​The release of the new ASAP system will allow RMGT customers to enjoy an entirely new level of automation and autonomous press operation in the 8 UP+ press format.

Automated Smart Assist Printing increases press operating rates for continuous printing of short-run work
​
Smart Insta.Color technology has proven itself with fast makeready times for many years, and the release of the new ASAP system will allow RMGT customers 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 by the ASAP system without even pulling a sheet.

​Fill out the form to receive more information on the RMGT 970 offset press!

Chicago-area Commercial/Trade Printer Installs RMGT 970 Series
8-UP+ Press as “Publication Workhorse” Machine.

​SOLON, OH – April 20, 2023 – Graphco, distributor of the leading 8-UP sheetfed press in the Midwest and Southeast, has delivered another fully automated RMGT offset press to Hagg Press in Elgin, Illinois.  This time an RMGT 970ST+LED installation continues the Graphco/Hagg Press relationship which began in 2018, when a new 40-inch RMGT 10 Series press was purchased as the first step in modernizing the firm’s print platform. 
 
“We knew we needed to change out our old presses, we just weren’t sure what brand was the best for our business,” states Jordan Hagg, President of Hagg Press. The first RMGT 10 Series press picked up the volume formerly produced by one 28” and two 40” presses from Komori and Manroland. Hagg’s print volume grew significantly during the first few years after the new press came online.  “Half of our RMGT years took place during the pandemic, but growth has basically been thrust on us by our existing customers and several new major accounts that came our way.  I think our print quality, fair pricing, and the fact we rarely miss a deadline makes Hagg Press an attractive source,” Hagg comments. “We’re glad we picked the RMGT press from Graphco.”
 
To add needed capacity, Hagg’s management team decided to continue its successful relationship with Graphco & RMGT through the purchase of the RMGT 970 press.  The new unit was installed at Hagg Press shortly after the 970 was exhibited at the PRINTING United Expo 2022 in Las Vegas. 

“As our business grew, we needed to make a choice.  Option #1 was to pair up and buy another 10 Series press, which was attractive since we could easily share work over both platforms,” says Taylor Hagg, VP of Operations.  “But Derek Gordon from Graphco kept pushing the advantages of the new RMGT 970’s 8-UP+ platform, and the ease of use that press offered. So we took a closer look at bringing our publication and direct mail jobs onto a super-efficient press that was ideally suited to that book of business.  The math was very simple. Moving that work over freed up lots of hours on the 10 Series to run future packaging jobs, so we decided to buy the new press. The first time any of us saw the 970 was in Vegas. It basically blew us away.”
 
“In my mind, it’s the most efficient offset press out there,” said Jordan Hagg. Hagg Press is a second-generation, family operated, full-service print firm. “The new RMGT 970 has a 25” X 38” sheet size which is ideal for our CMYK publication and direct mail work. We’re printing 16-page signatures for 8.5” X 11” publications, and lots of 5.5” x 8.5” postcards that run 32-up on the new press.” Hagg points out that it makes much more sense economically to produce static offset print and add the variable content using high-speed inkjet addressing equipment, “as opposed to paying top-dollar for digital [press] clicks just to put an address on a postcard.”
 
“Hagg Press personifies doing more with less,” notes Chris Manley, President, Graphco. “Over the past four years, they’ve replaced three older 40” presses and one 28” with these two RMGT presses – and one of those vintage models was an SP super-perfector so that’s a heck of a lot of work to shift over to two presses.

​The compact press format of the new 970 translates to substantial operational savings while maintaining the advantages of a full-sized press for the cost-conscience Printer.  Because of this key advantage, Hagg Press saves money on consumables, such as ink, chemistry, blankets, and plates, while still producing the 25 X 38” size sheet. “We are using way fewer sheets for makereadies, which are super-fast,” Hagg reports. “In addition, aluminum plates are 24% smaller, which adds up fast with all the jobs we’ve put through the new press.”
 
The new RMGT 8-UP+ press features advanced LED curing lamps, manufactured by Benford UV, that instantly cures printed sheets. While productivity is a top priority within the plant, sustainability runs a close second. “There are no VOC gases with LED cured inks, and energy costs are much lower than our old presses, which the Hagg brothers love,” says Manley.
 
LED curing changes liquid ink into a solid using narrow spectrum ultraviolet energy. (When the energy is absorbed, a polymerization reaction occurs that changes the photo-initiator material into a solid.) This process happens instantaneously, making it an appealing alternative to traditional drying methods because it speeds up the production workflow. “We run more efficiently because product no longer needs to set overnight to dry,” explains Hagg. “We save space and can pick and choose which jobs to move into post press based on what makes the most sense.” Eliminating spray powder means higher running speeds in finishing, less clean-up required and a very clean workplace.
 
In addition to publications, Hagg is using the RMGT 970 press to print some wide-format work. “We recently produced a ‘rush’ job of 500 posters that measured 18x24 inches,” recounts Jordan Hagg. “The customer needed them printed, trimmed, -and shipped in two hours. Quick-turn work like that is highly profitable because we can charge a premium for it.”
 
About RMGT North America
RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of four authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States and Canada. Covering the Northeast US is G.E. Richards, Midwest and Southeast US is serviced by Graphco, the Western US is serviced by Print & Finishing Solutions and covering Canada along with the RMGT 10 Series distribution in the US for legacy Mitsubishi customers is RM Machinery. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheetfed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about RMGT North America at www.ryobimhi.com
​

  ​
Keystone Folding Box Celebrates First Year with RMGT 970 Press 
25” X 38” sheet format and LED-UV curing prove to be the ideal paperboard packaging print solution for Keystone’s high quality pharma folding carton products. 

“With a maximum speed of 16,000 an hour, we're really seeing the results that are coming through on this press” says Wade Hartman, President of Keystone Folding Boxes, Inc. The recent addition of the RMGT 970 press to this New Jersey-based folding carton company has supported its continuation of business growth. A small boutique printery, Keystone Folding Boxes needed a printer with more capacity for printing while fitting within the company’s limited space. The RMGT 970 is able to fit a small section of shop while being gaining 100% of the performance of a larger printer just by having a little bit smaller screen size format. 

“The LED curing is super fast, the jobs are coming out reliable, the print quality is just what we expect. We already have two Mitsubishis and this fits right in with that, but it's saving us power on the LED curing and we're getting excellent performance with it.”
-Wade Hartman
​
Since the start of operating the RMGT 970 press in January, Keystone reported that they have been increasingly routing more and more jobs to it thanks to the efficient results of this printer.

RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed press in North America, has installed a RMGT 970 offset printing press at Keystone Folding Box Co. Based in Newark, NJ, Keystone designs and manufactures folding cartons, capsules, blister cards and other packaging for customers in the healthcare field. The privately held company, which owns two other Mitsubishi/RMGT presses, is celebrating its 115th business anniversary this year.

“Much of the clinical trial and medical device work we do is quick turn,” explains Wade Hartman, President, Keystone Folding Box Co. “The new RMGT 970 runs fast at speeds exceeding 15,000 sheets per hour.” After 12 full months of operating the 25” X 38” size machine, Hartman reports that he could not be more pleased with its quality, speed and overall performance for the pharmaceutical packaging materials in which his firm specializes. “We keep sending more and more jobs to the 970,” Hartman reports.

Keystone intentionally chose the RMGT 970 press for its compact footprint which is ideally suited for its 50,000+-square-foot facility in New Jersey. “We have some floor space constraints,” admits Hartman, “but we were able to get this press into a tight space while still getting the excellent print quality we expect along with fast job turnaround times. Being able to print up to 24-point board on a 25 x 38-inch sheet, the RMGT 970 has 100% of the performance of a larger press.” 

 Exceptional cost performance increases profitability
Adding capacity has been another benefit of Keystone running the 970 model, adds Lloyd Molloy, director of customer service at equipment distributor RM Machinery (RMM). “The LED-UV curing technology has opened up their finishing and die cutting departments,” Molloy says, “facilitating overall growth for the firm in 2022.”
 
Light-emitting diode, ultraviolet curing units at the perfecting and delivery sections allows for instant drying at maximum press speed -- eliminating the need to wait before proceeding to postpress processes and satisfying the demand for shorter lead times. Keystone recently added a Bobst Expertcut 106 PER to their state-of-the-art die cutting operations. “The LED-UV provides instant curing off the press,” observes Hartman, “and, it is saving us money since it uses less power.”
 
Compared to 40-inch format presses, the 970 model has substantially lower plate costs and markedly lower power consumption. Research conducted by RMGT reveals that plate costs are reduced about 20%, power consumption by about 34% and installation space by about 30%.
 
Introduced in mid-2020, the RMGT 970 model lineup includes straight printing presses and convertible perfectors ranging from two to 10 colors. Coating units can also be installed. Large-capacity feeder and delivery piles as well as the newly designed larger cylinder diameters enhance printing capability on heavy stock.

Please contact me:

RMGT ELITE User Group Meeting
This year’s RMGT ELITE LED User Group meeting will focus on Sustainability of LED Print, and will be held in the RMGT booth, N801. The program starts at 9:00 am on Thursday, October 20. Gary Jones, Director, Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance will kick off the program with an update on how governmental regulations regarding sustainability will impact printers in the US. The keynote session will provide 
attendees with an opportunity to hear directly from ELITE RMGT LED users as they share their experience with all aspects of LED print production. RMGT was the first offset press manufacturer to develop and introduce LED-UV curing technology to the offset press market starting at Drupa 2008. 2022 marks the 14-year anniversary of this revolutionary change in Print Technology. To learn more and register for the ELITE RMGT User Group Meeting please visit: https://www.ryobimhi.com/elite-users-group-2022

Andy Paparozzi - State of the Industry Presentation
On Wednesday, October 19, at 1:00 pm, Andy Paparozzi, PRINTING United Alliance Chief Economist, will recap the State of the Industry during his presentation. Shining the spotlight on real world example, Andy will lead a panel discussion with printing companies who have grown profitably despite the challenges facing our industry. Featured in the panel discussion will be Rudy DeSousa, VP Sales at Pioneer Press, a major commercial printer in Denver, CO who recently acquired an LED equipped RMGT 920PF-8+CC eight color perfector with in-line coating. Attendees will learn what to do right now to build revenue, control costs, and get on the leading edge of the market redistribution that is currently underway.

PRINTING United will be the largest gathering for printers in North America in 2022 and will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Oct. 19-21, 2022. With the new 8-up+ RMGT 970 press running live demonstrations every hour on the half hour of the show, RMGT will highlight the new reality of how the gap of short run print jobs has shifted from digital back to offset. Additionally, the new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 joins the successful 9 Series family of offset presses from RMGT that are the North American 8-up market leader in bridging the gap between a half size press and 40-inch press.

PLACENTIA, CA | September 7, 2022 
RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America, announces that they will be running live print jobs at the PRINTING United Expo 2022. RMGT has been running live press runs at major trade shows since 2015. As a featured stop on the “Commit to Print” World Tour, RMGT will launch their new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 offset press at PRINTING United, the largest gathering for printers in North America held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Oct. 19-21.

With the press running live demonstrations every hour of the show, RMGT will highlight the new reality of how the gap of short run print jobs has shifted from digital back to offset. Additionally, the new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 joins the successful 9 Series family of offset presses from RMGT that are the North American 8-up market leader in bridging the gap between a half size press and 40-inch press.

“We are excited to include the PRINTING United event in Las Vegas as part of the RMGT Commit to Print World Tour,” states Chris Manley, President of Graphco, Midwest and Southeast Distributor for RMGT. “RMGT’s commitment to live press demonstrations during large industry events continues in 2022 with the North American launch of our new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 offset press. Our ability to install a four-color, 8-up press for a three-day show is testimony to one of the additional benefits of the RMGT 9 Series press: the smallest footprint of an eight-page sheetfed offset press in the industry.”

“We are seeing a surge in interest of commercial printers who need to upgrade their aging sheetfed offset press operations,” states Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, Western US Distributor for RMGT. “Visitors will see the new RMGT 970 press which features the latest in offset press technology with instant LED-UV curing and greatly reduced makeready. Over 80% of RMGT 9 Series presses running in North America are manned with a single pressman.”

“Different stops on the Commit to Print World Tour featured plants that have recently installed the RMGT 10 Series press,” states Lloyd Molloy, Director of Customer Service, RM Machinery, RMGT distributor for Canada and USA and authorized sales and service for new RMGT 10 Series and legacy Mitsubishi presses in North America. “RMGT is satisfying a pent-up demand for new presses combined with state-of-the-art technology to assist packaging printers. By the time we get together at PRINTING United, in 2022 we will have sold and installed seven new RMGT 10 Series presses along with three of the RMGT 970 with the “Mitsubishi DNA” at packaging plants and commercial printers doing light packaging printing in the USA. It appears that the RMGT 970 and RMGT 1060 presses are the right presses, at the right price, at the right time.”

About RMGT North America
RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of four authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States and Canada. Covering the Northeast US is G.E. Richards, Midwest and Southeast US is serviced by Graphco, the Western US is serviced by Print & Finishing Solutions and covering Canada along with the RMGT 10 Series distribution in the US for legacy Mitsubishi customers is RM Machinery. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about RMGT North America at www.ryobimhi.com

​LANDISVILLE, PA – July 28, 2022 |

RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America, announces the installation of the 4-color RMGT 9 Series offset press with LED-UV curing technology at DavCo Advertising. This multi-generation, family-owned business was founded in 1974 by David Esh, then a veteran salesman of promotional products who had a side interest in printing. DavCo Advertising has expanded the legacy of promotional products to include apparel and a commercial print and mailing fulfilment operation that occupies a 60,000 square feet production facility in Kinzers, PA.
​
“We were very fortunate to see our business grow during the most recent pandemic,” states Don Esh, Vice President, DavCo Advertising. “As some of our national clients increased their print volumes, we needed to add another 8-up press to keep up with demand. We found a trend building for high end work on uncoated stocks. So it became apparent to us that we needed to move to the more efficient LED-UV curing. Since we could get 8-up production without having to invest in a 40-inch press, the RMGT 9 Series press with LED-UV curing was a perfect solution for us.”

Adding LED-UV curing to this RMGT 9 Series press has allowed DavCo to gain efficiencies that contribute to their bottom line. Since UV inks cure instantly by LED lamps in the press, not only do they find a savings in electricity, but jobs can move immediately into finishing. Once the printed sheet moves into post-press, the absence of powder in the pressroom has additional benefits.

“LED-UV curing allows us to eliminate the use of powder in the pressroom,” states Esh. “We find that our finishing equipment runs much more efficiently. In addition, we often print shells using our RMGT 9 Series press and then run the cut sheets through our digital press production for variable data printing or addressing for mailing. Without powder buildup on the rollers, these digital presses run much more effectively.”

“We have had Ryobi presses for over 30 years,” observes Merle Esh, VP Sales and Marketing, DavCo Advertising. “When we expanded our commercial print operations in 2014 and then again this year, it was only logical for us to continue with RMGT and with G.E. Richards, who have provided stellar sales and service support over these many decades.”

“We were especially pleased to have DavCo host a stop on the RMGT 2022 “Commit to Print World Tour”, states Jeff Wagner, President, G.E. Richards, Eastern US Distributor for RMGT. “Beyond the fact that this is the second RMGT 9 Series press purchased in the last seven years by DavCo, our organizations share a kinship of being family owned and operated businesses in central Pennsylvania. Our mutual success is something we are very proud of.”​

​May 25, 2022 | 
​Pioneer Press, a leading commercial printer in the greater Denver, CO market will be installing an eight-color RMGT 9 Series perfecting press with LED-UV curing, this summer. Based in Greeley, CO, Pioneer Press has been in business for over 45 years, with the current ownership in place since 1999. The installation of the eight-color RMGT perfecting press will upgrade their capabilities, producing an increase in production efficiency of 300%. This will be the first LED-UV press of this size in the state of Colorado.
 
“After my father and I purchased the company in 1999, I started by working directly with and for production so I could learn all the processes we were asking our employees to perform,” states Cris SoRelle, President, Pioneer Press. “As my role in the company evolved this allowed me to realize that technological advances can significantly impact production capabilities. One of the skills I brought to the company was my understanding of analytics. I upgraded our estimating system so that we had a better understanding of our true costs. The knowledge gained from the new system allowed us to be more competitive, and we tripled our business. We have been fortunate to have a business that is very stable even during difficult economic times and we have been able to grow through these times.”
 
​Pioneer Press has been able to leverage technology to create efficiencies for its customers. “We won’t always be the first company over the wall, but we sure won’t be far behind!” states Bob Shoemate, Vice President of Operations. “As soon as a technology proves itself, we are right there, from automating pre-press, online storefronts that implement web-to-print, and even our digital printing capabilities. When it came time to buy a new press, we went with the most current and proven technology that offers the greatest rewards to both, our production team and our customers and that was clearly, the RMGT 9 Series.”

​“One of the things we analyzed in making this investment was how could we support the market in a broader manner and create a more diverse base,” states SoRelle. “What do we need this press to do to allow us to work with a broader spectrum of clients? Is it instant drying with LED-UV inks? Is it in the ability to print full-color on both sides in a single pass? Is it printing on several different materials such as plastics, boards, thin stocks, and labels? The eight-color RMGT 9 Series perfecting press with LED-UV curing capabilities addresses all these needs.”
 
“Our current clientele prints on a lot of synthetic substrates,” states Rudy Desousa, Vice President of Sales, Pioneer Press. “These sheets can take a few days to dry, and they take up a lot of room while drying. With the RMGT, the vinyl sheets are dry immediately off press. We can trim them and get them out the door, giving our customers faster turn times.”
 
“When you live in a state as beautiful as Colorado, how our processes impact the environment is always a consideration.” continues SoRelle. “We recycle a large percentage of our waste, but when we learned how LED-UV reduces our carbon footprint by using 81% less energy, that certainly got our attention. It makes sense, we all know how efficient LED light bulbs are compared to incandescent, and how long they last!” agrees Desousa. RMGT uses an LED UV system that is instant on/instant off, unlike traditional ARC curing lamps that stay on all day. It also cures at a very low temperature using minimal energy, and the ink it uses are 0% VOC (volatile organic compounds). The active color management system allows Pioneer to use far less paper to get the press, up to color” and the size chosen uses roughly 30% less raw material for plates and paper than the larger presses. “All of these things are good for our environment and our customers!” concludes SoRelle.

“Once we loaded the RMGT specs into our estimating system it was exciting to see how many jobs that we currently run on our digital presses will now default to the RMGT as the best choice,” observes Shoemate. “The RMGT is not only going to allow us to alleviate some the workload off of our digital team, it will also give our customers the highest quality print at quantities that are cost-prohibitive with traditional presses. This allows our customers to have more freedom when designing projects.”
 
“Pioneer Press has flourished during the global slowdown due to their philosophy of “Putting Personality Back in Printing,” states Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, Western US Distributor for RMGT. “From our initial meeting with Cris and his team you can tell that this resonates within their company, in their client relationships, as well as working with them as a vendor. People buy from people. It was obvious from the onset that Pioneer Press has a way of building deep relationships that are ongoing, in addition to being a high-quality printer. There is no limit to how far their success can go. We are thrilled to partner with them in their strategic planning and celebrate their commitment to print.”​

​PLACENTIA, CA – March 9, 2022 – Primary Color LLC, a leading print provider in the horticultural market and for consumer product groups in the wine and spirits market, has recently installed a five-color RMGT 9 Series press with UV curing. Based in Dallas, TX, Primary Color LLC, merged with the Garden Marketing Group in 2014. Garden Marketing Group is an innovating producer of plant tags and horticultural manufacturing products. Since 2014, it has continued to expand the tag and label printing to include light packaging, wide and grand format printing for point of purchase displays.
 
“The horticultural tag and label market exploded for us during the COVID pandemic,” states Josh Hoffmann, President, Primary Color LLC. “All through 2020 and 2021, everyone was at home working on their yards. Our horticultural customers were shipping more plants into their distribution channels, increasing the demand for more tags. Another industry that we saw growing rapidly was packaging, and we continue to do a steady increase of folded cartons.”
 
“We print the plant tags on a polypropylene substrate,” continues Hoffmann. “Years before the supply chain issues began that has affect printers access to paper and other substrates, we began sourcing directly from Europe. Throughout 2020 and 2021 we had zero supply issues. By ordering consignments of material to meet our needs throughout the year, the recent disruption the marketplace is experiencing has not impact our production.”

​The increase in demand for more printing capacity was met with the investment in a five-color RMGT 940 offset press, with UV curing and camera system. The press was installed in the summer of 2021. “Moving from a half-sized press to the RMGT 940 has doubled our capacity,” observes Hoffmann. “We are able to print on a larger sheet which results in greater yields in our production. UV curing technology allows us to move a print job immediately into finishing since the ink is instantly cured.”
 
In addition to increasing the print capacity at Primary Color, their investment in offset printing has taken significant cost out of their business. “We have reduced our makeready by 66%,” states Hoffmann. “Before we upgraded to the RMGT 940, it required 400 to 500 sheets to get up to color and registration. Now we are doing that in about a 100 to 150 sheets. When you are purchasing sheets of material at $1 a sheet and you start reducing that cost by two-thirds, that’s a lot of dollars that go to the bottom line.”