The company is looking to grow its production print business by a whopping 350 per cent, from E820m in 2010 to E2.8bn in 2016, through growth in both toner and inkjet printing systems.
Konica Minolta says it is targeting digitally inexperienced commercial printers who hesitate to introduce digital, and digitally experienced commercial printers who have been unable to utilise digital printing effectively. At drupa it launched its printers’ business development programme Digital 1,2,3, 4 to help printers optimise digital solutions.
The KM1 B2 concept printer uses Konica Minolta inkjet heads and Komori paper handling. Print resolution is 1200x1200dpi, with UV ink, which means instant duplex printing is available. It is currently a four colour prototype press, with six colours in the future. It prints 3,300sph, or 1650sph in duplex (perfecting) mode.
According to Masatoshi Matsuzaki, president and CEO of Konica Minolta, at this drupa the company is showing production printing and colour measurement and inkjet print head and inkjet digital printing system. The company is now in its mid-term business plan, which is designed to expand growth, change to a global company and increase recognition of Konica Minolta brand.
Growth is coming through a solid product line up, expanding colour print volumes, and by tapping into the commercial printing market. So in the commercial printing sector, the company has signed an agreement with Komori in two areas: Komori to sell Konica Minolta presses, and Konica Minolta and Komori co-develop the inkjet printing system under the KM1 B2 sheet fed press, which is on the stand at the show.
Inkjet is going to be a big part of Konica Minolta’s future. The company is producing its own inkjet heads, which are already being used in textile printing. The company has 16,000 customers in Europe alone these days in its production print area.
The new colour bizhub Press C1100 is slated for launch next year; it will be the company’s fastest digital colour press. It only requires a low skill level to operate, and will have a digital workflow that accommodates last minute changes, web-to-print ordering and inline finishing. The new monochrome bizhub Press 1052 and 1250 will be launched next July.
