment, ink density adjustment, and full sheet inspection are all autonomously processed without even pulling a sheet.

Within the ASAP system, once CCD scanners verify that all print quality control parameters have been met, the RMGT 970 flags the first OK’d sheet and begins the production run at up to 16,000 SPH. ASAP will then assist the RMGT pressman to ensure flawless print quality from start to finish by monitoring every sheet and flagging any non-compliant sheets without stopping production. The result is a much higher press operating rate, lowered makeready time and confirmed print quality control enabling profitable production of continuous short-run printing that requires frequent job changeover. RMGT now offers four different in-press scanning solutions which can be ordered ala carte depending on each customer’s specific needs.

“We recognize that some printers can fully benefit from an affordable print platform that provides five-minute make-readies while running 5 over 5 work,” states Chris Manley, President of Graphco. “Others gain an advantage from sheet to sheet print quality confirmation on long run packaging. There are companies that may benefit most from only one module of our ASAP system and still others will benefit most from an even more affordable press that uses the tried and true Insta.Color system. The great thing about ASAP is how modular and flexible the system is and how seamlessly RMGT integrates ASAP into our press. With the complete ASAP system our customers can now fully automate all the manual steps in the job changeover process that have slowed production in the past. A full ASAP system provides autonomous production overseen by an RMGT pressman. RMGT’s theme of Assisting Your Potential is fully embodied in the new ASAP system.”

New 8-UP+ Sheet Size: 25” x 38”
Since 2005 the RMGT 9 Series press has defined and developed the 8-UP market as a perfect bridge between small and expensive to run digital devices and 40” presses that seldom run a full-sized sheet in commercial applications like direct mail, 16-page signatures, and short-run packaging. The new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 will now produce jobs like 9” x 12” booklets, and many other applications, on the same size sheet that a 40” press would run.

“Printers asked for easier access to the cover weight stocks that many domestic paper merchants inventoried in 25” x 38” sheets, so RMGT addressed the North American market directly with the new 970’s larger size.”states Kian Hemmen. “Many of our customers told us that their 9 Series presses handled at least 80% of their parent sheet sizes at a much lower manufacturing cost, so the new 8-UP+ format will increase that range. Adding 9” x 12” booklets to the mix will be a plus in further bridging the gap between copiers and 40” presses. Our customers found a perfect space in the market with the 9 Series and now the 970’s 8-UP+ size will capture one more parent sheet that comes straight from the paper house.”

Single Pressman Operation with ASAP & Speed Productivity Boost
Over 80% of RMGT 9 Series presses running in North America are manned with a single pressman. Based on the rapid growth and great profitability that these companies have experienced this approach has been successful in over 1,300 shops worldwide. “Many of our customers have found that running their 9 Series with a single pressman has allowed them to run two shifts for just a bit more labor cost than running one shift with a first and second pressman.” states Kian Hemmen. “The RMGT 970 now offers this exceptional cost performance with even higher productivity, flexibility and the ASAP system that raises the single pressman’s throughput by further assisting his operation of the press.”

The ability to staff a highly automated RMGT 8-UP press with a single pressman was important for profitability and flexibility prior to March of 2020, but as the printing industry recovers from the economic results of COVID-19 reducing per shift staffing costs will bring greater viability to pressrooms who take the 9 Series approach to manufacturing. “The new 970 long perfector runs at 15,000 SPH and with the ASAP system one pressman will easily maintain a highly productive workday as the automation assists his potential,” says Kian Hemmen. “Our one and done approach will grow even stronger with the major innovations of the new press.”

Rollout and Order Intake
The RMGT 970 will be unveiled toward the end of August 2020 with an open house event being held at the RMGT demonstration center in Fukuyama Japan. The open house will feature an 8-color RMGT 970 long perfector running an LED-UV cured 9” x 12” signatures and a 5-color RMGT 970 with coater producing high value-add print using LED-UV curing. “Orders have been accepted by the factory since June and the RMGT 970 will be commercially available starting in Q1 of 2021,” states Chris Manley. “We are thrilled with the leadership position RMGT has taken in the 8-UP press market in North America. The new RMGT 970 is the right press at the right time for our industry.”