Konica Minolta Earns Honour with the U-Bix 480 Certified as a Copying Machine Heritage

| 10 December 2018

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce that the U-Bix 480 was certified as a “Copying Machine Heritage” established by the Imaging Society of Japan (ISJ).The U-Bix 480, the first PPC copying machine (plain paper copying machine) of Konishiroku Photo Industry, has been introduced at a business show in 1970 and was released in January 1971.


Being Japans first indirect dry type electro photographic copying machine using domestic technology and producing beautiful images at half the copying cost of conventional machines, Konishiroku Photo Industry struggled to keep up with production. Since then, copying machines have been one of Konica Minolta’s leading products along with camera and films.

The ISJ’s high recognition of the U-Bix 480 as a historically valuable technology and product is an encouragement to Konica Minolta, to keep creating products and services that offer new values to customers and society through the ongoing digital transformation.

About the Copying Machine Heritage

The Copying Machine Heritage system was established by ISJ upon the 60th anniversary since its foundation. The system is intended to honour the technological and social achievements of early-day copying machines, which became the driving force of the world-leading copying machine industry of Japan, and to remember and pass on to future generations the technologies embodied in historical copying machines. This time is the first certification.

Overview of the Technology of the U-Bix 480

The majority of PPCs manufactured in those days used a cascade system for photoreceptor developing and supported line images, such as typewriter letters and printed letters. Adopting a zinc oxide photoreceptor and a magnetic brush developing system, the copying machine was able to copy grey-scale images, entire black images, or photos, and letters handwritten by pencil at a copying speed of eight B4 sheets per minute. The development of the U-Bix 480 was also a battle of how to avoid the patents of Xerox. The copying machine is characterized by the unique structure of the master carriage to hold sheet-type zinc oxide photoreceptors on both faces, and the optical system consists of a halogen lamp for exposure, V-shaped mirrors, and a lens with a roof type prism. The charging electrode moves integrally with the optical system; the photoreceptor is charged and exposed concurrently with the operation of scanning the original, and upon completion of the operation, the master carriage starts to rotate to carry out a series of imaging process, including developing, transfer, separation, and cleaning. Separation is performed by oscillations of the suction head, and cleaning is carried out by the cleaning lamp and the fur brush. A noncontact radiating plate system is used for fixing.

 

About Konica Minolta, Inc.

Konica Minolta, Inc. is a global digital technology company with core strengths in imaging and data analysis, optics, materials, and nano-fabrication. Through innovation, we create products and digital solutions for the betterment of business and society—today and for generations to come. Across our Business Technologies, Healthcare, and Industrial-facing businesses, we aspire to be an Integral Value Provider that applies the full range of our company’s expertise to offer comprehensive solutions to our customer’s most pressing problems, work with our partners to ensure our solutions are sustainable, anticipate and address tomorrow’s issues, and tailor each solution to meet the unique and specific needs of our valued customers. Leveraging these capabilities, Konica Minolta contributes to productivity improvement and workflow change for our customers, and provides leading-edge service solutions in the IoT era. Headquartered in Tokyo and with operations in 50 countries, Konica Minolta has more than 43,000 employees serving approximately two million customers in over 150 countries. Konica Minolta is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, (TSE4902). For further information, visit: https://www.konicaminolta.com/


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About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe


Konica Minolta’s journey started 150 years ago, with a vision to see and do things differently. We innovate for the good of society and the world. The same purpose that kept us moving then, keeps us moving now.


Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. With its unique expertise in imaging, data processing and data-based decision making, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers - small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and public sector - and solves issues faced by society.


As a digital workplace solution provider, Konica Minolta helps its clients to identify and unlock the potential digitalisation holds and reach the next level in the digital maturity of their organisation by rethinking the workplace. In support of an ‘Intelligent connected workplace’, Konica Minolta offers cloud, IT, managed print and video solution services for remote working, collaboration, workflow management and automation and security. The company’s success in driving transformation is also confirmed by IDC, since the ‘IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Print Transformation 2023 Vendor Assessment’ has named Konica Minolta a “Leader” in print transformation. Konica Minolta has been a Microsoft Global Managed Partner since 2021.


Konica Minolta's Igniting Print Possibilities offering helps printers, converters and brand owners maximise workflow automation to increase efficiency. The company delivers consultancy in all communication matters as well as top-of-the-line production, packaging as well as label printers. Its finishing devices create print products that stand out and create added value. Konica Minolta has established itself as the production printing market leader for more than a decade in Europe (InfoSource).


For an increasing number of organisations, success today is more than the narrow definition of financial prosperity – it also includes protecting the environment and having a positive impact on their workforce as well as the societies they are embedded in. With its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Konica Minolta has pledged to consistently pursue its sustainability and social responsibility goals.


The company has been repeatedly recognised for its rich history of social contribution as well as for working towards achieving the SDGs throughout its business and supply chain. Konica Minolta received a GOLD Level Recognition Medal in the EcoVadis sustainability ratings for 2023.


For its remote services, Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious ‘Buyers Lab (BLI) 2023-2024 Pacesetter Award in Remote Service for the Western European market’ from Keypoint Intelligence.


Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With more than 8,700 employees (as of April 2023), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.26 billion in financial year 2022/2023.


Worldwide, the company has over 39,000 employees and is operating in over 150 countries.


For more information, please visit https://www.konicaminolta.eu/eu-en/news and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.


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