The original partnership was announced in 2011, when Heidelberg took on Ricoh’s Pro C901 device originally under the Linoprint brand.
The current Versafire naming convention was rolled out at Drupa 2016. The presses are now in their third generation and include three models: the Versafire LM (mono), the Versafire LV with fifth colour, and the high-volume Versafire LP.
The Versafires are fully integrated with Heidelberg’s Prinect workflow and digital frontend.
Heidelberg said that it had sold more than 3,500 systems over the past 15 years “and over two billion pages annually underline the high market acceptance and industrial performance of the technology”, with a particular focus on hybrid production to exploit the strengths of offset and the versatility of the digital devices, which include a long sheet option on the colour models and the ability to handle substrates from 40- to 470-gsm.
Heidelberg chief technology and sales officer Dr David Schmedding commented: “Over the past 15 years, we have worked with Ricoh to consistently industrialise digital printing and fully integrate it into our digital ecosystem.
“For our customers, the integration means maximum flexibility, highest process reliability and a clear future perspective in hybrid production printing.”
Koji Miyao, president at Ricoh Graphic Communications, said Ricoh was delighted at the enduring partnership, which “has helped support the adoption of agile digital production for so many print service providers”.
“We look forward to many more years of cooperation together.”
Eef de Ridder, deputy general manager, global sales division at Ricoh Graphic Communications, said, “As one of the few partnerships between offset and digital suppliers that have flourished, we remain committed to helping clients make the right technology choices and flourish for many years ahead.”
Heidelberg asserted that its cooperation with Ricoh was long-term “and will be strategically expanded.”