In recent years, the UV printing industry has experienced rapid growth, and UV digital printing has faced new challenges. To meet the increasing demands for machine usage, breakthroughs and innovations are needed in terms of printing precision and speed.
In 2019, Ricoh Printing Company released the Ricoh G6 printhead, which has drawn significant attention from the UV printing industry. The future of industrial UV printing machines is likely to be led by the Ricoh G6 printhead.(Epson has also released new print heads such as i3200, i1600, etc. which we will cover in the future). Rainbow Inkjet has kept pace with market trends and has, since then, applied the Ricoh G6 printhead to its 2513 and 3220 models of UV printing machines.
| MH5420(Gen5) | MH5320(Gen6) | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Piston pusher with metallic diaphragm plate | |
| Print Width | 54.1 mm(2.1") | |
| Number of nozzles | 1,280 (4 × 320 channels), staggered | |
| Nozzle spacing (4 color printing) | 1/150"(0.1693 mm) | |
| Nozzle spacing (Row to row distance) | 0.55 mm | |
| Nozzle spacing (Upper and lower swath distance) | 11.81mm | |
| Compatible ink | UV, Solvent, Aqueous, Others. | |
| Total printhead dimensions | 89(W) × 69(D) × 24.51(H) mm (3.5" × 2.7" × 1.0") excluding cables & connectors | 89(W) × 66.3(D) × 24.51(H) mm (3.5" × 2.6" × 1.0") |
| Weight | 155g | 228g (including 45C cable) |
| Max.number of color inks | 2 colors | 2/4colors |
| Operating temperature range | Up to 60℃ | |
| Temperature control | Integrated heater and thermistor | |
| Jetting frequency | Binary mode : 30kHz Grey-scale mode : 20kHz | 50kHz (3 levels) 40kHz (4 levels) |
| Drop volume | Binary mode: 7pl / Grey-scale mode : 7-35pl *depending on the ink | Binary mode : 5pl / Grey-scale mode : 5-15pl |
| Viscosity range | 10-12 mPa•s | |
| Surface tension | 28-35mN/m | |
| Grey-scale | 4 levels | |
| Total Length | 248 mm (standard) including cables | |
| Ink port | Yes | |
The official parameter tables provided by the manufacturers may seem vague and difficult to distinguish. To give a clearer picture, Rainbow Inkjet conducted on-site printing tests using the same model RB-2513 equipped with both Ricoh G6 and G5 printheads.
| Printer | Print Head | Print Mode | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Pass | single direction | 4 Pass | bi-direction | ||
| Nano 2513-G5 | Gen 5 | printing time in total | 17.5mins | printing time in total | 5.8mins |
| printing time per sqm | 8mins | printing time per sqm | 2.1mins | ||
| speed | 7.5sqm/h | speed | 23sqm/h | ||
| Nano 2513-G6 | Gen 6 | printing time in total | 11.4mins | printing time in total | 3.7mins |
| printing time per sqm | 5.3mins | printing time per sqm | 1.8mins | ||
| speed | 11.5sqm/h | speed | 36sqm/h |
As shown in the table above, the Ricoh G6 printhead prints significantly faster than the G5 printhead per hour, producing more materials in the same amount of time and generating higher profits.
The Ricoh G6 printhead can reach a maximum firing frequency of 50 kHz, meeting high-speed requirements. Compared to the current Ricoh G5 model, it offers a 30% increase in speed, greatly enhancing printing efficiency.
Its minimized 5pl droplet size and improved jetting accuracy enable excellent print quality without graininess, further improving dot placement accuracy. This allows for high-precision printing with minimal graininess. Moreover, during large-droplet spraying, the highest driving frequency of 50 kHz can be used to increase printing speed and production efficiency, leading the industry in print precision up to 5PL, suitable for high-definition printing at 600 dpi. In comparison to G5's 7PL, the printed images will also be more detailed.
For flatbed UV printing machines, the Ricoh G6 industrial printhead is undoubtedly one of the most widely used in the market, surpassing Toshiba printheads. The Ricoh G6 printhead is an upgraded version of its sibling, the Ricoh G5, and comes in three models: Gen6-Ricoh MH5320 (single-head dual-color), Gen6-Ricoh MH5340 (single-head four-color), and Gen6-Ricoh MH5360 (single-head six-color). Its key features include high speed, high precision, and high productivity, particularly in high-precision printing, where it can print 0.1mm text clearly.
If you're looking for a large-format UV printing machine that offers high printing speed and quality, please contact our professionals for free advice and a comprehensive solution.
Post time: Apr-29-2024