The two-colour MF9350 and single-colour SF9390 are both set for commercial availability in early 2018, with pricing yet to be disclosed, and, at 190spm, Riso is referring to the SF9390 as the fastest duplicator ever, while the MF9350 runs two colour at 150spm. 

Riso UK product manager Mike Murphy said the products follow on from the 2015 launch of the world’s first A2 digital duplicators, along with a lower-end SF model that was introduced around a year ago. 

Murphy said: “These are evolutions of previous models but offer new enhancements. A lot of the things that were previously options, like network cards, are now included, so connectivity is much more standard.

“So we’re offering enhancements, the engines are similar to previous models but they’ve enhanced image processing, so even though the resolution is the same you can get a sharper print and better productivity in terms of speed; the whole makeready process has been sped up as well.” 

The machines work by utilising a master sheet, which is created by sending a file from a connected PC to create an image by means of tiny heat spots on a thermal "plate". The master sheet is then wrapped around a drum and the ink is forced through the holes onto passing sheets at high speed to create each image on the paper.

Compatible with Riso’s new sustainable rice bran-based ink, the machines both print 600dpi resolution but also include enhanced image processing for higher quality. Additional features include a paper memory print function for confidentiality, whereby an encoded image can be printed off on a laser printer, scanned in by Riso and then translated back to the original. 

Both machines feature a new LCD screen display and are complete with memory cards for job storage. 

Murphy added that customers tend to be commercial printers but that political party printers are also a target market for the two-colour machine. 

“It is probably the cheapest and fastest way of producing flyers and leaflets for campaign information, they love the speed of it because they can respond to the competition very quickly,” he said. 

Murphy also issued an update on the cut-sheet T2 digital press, first shown as prototype at Drupa, stating that it should be available commercially in the early part of 2018, although at Hunkeler Innovation Days this year Riso said both the T2 and T1 would be available later in 2017. Its new flagship ComColor GD9630, shown at PrintWeekLive! in March, started shipping earlier this year.