Company information – High Quality Printing Presses

Information

The Akiyama International Company Limited of today originated in 1948. The original company, Akiyama Machinery Manufacturing Corp., built printing presses for the Japanese domestic market until the end of the 1960’s. The presses built during this time were of adequate design development for post-war Japan, but not up to the latest international state-of-the-art for the time. At the end of the 60’s and the start of the 1970’s there were major fundamental changes in the company with a new creative spirit introduced into Akiyama design and thinking. The result was the introduction of the first Akiyama press with truly original design concepts and first-in-the-world features. The Akiyama Hi-Ace 26″ Press series.

Since that “breath of life” that changed the company at the beginning of the 70’s, Akiyama has continued to progress, grow, and still maintain the creative spirit. During the 70’s the Hi-Ace press series in 26″ and 38″, then 28″ and 40″, as well as 32″ and 44″, was improved and refined. In the mid 80’s Akiyama introduced a new generation of presses which replaced the Hi-Ace. This was the Bestech series which continues to this day to be the primary product line of Akiyama.

In 1994 Akiyama introduced another new and revolutionary press model. The JPrint series. The first sheetfed offset press, not blanket to blanket type, to print both sides of a sheet while maintaining one gripper edge through the process.

Akiyama Printing Equipment Sales

16386 Creekside Place La Mirada, 90638

(562) 383-5017

info@akiyama.com for general inquiry

parts@akiyama.com for parts inquiry & order

service@akiyama.com for service related inquiry

History

1948

– Akiyama Machinery Manufacturing Corporation was established.
– Akiyama developed the first 40-inch, hand-feed, Flap type delivery, single-color offset press (A.F.O.) featuring a bellows system without a plate-cylinder ink plate or a stripping-processed impression cylinder in Japan.

1953
– Akiyama developed the world’s first “swing hand-feed” method and released a swing-type 44-inch, 2-color offset press (ATC-2) called “Akiyama’s quick hand-feed press.”

1957
– Akiyama released a 32-inch, single-color offset press (AOC-41) employing the newly developed large-diameter ink rollers. The AOC-41 received rave reviews for its ability to eliminate the problem of ghosting.

1960
– Akiyama developed an original feeder and launched a 40-inch, automatic 2-color offset press (ATP-30) featuring the feeder.
– Akiyama released the world’s fastest 40-inch automatic singlecolor offset press (MT-30), with a printing speed of 6,000 sheets per hour.

1961
– Akiyama exhibited its 40-inch, high-speed, automatic singlecolor offset press (MTP-30), designed as a high-pile delivery press, at the Gutenberg Expo.

1964
– Akiyama developed a 44-inch, automatic 2-color offset press (ATC-K23S) and a 40-inch, automatic 2-color offset press (ATCK33S), both adopting the Kubo style feeder and registration system.

1965
– Akiyama gave birth to the Super Ace (SA) series, a line of printing presses boasting the industry’s highest printing speed of 7,200 sheets per hour.

1969
– Akiyama developed single-color versions of its existing 2-color TH press and sold these models as the TH Series.

1971
– Akiyama developed the impression cylinder (triple-size diameter) technology and gave birth to the Hi-Ace (HA) series, thus achieving the world’s highest printing speed of 12,000 sheets per hour.

1972
– Akiyama developed a 40-inch, high-speed automatic offset press (SL-238) as a general-purpose press machine offering operational stability, and released the Select Series, comprising variations of the SL-238.
– Akiyama Service Corporation was established.

1973
– Akiyama Machinery Manufacturing Corporation spun off its Manufacturing and Sales divisions and established Akiyama Printing Machinery Manufacturing Corporation and Akiyama Machine Sales Corporation. Akiyama Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation was established the following year.

1979
– Akiyama altered its product specifications to adapt the international 40” size instead of the kikuzen size (Japanesespecific size), in keeping with the market trend overseas.
– The new head office building of Akiyama Printing Machinery Manufacturing Corporation was completed.

1981
– Akiyama developed the world’s first 40-inch, offset perfecting press (HA-1P-40) as a double-side printing press adopting “impression cylinders and non-sheet-converting mechanism.”

1984
– Akiyama adopted the MABEG feeder, developed a simultaneous plate mounting system and released a 40-inch, automatic 4-color offset press (BT-440) featuring Akiyama’s original 3-4-3 cylinder configuration. Variations of the BT-440 were sold as the Bestech (BT) Series.

1985
– No.1 Mitsukaido Plant building was completed.
– Akiyama Service Corporation was split into Akiyama East Japan Equipment Service Co., Ltd. and Akiyama West Japan Equipment Service Co., Ltd.

1986
– No.2 Mitsukaido Plant building was completed.

1988
– Akiyama established Akiyama Support Center Europe and Akiyama Service Corp. of America as part of its effort to provide better serve Akiyama users overseas.

1992
– Akiyama developed a 40-inch, sheet-fed press inspection machine (QC-40) as a system capable of automatically inspecting printed sheets.
– Akiyama developed its original high-speed sucker head (K-92).

1993
– Akiyama developed a 28-inch size offset perfecting press (BTP428) supporting four colors on the front side and one color on the back side.

1994
– Akiyama announced a 44-inch, 1-over-1 (sheet-fed) offset perfecting press (JP1P144) as a double-sided simultaneous press employing new mechanisms, and sold variations of the JP1P144 as the Jprint (JP) Series.

1999
– Akiyama developed a 28-inch size 9-color offset perfecting press (BT-P828) supporting eight colors on the front side and one color on the back side.
– Akiyama developed a 40-inch, 6-over-6 (sheet-fed) offset perfecting press (JP6P640) as the world’s first double-sided, 12- color sheet-fed press.
– Akiyama received ISO 9001 certification.

2002
– Akiyama International Co., Ltd. began operation.

2004
– Akiyama announced the new single-sided press eXtreme (XT), featuring a variety of new mechanisms.

2005
– Akiyama developed the Jprint RF sheet-fed perfecting press, supporting rolled paper feeding.
– Akiyama developed a quality inspection system for JP40/44 perfectors.

2007
– The JP40 family underwent a major model change, and the improved models were relaunched as the MEGA Jprint 40 Series.
– Akiyama announced its SUPERTECH 40 Series, including models with higher productivity, to succeed the Bestech Series.

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A.F.O.