The high-speed UV inkjet press, AccurioJet 60000, is explained to be capable of producing 6000 sheets per hour along with duplex printing capabilities. The press produces high image quality and reproduction stability across a range of media, taking advantage of Konica Minolta’s inline sensors and a spectrophotometer to automatically monitor printing conditions.

Visitors to Konica Minolta at drupa will also be the first to see the AccurioPress C84hc, which uses high chroma toner. Free from the restrictions imposed by the colour gamut of ordinary toner, prints are said to be more consistent across bright and vivid colours.

The company will also introduce Myiro colour management tools for graphics arts applications. Developed by Konica Minolta’s Sensing Business Unit, these tools include spectrophotometers for colour management and high-speed auto scanning.

Konica will be joined on the stand by MGI (MGI Digital Printing Systems) showing its new JetSeal and inline die cutter, as well as launching an advanced version of its AccurioPro Colour Manager software suite.

Also joining Konica Minolta will be Industrial Inkjet (IIJ), a specialist in bespoke inkjet customisation, which exclusively uses Konica Minolta print heads in its products; and Plockmatic, a supplier of finishing options, as well as Acco and Fiery.

Konica Minolta will also be running fully automated production lines driven by artificial intelligence, and will show the use of robotics that includes the premiere of a Cobot arm.

Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta (UK), stated, ‘As a major player in digital production printing it is our mission to promote and support the shift from analogue to digital print. In doing so, we will build a world where high-value-added printed materials are created efficiently with minimal environmental impact.’

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As part of an experienced team, Mr Bladon will help organisations in the print and packaging sectors to harness Konica Minolta’s portfolio of digital print solutions. 

Mr Bladon has been working in the product and industrial print industry since 1987, where he began his career in the print room as an equipment operator. During a career in print spanning more than 35 years, he has held senior sales, business development and account management roles in the UK and Australia, specialising in delivering hardware and software that meet the changing needs of print businesses. Between 2012 and 2014 he was a senior account manager at Konica Minolta in Australia. 

Mr Bladon commented on the importance of selling products which he is knowledgeable in. ‘I am a printer by trade, so having confidence in the product I sell to print businesses is extremely important to me,’ he said.

‘Konica Minolta has a strong reputation for delivering innovative and reliable equipment that do their jobs effortlessly. The company offers commercial print companies a truly impressive portfolio whether they are looking for creative embellishment techniques, high-quality short-run label production, or high-volume digital inkjet print runs.’

Jon Hiscock head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta stated, ‘Mark brings a wealth of experience from across the industry to our specialist team. His appointment is a sign of our commitment to the sector, as well as a response to the strong interest we are experiencing for our product portfolio, support, and services, as organisations recognise how truly transformative our digital solutions can be for their business.’

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‘The level of investment that the management has allowed, shows the confidence they have in the new direction and strategy that the University is going through,’ commented Ollie Renshaw, business and systems manager, print and mail service, University of Leeds. ‘Underneath every decision that they make, the University has always put the experience of the students at the very top. With the new digital strategy taking hold, we are bringing our print production facilities in line with all the multi-functional devices (MFDs) in each department. We at print and mail want to be the best at what we can do, the University has a three-year plan for us, and the director of campus innovation is excited to see all our new developments.’

Mr Renshaw continued, ‘From Konica Minolta, we purchased the AccurioPress C12000 – the first in our sector in the UK – the AccurioPress C7100 and two AccurioPress 6120s. All are powered by Konica Minolta’s print controllers with AccurioPro Flux Ultimate workflow. The setup gives us flexibility as well as the capacity to keep up with extremely heavy periods of work.’

Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta UK said, ‘The package provided to the print and mail centre at the University of Leeds represents the latest in Konica Minolta production print technology, automation tools and workflow integration. We are pleased to work in partnership with Duplo UK to deliver the University a future proof solution that once optimised will enable it to meet its strategic goals and deliver a best-in-class student experience.’

For Duplo, this includes the UK’s first installation of the DC-648 multi-finisher, the flagship iSaddle 5.0, the PFi Blade B2 and the DuBinder DPB-500 binder.

‘The Duplo machines are just fabulous. My operators think the automation and ease of use on the DC-648 is second to none. Normal jobs are all set up and the print is just fed through, taking the stress and hours upon hours of manual work away. We have so many different jobs coming through that this machine is a lifesaver. The iSaddle 5.0 was a much more in-depth learning experience, it gives us so much more options to give to the students and staff, and it’s easy to set up and run. Students can buy a coffee and the job is usually ready before they’re finished!’ Mr Renshaw continued, ‘I’m really excited about the PFi Blade though. That is definitely something we want to expand upon. It allows us to make print sexy again when Covid decimated our volumes. Duplo has sent us their sample jobs and we’ve been playing around with the machine. It allows our event products to be much more exciting.’

Wendy Hogg, regional sales manager for Duplo UK said, ‘The combination of Konica Minolta’s high-speed presses along with Duplo’s offline finishing means that print and mail can produce more jobs, much faster, more sustainably with minimal waste, and much cheaper than ever before. The University has a very strong corporate strategy and it’s amazing to see that the student experience is still 100% at the core of everything they do. It allows print and mail to make coming to the University of Leeds as special as it can be. When you look at the production facility, it’s clean, it’s hi-tech and there are screens everywhere. It really impresses students when they see it, and it challenges their expectations of what print can be.’

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Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) stated, ‘With the shift to digital printing, more emphasis is being placed on digitalising prepress and post-press processes, alongside on-demand short-run printing. By combining the AccurioShine 3600 with other Konica Minolta digital colour printers, our customers not only grow their business in new ways, but also add value to their customers, by providing cost-effective, impactful, premium short-run embellishments to their day-to-day print jobs.’

The AccurioShine 3600 enables in-house spot UV varnishing, from prototyping to production, without the need for screens, plates or dies. The unit can add 2D and 3D multiple coating and dimensional texture effects in a single pass. With a maximum supported paper size of B3+ (364 x 750mm), the AccurioShine 3600 is said to be suitable for enhancing business/name cards, greeting cards, photobook covers, and packaging on demand. It features AI-based registration to align the embellished effects with the underlying print and a barcode-based system to automate job set-up and embellishment artwork file selection and processing.

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The machine, launched in June, is the first Konica Minolta-branded MGI product and uses digital ‘spot UV’ and foiling technology developed in the MGI JetVarnish 3D One. The press has been designed to offer special effects for the commercial printing, finishing and packaging industries, using the JetVarnish technology, including the AIS SmartScanner registration system. Also on the Konica Minolta stand at the NEC will be the 81ppm AccurioPress C4080, feeding print to the AccurioShine 3600.

Jon Hiscock, head of production at Konica Minolta UK, said, ‘Our centre piece will be the AccurioShine 3600 and we will take the opportunity to highlight our range of print embellishment and specialist finishing products that span SRA3, B2, B1 and web as well as our B2 cut-sheet Inkjet and workflow solutions.

‘The entry-level device enables users to add value to the print they produce and respond to market demand, because in order to survive and grow their customer base they need to expand their reach and products offered. Many are finding that it’s not enough to just offer fast turnaround, quality and low pricing. The AccurioShine 3600 is great for adding 2D and 3D gloss effects and Digital Hot Foiling tactile finishes. To take it another step forward, it also supports variable data printing, to add more impact to printed products, personalised packaging and labels.’

Konica Minolta will be based on Stand B17 at The Print Show 2022. The event will take place from 20-22 September at the NEC in Birmingham.

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Said to feature sturdy construction, high performance and smart inline finishing options, the AccurioPrint 2100 runs at 100 A4 pages per minute and can produce a peak volume of 2.25 million A4 pages per month. It supports various media weights from 40 to 350gsm (maximum 300gsm in duplex printing). The optional Intelligent Media Sensor IM-101 can automatically detect the type and basis weight of paper.

Other features include a common user interface shared with KM’s colour machines, enhanced office connectivity functions and a high-speed dual colour scanner. Konica Minolta’s second-generation colour processing technology, Screen-Enhancing Activity Digital Process, combines various technical innovations to provide ‘exceptional’ image quality at top speed, plus automatic front-to-back registration adjustment.

The AccurioPrint 2100 offers stacking capabilities of up to 4200 sheets and a variety of finishing options including two-point corner stapling of up to 100 sheets, booklet-making up to 80 pages, tri-folding and two- and three-hole punching. Other finishing options include wire-bound books and different die sets for punching, creasing and perforation.

‘The AccurioPrint 2100 will deliver real value to any production print environment with high-speed output, high paper and toner capability, standard built-in print controller and a compact footprint to save space,’ said Jon Hiscock, head of Production & Industrial Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK). ‘This press helps customers to expand and streamline their business through advanced automation, fewer human touchpoints and higher productivity with tangible effects and less waste, plus offers a lower total cost of ownership.’

The press is complemented by Konica Minolta’s AccurioPro suite of software. This includes centralised management, automated workflow processing, colour management, ‘seamless’ integration of different printing technologies and full connectivity of all Konica Minolta printing systems. The AccurioPro Print Manager is also a tool provided as standard to maximise production via ‘fast and easy’ job management. It offers various functions to improve overall workflow, such as job monitoring, editing and hot folders.

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Mr Hiscock, who has 24 years of experience in the print industry, has been with the company since 2012 when he joined as a production print specialist. He then served as regional sales manager and national channel manager for production print before taking up his new role.

He will work with Mark Ash, who was appointed chief revenue officer earlier this year, to ensure Konica Minolta ‘is at the forefront of the renaissance that is taking place in print.’ He commented, ‘Organisations are returning to print in order to break through the dense digital noise, and engage with their customers in a trusted, meaningful and tangible way. It is our job to support them both directly and indirectly, with solutions that are sustainable, affordable, innovative and exciting.’

Mr Ash himself added, ‘Jon’s experience, at every level of the production and industrial print sector, is an invaluable resource for us, our customers and partners. Be it, leveraging the opportunities our technologies offer the commercial print market or to organisations that will benefit from including high impact, sustainable print as part of a centralised communication strategy complimenting their digital transformation.’

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Managing director Mike Ashforth has predicted that the easing of lockdown in the UK could result in as much as 40% growth for the company this year. He said, ‘There are strong signs that commercial printers are looking to make new investment into more efficient and flexible equipment, as they respond to the rising demand from sectors such as the hospitality and leisure industries.’

Mr Ashforth said that he has been excited by the potential of the partnership, explaining, ‘Konica Minolta’s products are vastly superior, the quality is without question and the excellent levels of serviceability make them ideal for us to sell and support with confidence. With access to a very comprehensive range of products, the highest level of technical support and access to industry experts, this partnership enables us to deliver even greater value to our customers. There is a great pipeline of Konica Minolta products available – such as labelling, inkjet technologies, and software solutions – which have huge scope for what we deliver to customers and will be an important stage in our growth as a business. We are excited to be taking this step together.’

For Konica Minolta’s part, Production Print Direct’s extensive industry expertise and customer experience was a major attraction, as head of sales for partner channel Cameron Mitchell spelled out, ‘Konica Minolta have enjoyed a global leadership position in the production print market in recent years and it is an area of strategic focus. Production Print Direct have a good level of specialisation and expertise in this growing market and we are delighted to partner with them.’

 Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta added, ‘With a strong manufacturing heritage and reputation for innovation, Konica Minolta continues to develop and bring new products and solutions to market which meet the requirements of the evolving production and industrial print environment. With many organisations looking to break through the dense digital noise, and the market expected to bounce back reasonably quickly from the recent challenges, we see Production Print Direct as a great addition to our Partner community and is ideally placed to deliver on our shared vision.’

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