“Today’s sign market is typified by intense competition due to the spread of wide-format inkjet printers and the increasing demand for quick delivery of high quantities with low operating costs. The new EJ-640 addresses these issues by delivering excellent productivity and quality with low ink costs,” says Yuko Maeda, division president of digital printing and market development for Roland DG.

These comments come at a time when the wide-format print landscape is undergoing rapid change due to the growth in uptake of latex- and UV-based inkjet solutions and the maturing of the overall market sector for solvent technologies.

The new system is top of its class, topping out at 102sq m/h and offering either a four or seven-colour ink set. It achieves its performance using dual staggered print heads and hits this top speed when using a mirrored CMYK ink set up.

The new EJ inks are solely designed for use with this new platform and are its strongest asset, as Roland DG claims they can offer users up to 35 percent ink cost savings on long runs. This and their extended colour-gamut is something of a coup for the Japanese manufacturer, as many industry pundits have long predicted that the new battle front in the wide-format market will focus on ink technology itself, rather than the overall printer package.

Another key development that is featured on the EJ-640 is described as a ‘tri-heater’, which reportedly ‘allows for immediate take up and storage if required’. Whether this technology has solved the need for outgassing all together has not been specified. It is however obviously targeted at reducing the advantage that latex-based technologies have in this area.

Maeda also weighed in on how the rapid print production speeds will affect quality when used flat out: “While the EJ-640 is built for exceptional productivity, the other aspects for which Roland DG is renowned, such as image quality [1,440dpi] and reliability, are maintained without compromise.”

With a particular focus on high-volume businesses, the specifically designed high strength media shaft also holds heavy media rolls securely, while a newly developed ‘feed adjuster’ has been designed to, ‘ensure the smooth progression of media through the printer and onto the take-up system’.

A final bell and whistle to be integrated into the EJ-640 is that it can be monitored and maintained remotely using Roland OnSupport. This also has the capability to send an email to a smart phone, tablet or computer to notify the machine operator when a job is finished or ink is running low. 

Maeda concludes: “Since 1988, Roland DG has supported the growth of the sign industry by employing new digital technologies and providing products that truly make a difference. With the EJ-640, we continue to provide the best solutions to support print business worldwide.”

This bold statement of confidence will come as a welcome boost to Roland DG’s dealer network around the world as they continue to fight on the front line of an ever more competitive market.


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