Roland DG (UK) Ltd is the UK and Irish marketing, distribution and sales arm of Roland DG Corporation, Hamamatsu Japan, a worldwide leader in the sign, graphic arts, commercial print, packaging, labelling, promotional gift, textile, engraving, milling and 3D modelling industries. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG is the world’s number one provider of wide-format inkjet printers for the durable graphics market.
Alongside wide-format printers, Roland DG also manufactures high-quality vinyl cutters, 3D scanners, milling machines and engravers. In the UK and Ireland, these products are sold through an extensive dealer network that provides expertise in the different markets we serve. At Roland DG (UK) Ltd we aim to be “the best, not the biggest” in what we do and are proud of the quality of products and services we provide our customers.
In January 2012, Roland DG (UK) celebrated their success at gaining the Investors In People (IIP) accreditation. This well-known award recognises Roland DG's commitment to training and supporting its staff, to make the company a wonderful place to work and a great company to deal with.
Our History
The origins of Roland DG stem from the music side of the business. The Roland Corporation was renowned for developing MIDI technology and for producing sophisticated digital music equipment including keyboard synthesizers, recording equipment and other related technologies.
Roland DG’s advanced plotting technology was originally used to record the sound waves for Roland Corporation’s line of music synthesizers. This precision plotting technology quickly garnered widespread acceptance during the CAD/CAM revolution of the 1980s and provided the basis for new generations of digital input and output technologies to follow.
Within a few short years, Roland DG began introducing a wide variety of groundbreaking products including vinyl cutters, thermal transfer printer/cutters, wide-format inkjet printers and printer/cutters, 3D scanners and milling devices, and engravers. The products blazed new trails for entire industries and earned Roland DG a reputation for innovation, quality and reliability.
Reflecting this dedication to fufil its customers’ requirements for high quality customer service as well as for consistent quality in manufacturing and distribution, Roland DG has earned ISO 9001:2008 and 14001:2004 certifications.
The mission statement for the Roland DG Corporation is “transforming imagination into reality”. In the years ahead, the company’s primary objective is to evolve the Roland DG organisation from what it is today - a manufacturer of high-performance computer peripherals - into a leading source for cutting-edge digital solutions that bring digital data to life.
You can find out more information about the Roland DG Corporation and its international businesses by visiting our corporate website: www.rolanddg.com
Timeline
2011
Invest so little, do so much - Roland launch its smallest ever integrated printer/cutter, the 20" wide VersaSTUDIO BN-20, which proves an instant success
Print something different, Roland launches the VersaUV LEF-12, its first flatbed UV-LED printer capable of printing on objects up to 100mm thick
Based on award-winning VersaUV ground-breaking technology, Roland introduce its first wide format hybrid printer, the VersaUV LEJ-640 with its ability to print on substrates up to 13mm thick
'Hello' - Roland launch its free on-line forum, a place where Roland customers and those in relevant industries can chat, learn, profit and laugh
In celebration of their 30th anniversary, Roland launch the Creative Awards competition, designed to reward Roland customers around the globe
After the success of the first dental machine in 2010, Roland launch an faster, feature-packed DWX-50 milling machine
Guaranteed to inject inspiration and creativity into your life, Roland launch the iModela. A machine suited to the craft, hobby and jewellery markets
Create stunning soft signs, banners, furnishings, interior décor, flags and garments for use in commercial and home environments with Roland's new VersaART RS-640S digital dye-sublimation printer, launched this year
2010
Roland announce its largest, most powerful cutter to date, the GX-640
VersaUV makes the headlines again, first with the new 54" LEC-540 and next by winning the prestigious Label Industry Global Award for New Innovation
Roland's most powerful and versatile VersaCAMM VS printer/cutter series s ever, the VS series, 30", 42", 54" and 64" printer/cutters become instant best sellers
DWX-30 debuts as Roland's first dental milling machine
Roland's third generation, new diamond headed MPX-90 impact engraver launches
The truly versatile EGX-30A engraver launches, delivering the fastest production speeds in its class
2009
Roland Eco-Sol Max™ Ink in Metallic Silver awarded prestigious “DPI Product of the Year 2009”
Launch of i series printers for both AdvancedJet and VersaCAMMs. Launch of the VersaUV LEC-330 the faster, more efficient version of the award winning machine.
The launch of the SolJet Pro III XC540MT the world’s first metallic inkjet printer. It has the speed and versatility of a high speed production printer, including integrated print and cut, plus the added versatility and high profit potential of metallic and white ink.
2008
Launch of LEC-300 world’s first integrated UV Print&Cut machine.
2007
Release of the VersaCAMM 540 and 300 series. Also the MPX-80 impact engraver.
2006
The Advanced Jet AJ-1000, a new 104"-wide grand format inkjet printer and the new SolJet Pro III V XC-540 Printer/Cutter, the ultimate production system were released. The new STIKA, the SV-15, SV-12 and SV-8 portable vinyl cutters were also introduced, together with a new CAMM-1 PRO professional vinyl cutter series; the GX-500, GX-400 and GX-300, and a new MODELA PRO II, the MDX-540 benchtop milling machine. During this year, the company continued to be retained as the sign and outdoor printing supplier for MotoGP racing
2005
V Technology was introduced with a new line of high-performance SolJet™ featuring VersaWorks: the SC-545EX printer/cutter, the SJ-645EX and SJ-745EX printers, and the SJ-1045 grand format printer. A new 30-inch VersaCAMM featuring VersaWorks was also released, together with the industry’s first white eco-solvent ink. Eco-Sol Max™ entered the market as well, representing a significant step forward in ink technology. 2005 also marked the introduction of the MDX-40 low-cost subtractive rapid prototyping system, the JWX-10 jewellery model maker and the CAMM-1 Servo GX-24, the company’s fastest and most precise desktop vinyl cutter to date.
2004
Roland entered the grand format printing market with the 104”-wide SolJet™ SJ-1000EX. The company also introduced a new 54” VersaCAMM, the SP-540V, featuring VersaWorks RIP software, the LPX-1200 reverse modelling solution, the MPX-60 photo impact printer and the RX-50 spiral axis engraver.
2003
The introduction of the VersaCAMM™ SP-300, the industry’s lowest-priced integrated printer/cutter and the Eco-Sol ink – a revolutionary mild solvent ink for VersaCAMM and SolJet™ inkjets.
2002
Roland introduced the SolJet™ PRO II Series, an entirely new family of five high-performance inkjet printers and printer/cutters.
2001
Five innovative products came onto the market: the SolJet™, the world’s lowest-priced solvent printer/cutter; the ColorCAMM™PC-12, the world’s first roll-fed desktop printer/cutter; the LPX-250 laser scanner, the industry’s lowest-priced laser scanner to combine plane and rotary scanning; state-of-the-art CX PRO vinyl cutters; and the EGX series of engravers, the most cost-effective computerised engravers available in desktop and benchtop models.
2000
Three groundbreaking new products were released: the world’s first photo-impact printer with the MPX-50; the world’s first eight-colour, wide format inkjet printer with variable droplet technology with the Hi-Fi JET PRO; and MDX Series desktop and benchtop milling machines for in-house rapid prototyping.
1998
The world's first wide format inkjet printer to use pigment ink - The Hi-Fi JET™ was introduced.
1997
Roland’s ColorCAMM™ PRO family of wide format thermal transfer printer/cutters entered the market along with the PIX-3, the world’s first touch probe 3D scanner.
1996
The launch of the world's first wide format inkjet printer/cutter with the CAMMJET and the world’s first plotter to offer engraving, pen plotting and vinyl cutting with the CS-20.
1995
The world's first print/cut device for vinyl with the ColorCAMM PNC-5000 was launched.
1993
The introduction of the low-cost PNC-900 vinyl cutter.
1988
The launch of the world's first dual-purpose vinyl cutter and pen plotter with the CAMM-1.
1987
The company's first CAMM-2 engraver, the PNC-2000.
1986
The introduction of the world’s first desktop CNC mill with the PNC-3000.
1985
Roland DG moved its headquarters to Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka district and released the DPX-2000, an A-2 size plotter.
1983
The company changed its corporate name to Roland DG Corporation and released the first A-3 size plotter, the DXY-800.
1982
AMDEK marketed CMU-800 computer music and introduced the DXY-100, the company’s first pen plotter for the CAD/CAM market.
1981
AMDEK Corporation, an affiliate company of Roland Corporation, was founded in Osaka as a manufacturer of computerized music peripherals and as a distributor of assembled electronic music instrument parts.