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Environmental Activities

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Environmental Activities of the RYOBI s Printing Equipment Business

1.Market Background

In accordance with the growing social awareness of environmental issues, the manufacturing of environmentally friendly products is required in all printing industries. In its "Law Concerning the Promotion of Procurement of Eco-Friendly Goods and Services by the State and Other Entities (Law on Promoting Green Purchasing)", the Japanese government has established a regulatory criterion for the supply of printed matter. This has in turn led local governments to establish their own environmentally friendly criteria for ordering systems for printing. Third party organizations have also followed suit by issuing their own guidelines. (Examples include "Paper Printed Matters" published by the Japan Environment Association as part of its Eco Mark Program and the purchasing (ordering) guidelines for offset printing service published by the Green Purchasing Network). Introduction of environmental management systems, such as ISO 14001, are progressing steadily in private corporations. This indicates that there are increasingly stringent requirements for environmental conservation regard to the procurement of materials for all printing industries.

2.Related Actions by the Printing Industries

The Japan Federation of Printing Industries has also initiated the "Green Standard for Offset Printing Services" as an autonomous criterion designed to encourage all printing industries to establish an economically viable recycling-oriented society. This criterion focuses on four points: (1) reduction of environmental pollutants, (2) conservation of energies and resources, (3) recycling of materials, and (4) maintenance and improvement of activities. In its product development activities, every printing industry company focuses on the guidelines that have been established through laws, or by organizations, such as the "Law on Promoting Green Purchasing", the "Eco Mark Program", and the "Green Purchasing Network".

3.Related Actions by RYOBI in the Printing Equipment Business

RYOBI's Graphic Systems Division received ISO 9001 accreditation in April 1997 and ISO 14001 accreditation in November 1998, the earliest in the Japanese printing industry. ISO 9001 recognition means that RYOBI's quality control and quality assurance systems satisfy the latest international standards. And ISO 14001 approval certifies our environmental management systems also meet the strictest global standards. Our basic concept is to develop products that are both human friendly and environmentally friendly. Our diverse products are specifically designed to lighten the load placed on the environment by the printing industries in their manufacturing and operating processes.

4.RYOBI Printing Equipment

In the development of our printing equipment, RYOBI considers both product quality and also the impact our systems will have on the environment throughout their total life cycle. We design for every step from when the equipment is manufactured at RYOBI to when it is used and finally disposed by the customer.

A.Manufacturing Stage

(1) Cylinder Surface Treatment Using Thermal Spraying
Thermal spraying is a surface treatment method that involves the spraying of melted metals onto cylinder surfaces. This treatment enhances the corrosion resistance of cylinder surfaces and extends the life of cylinders. In addition, this treatment does not use the toxic materials required for chrome plating. RYOBI has adopted stainless steel thermal spraying or hastelloy thermal spraying for the treatment of all cylinders used in its 3404X-DI/3404E-DI and 520 series or higher-grade printing presses.


(2) Powder Coating
Powder coating is a coating process that is performed by spraying resin powder onto material surfaces with static electricity and then baking these materials in a furnace. This method eliminates the use of volatile organic compounds. RYOBI uses this process to coat the covers of all its printing presses and safety covers. Environmental considerations have been meticulously integrated, including recovery and reuse of about 95 to 98% of the surplus powder coating that was conventionally discarded in the coating process, and purification of precoating process solution so that they are clean before release.


(3) Optimum Designing Using CAD and CAE
Computer-based design techniques such as CAD and CAE are used to reduce the weight of components and extend the life of the overall equipment. The benefits of this approach can be seen in the achievement of optimal designs that save both energy and resources. Specific examples include the design of bearings to decrease torque and the adoption of CPU communication control for each unit in the 680/750 series offset presses to reduce electric cabling.


B.Usage Stage

(1) Energy Savings by Adopting Inverter Technology
RYOBI printing presses are equipped with inverter that automatically set output voltage depending on the load applied during machine operation. This ensures presses work efficiently and also provides energy savings by controlling unnecessary power consumption.


(2) Noise Reductions by Adopting a Special Chain
A special design that employs a "three-layer roller system" has been adopted for the rollers of the delivery chain on some models. Iron rollers in this chain have been separated by placing a rubber roller between them. The elasticity of the rubber rollers works to reduce the sound generated when the chain engages with sprockets.


(3) Energy and Resource Savings Using Automated and Labor-Saving Equipment

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(4) Waterless Printing
The reason why waterless printing is considered gentle on the environment is because solvents such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA) are not contained in the fountain solution and because the image on the plate is developed without using chemicals.
In order to enable waterless printing, a printing press requires a temperature control system to accurately maintain the temperature of the surface of the plate and the ink rollers. Waterless printing is a standard feature of RYOBI's 3404X-DI and 3404E-DI digital A3-size portrait format press, and RYOBI 680 and 750 series presses can be optional fitted with an ink roller temperature control system to support waterless printing as well.

C.Disposal Stage

(1)Steel Packaging
Steel casing is now used for the packaging of some models. This reduces the consumption of lumber and also enables the reuse of package, which saves on resources.


(2)Separate Disposal of Cutting Waste
All cutting waste generated during the machining of iron, aluminum, copper and brass parts is separated and disposed of or sold to a specialized company handling these materials. This enables easy recycling of material wastes and saves on resources.


(3)Plate recycle system for the RYOBI 3404X-DI/3404E-DI(Japanese market only)
The RYOBI 3404X-DI/3404E-DI used roll plates are sent to RYOBI from the customer for recycling. The plate roll and iron core of the roll plate are separated at RYOBI. The core is recycled. The plate is crushed and changed to RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) through heat drying process at recycle plant.