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Question Why Doesn't Roland Offer the VersaEXPRESS RF-640 8 Color(CcMmYKkRGO) in the US?

ProPDF

New Member
We saw this too on another post here. My guess would be damage control if something went wrong with the new inks so the issues would be isolated before a full release. The biggest flaw with that head design is certain colors will always clog before others and when you have 1 cap top to the entire head channels it doesn't clean the clogged channel better it actually just sucks more ink from the less resistance channels over time. That is part of the reason these heads will band even with proper calibration and %100 perfect nozzle check. I think they maybe worried if the new inks cause any problems after flush and fill or small usage it could be a huge problem they want to keep under wraps.
 

yohann

New Member
HELLO I am french and i have roland RF 8 colors since 4 month i know very well this machine and ergo soft if you need more information you can tell me i think i better for you before to buy
 

JoeDG

Wide format trainer and creative enthusiast
I have seen info on the 'ink permenance', and very good compared to say the Epson 10c - the Orange is typically a tricky one for longevity but has some great numbers from testing, no problems with ink clogging -runs just like an original RF except with Ergosoft.
 

bteifeld

Substratia Consulting,Printing,Ergosoft Reseller
joedg- thanks for the info- may I know the source of the permanence testing information, in terms of both who did it and the exact nature of the testing they did?

yohann- Is the machine working well for you? Have you had to repair the machine at any time in these four months?

Just to mention, I have been using Ergosoft for a long time(>10 years) and have appreciated it greatly. In my case, I have used it with epson and canon aqueous printers.
 

JoeDG

Wide format trainer and creative enthusiast
Hiya,

So...

The testing was done both internally and with industry partners under 1500 hour accelerated weather testing where 500 hours testing is equivalent to 1 years outdoor exposure.

These prints were then measured at scheduled times to judge the color fade over its lifetime. The Roland EGS inks (Red, Green & Orange) significantly outperformed the Orange and Red from the leading competition. Based on Delta-E measurements taken after 1 year of exposure (500 hours) the competitions Orange and Red ink has a Delta-E of around 9, which raises dramatically to around Delta-E 90 around the 2 year (1000 hours) mark, showing the color fades very quickly.

To put this in context, The Roland EGS inks, after 3 years exposure (1500hrs accelerated) have a Delta-E of around 9 for Orange, 6 for Green and 5 for Red. This is why we can confidently suggest 3 years outdoors life on these inks while the competition remove longevity statements when certain colors are used. There are also excellent results from the TR2 Orange ink for the TrueVIS VG2 which also has a 3yr outdoor life.

To further put the performance of the Roland EGS and TR2 inks in context, using Yellow as a closest reference from the competition, after 3 years (1500hr) exposure, the leading competition and the Latex ink both had a Delta-E in the low 30’s.

Hope that helps!
 

bteifeld

Substratia Consulting,Printing,Ergosoft Reseller
Joe- thank you for that information.

A clarification please- my understanding is that a delta e of 6 in most situations is perceivable by most people. Is this correct?

If so- is there any indication when the RF-640 orange reaches a delta e of 6?

And lastly- does a coating with uv absorbing chemistry like Clearshield substantially improve the longevity?
 

JoeDG

Wide format trainer and creative enthusiast
Yes a delta E of 6 would normally be visible, below 3(ish) depending on colour and person is not noticeable.
I don't have all the info myself...but have seen it a little while ago-so not 100% on when the orange reaches 6. But as mentioned, says 3 years outdoor so would fade from then, mgiht tke ages depending on conditions!
A laminate or clearcoat would add longevity yes.
 

yohann

New Member
joedg- thanks for the info- may I know the source of the permanence testing information, in terms of both who did it and the exact nature of the testing they did?

yohann- Is the machine working well for you? Have you had to repair the machine at any time in these four months? I like this machine this summer its was very hot in france and no problem you can buy this machine in 6 month Zero problem

Just to mention, I have been using Ergosoft for a long time(>10 years) and have appreciated it greatly. In my case, I have used it with epson and canon aqueous printers.
 

SignMeUpGraphics

Super Active Member
To put this in context, The Roland EGS inks, after 3 years exposure (1500hrs accelerated) have a Delta-E of around 9 for Orange, 6 for Green and 5 for Red. This is why we can confidently suggest 3 years outdoors life on these inks while the competition remove longevity statements when certain colors are used. There are also excellent results from the TR2 Orange ink for the TrueVIS VG2 which also has a 3yr outdoor life.

3M MCS warranty excludes TR2 orange and white, so it seems Roland or 3M are also removing them from longevity ratings...

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media...g2-540-640-truevis-tr2-inks-en-april-2019.pdf
 
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