Ricoh, Kyocera, Konica, Seiko, Toshiba
With so many different brands and models of printheads in the printing market, a bit confusing and difficult to choose the printhead, especially for those who are just in the UV industrial printing business.The following are currently widely used: Ricoh printhead, Kyocera printhead, Konica printhead, Seiko printhead, Toshiba printhead, and Epson printhead. they are all industrial-class heads for UV printers.
Below is the information for you:
| Brand | Ricoh | Konica | Kyocera | Seiko | Toshiba | |||
| Model | Gen5 | GH 2220 | KM 512 | KM 512i | KM 1024i | KJ4A Series | SPT 1020 | CE4 |
| Nozzle Number | 1280 | 384 | 512 | 512 | 1024 | 2656 | 1020 | 636 |
| Effective Printing Width | 54 mm | 32.4 mm | 36.1 mm | 36.1 mm | 72 mm | 108.25 mm | 71.9 mm | 53.7 mm |
| Weight | 155 g | 26 g | 95 g | 95 g | 150 g | 420 g | / | 174 g |
| Ink Droplet | 7-35 pl | 3-21 pl | 42 pl | 30 pl | 13 pl | 6-14 pl | 35 pl | 5-35 pl |
| Max Number of Ink Colors (1 pc) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lifespan | 3-5 years | 2-3 years | 2-2.5 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2-3 years | 1-1.5 years |
| Compatible Ink Type | UV / Solvent / Water-based insolvent | Solvent / UV / Oil-based / Water-based ink UV | UV ink | UV / Solvent / Oil-based ink | UV / Solvent ink | |||
| The First UV Printer Time to Market | 2012 | 2015 | 2014 | 2017 | 2013 | 2016 | ||
Ricoh Gen5 print head : The most widely used in UV printers, especially in China's UV flatbed printer field
- Spec: 1280 nozzles, 7-21pl droplet, 2 colors for 1 head, compatible with UV/ solvent/ water-based ink.
- Pros: High stability and longevity. Suited for embossing effect printing.
- Summary: when you wanna buy a UV printer, your first choice is RICOH GEN5, The technology in China is the best according to others. price is competitive.
RICOH GH2220 PRINT HEAD High cost-effective head, better than Epson
- Spec: 384 nozzles, 3-21pl variable drop, 1 color for 1 head, compatible with UV/ solvent/ water-based ink.
- GH2220 is one kind of small Ricoh industrial head with better cost-performance, specifically designed for UV printing. Over strict tests and feedback, it’s recognized as better than Epson printhead in precision and longevity, suited for clients' demand for quality printing.
- Compared to the Ricoh Gen5 printhead, GH2220 is in a weak position, half that speed, and lifespan is 2-3 years. But you will get more than you pay for.
Kyocera KJ4A series： Expensive & fast printing
- Spec: 2656 nozzles, 6-14pl ink droplet, 1 color for 1 head, compatible with UV ink.
- Kyocera printhead is mainly used in the textile printing market. For the UV printing market, technology is getting more and more. It performs well in precision and speed, even though the head itself is expensive, as well as 1 color for 1 head, more and more clients can afford. By contrast, Ricoh printhead is more cost-effective, flexible, and affordable in the same grade
- Many high-technology companies make uv printers with this Kyocera print head.
Seiko SPT 1020 Print head： Low precision can not satisfy many customers.
- Spec: 1020 nozzles, 35 pl droplet size,1 head 1 color, compatible with solvent/ UV/ oil-based ink.
- Seiko printhead's earlier emergence from the industrial head. But currently, with Ricoh and Kyocera print heads growing, Seiko printhead is less and less... It’s equal to Konica head in a large droplet, and as a result of the low resolution, already could not meet most users’ requirements.
Konica 512i Printhead: mostly in solvent printers
- Konica KM512i: 30pl KM512: 42pl KM1024i: 13pl
- Konica 512i is widely used in solvent printers.. but still a lot of factors work with Konica 1024I head, mostly using 1024i 6pl & 13pl.
Toshiba CE4M print head: 75*90 small size UV printing machine, printing beautiful, and cheap price
- Spec: 636 nozzles, 5-35pl variable droplet, 1 color for 1 head, compatible with UV/ solvent ink.
- Toshiba CE4 head once was popular in 2016 and 2017 with the advantage of a 2-year warranty. But now, most of those users are transformed into Ricoh and Epson printhead supporters. Not bad, but no remarkable superiority. In comparison, Ricoh printhead performs better in speed, stability, and maturity. There is not much price difference.
Any more questions, feel free to contact us. we are very glad to help. Thanks. we look forward to receiving your comments.
