Akiyama Printing Machines: Complete History & All Models
The complete Akiyama story — Japan's simultaneous perfecting specialist, est. 1946. From early models through the Bestech and Jprint series. Every model, the India installed base, and guide.
Akiyama is a specialist Japanese press manufacturer with a unique engineering focus: simultaneous perfecting offset presses — machines that print both sides of the sheet in a single pass. While Heidelberg, Komori, and Ryobi all offer perfecting configurations, Akiyama built their entire range around this capability, making them the go-to specialist for book printers, direct mail producers, and high-volume catalogue printers globally. In India, Akiyama presses are found in dedicated book printing operations and high-volume commercial printers.
Most offset presses print one side at a time. To print both sides, you either run the job twice (work-and-turn) or use a press with a perfecting mechanism that flips the sheet mid-press. Akiyama's entire press range is built around simultaneous perfecting — printing front and back in a single pass through the press. For high-volume book printers producing millions of signatures annually, the productivity advantage is significant: one pass instead of two, better front-to-back registration, and elimination of handling between passes. This is why Akiyama presses are found in dedicated book manufacturing operations — educational publishers, bible printers, and high-volume trade book printers — rather than general commercial print.
| Model / Series | Years | Format | Max Sheet | Max Speed | Configuration | Notes & India significance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Akiyama perfecting presses | 1960s – 1985 | B3 / B2 | Various | 8,000–12,000 s/hr | Simultaneous perfecting | First Akiyama perfecting press range. Established the company's speciality. Limited India presence in early era — book printing sector was not yet large enough to justify investment. | Discontinued |
| Akiyama Bestech (B2, various generations) ★★ India book printing | 1985 – 2015 | B2+ | 52–57 × 75cm | 13,000–15,000 s/hr | 4+4, 5+5, 6+6 simultaneous perfecting | The Bestech series became Akiyama's primary commercial press family. Multiple generations over 30 years. In India: the Bestech is found in dedicated educational book printing plants (NCERT-supplying printers, educational textbook converters), religious publishing (bible and prayer book printers), and high-volume direct mail operations. The Bestech 4+4 is the most common configuration in India. Used Bestech B2 4+4: ₹60–150 lakh. | Superseded by Jprint |
| Akiyama Bestech (B1, various) | 1990 – 2015 | B1 | 72 × 102cm | 15,000 s/hr | 4+4, 6+6, 8+8 simultaneous | B1 format Bestech for very high-volume book work. Found in India's largest book printing plants. Used Bestech B1 4+4: ₹1–2.5 crore. | Superseded by Jprint |
| Akiyama Jprint (current generation) ★ Current | 2010 – present | B2+ / B1 | Up to 75 × 106cm | 16,500 s/hr | 4+4 to 8+8, UV option, coater | Current Akiyama generation. Improved automation, UV option, better registration system. Available in B2+ and B1 formats. In India: specified by book printers upgrading from Bestech and new-investment book printing facilities. New Jprint B2+ 4+4: ₹1.5–3 crore. akiyama-intl.com/products ↗ | Current |
Akiyama International Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan
Contact Akiyama directly for current India agent
Parts and service: Contact Akiyama India agent for parts. The perfecting mechanism is more mechanically complex than standard offset — ensure qualified service engineers are available in your city before investment.