Konica Minolta aims to replicate production printing success in industrial print market

| 31 May 2016

Konica Minolta has set its sights on leadership in the industrial printing market and is taking its first steps towards that goal at drupa 2016. Key industrial applications such as label and packaging are the focus of Konica Minolta’s research, as evidenced by its development of new printing technology geared around these applications, with the AccurioJet KM-1 B2+ sheet-fed UV inkjet press at the forefront.


Since entering the production printing market in 2005, Konica Minolta has built a position of leadership in the mid-production colour printing sector. This success is rooted in a combination of Konica Minolta’s high-end technology and its deep understanding of the production printing market and its customers' needs. Konica Minolta will continue its growth in commercial print markets and is now ready to take the next step, with further expansion into industrial printing. At drupa 2016, visitors will be able to see how Konica Minolta is continuing to fulfil its ambitions by examining the technology the company is presenting at stand A65 in hall 8B.

Konica Minolta’s objective is simple: a top tier position in industrial printing, just as it has achieved in production printing.Olaf Lorenz, General Manager of the International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, explains: "In line with our management philosophy, 'The Creation of New Value', we want to inspire our customers to seek new horizons for their businesses and attain the goals they set for success. We never stop talking to the market to ensure we can deliver the tools that will enable our customers to hit those heights". Bearing Konica Minolta’s new unified Accurio brand, which features on all of its inkjet digital press and digital workflow solutions, the AccurioJet KM-1 UV inkjet press receives its commercial launch at drupa 2016, and is the standard bearer for Konica Minolta’s new approach. The AccurioJet KM-1 will be presented in the B2 inkjet printing zone of Konica Minolta’s exhibition booth, performing in combination with MGI's JETvarnish, and showing visitors a wide range of benefits such as hybrid printing with the integration of KM-1 into existing offset processes, duplex printing and larger sheet sizes, as well as printing on packaging board, lightweight papers and textured stock.

Further collaboration with MGI

Having invested in an additional stake in MGI Digital Technology (MGI) in April 2016, Konica Minolta has strengthened its ties with the company to provide customers with added-value solutions. In response to the demand for decorative printing in the area of labels and packaging, the creation of synergy between Konica Minolta and MGI will give Konica Minolta a strong presence in the market. MGI's JETvarnish will be shown at Konica Minolta's stand in conjunction with the label printer bizhub PRESS C71cf and the GMC DC330 Mini finisher. These machines will enable faster delivery times and open the doors to value-added on-demand label runs. In addition, MGI's JETvarnish will be part of a business card production workflow at the stand, demonstrating the option to include spot varnishing and inline foiling on business cards, produced with Konica Minolta's bizhub PRESS C1070.

Technology showcase

Konica Minolta is also showing a prototype of its next generation UV inkjet technology at drupa 2016, as it investigates how it can best meet the present and future requirements of commercial and packaging printers. The KM-C is a B1 format UV inkjet digital press targeted at the commercial print and packaging sectors, and is the first printing system developed from top to bottom by Konica Minolta.This exciting technology showcase utilises technology from AccurioJet KM-1, giving it superior image quality at 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution, as well as excellent colour stability, inline sensor and image correction and the ability to print on a wide range of paper substrates without pre-coating. KM-C is built around a flatbed sheet-feeding platform designed by Konica Minolta that enables easy processing of materials such as cardboard and micro flute. Paper thicknesses of between 0.3 and 1.2 mm can be handled easily. The press is capable of printing up to 2,200 B1 sheets per hour with a maximum paper size of 760 x 1,060 mm. Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, explains: "drupa is one of the world’s greatest print shows and Konica Minolta is showing that it has the scale and expertise to grace such a formidable stage. We have one of the largest stands here in Düsseldorf, and with products such as the AccurioJet KM-1 and the technology demonstration of the KM-C, we are proving that Konica Minolta’s stand is truly one that every printer with an eye on the future should have on their schedule". 

Visit Konica Minolta’s drupa stand, A65, Hall 8B

Product images are available at: www.konicaminolta-images.eu.

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

 

Contact

Frauke Flüthmann
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH
Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-5233
frauke.fluethmann@konicaminolta.eu