Company targeting new markets in the commercial printing sector.
KM-1 presentation at Konica Minolta’s booth at Ipex 2014At Ipex, which was held in London’s ExCel from March 24-29, Konica Minolta announced its further reach into new markets by portfolio expansion, particularly for the commercial printing sector.
The company showed how it is exploiting digital short-run packaging markets with demonstrations of its KM-1 B2+ UV inkjet colour press for digital short-run production. It said that this will enable commercial printers to expand their print applications with larger sheet sizes for 3-panel and 4-panel brochures, pocket folders, posters, point-of-purchase graphics, dust jackets, wrap-around book covers and even light packaging applications at the speed of up to 3,300 sheets per hour.
At its press conference at the exhibition, the company stated that it continues to strengthen its position in production printing as number one in the mid-production colour print systems but that it also wants to become the number one in that segment in terms of print volume. At the show, Konica Minolta gave some insights regarding its strategy to move forward.
Current infoSource figures for fiscal year 2013 show that Konica Minolta has further strengthened its number one position in the European production printing market. In Western Europe the company has achieved a market share of 54 per cent (MIF) and its position in the Eastern European market is even more impressive where it has a market share of 65 per cent (MIF).
It showcased another technology in the shape of roll-to-roll label printing at up to 18m/min with its Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C70RLC.
After acquiring a 10 per cent stake in MGI Digital Graphic Technology (MGI), Konica Minolta demonstrated on its stand an MGI product to provide value-added jet varnishing. The special product – adding 3D or traditional flat spot UV coating using inkjet heads – can be used for offset or digital printed material on traditional paper and even on broader substrates such as plastics, banners and envelopes
Konica Minolta press conference (from left to right): Toshitaka Uemura, General Manager, CP Business Division/Sales Headquarters, Konica Minolta, Inc; Akiyoshi Ohno, Executive Officer, Division Director, Inkjet Business Unit, Konica Minolta, Inc; Ikuo Nakagawa, President, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe; and Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions EuropeAlso on its stand was software covering workflow connectivity and automation, web-to-print, colour management, as well as 12 running systems. These included for the first time at Ipex the bizhub PRESS C1100, its new colour flagship with a speed of 100 pages per minute targeting the commercial print, print-for-pay and central CRD markets, and due for launch later in 2014.
Throughout Ipex, Konica Minolta had industry experts on hand as part of its commitment designed to show visitors how they can develop clear growth paths using value-added services and digital solutions via a multitude of workflows, applications, and products.
At the press conference, Olaf Lorenz, General Manager, International Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, said: “The “classical” digital business from commercial and industrial printers is moving from analogue to digital – with numerous opportunities from which additional business can be generated. While the offset market still covers 107 billion Euro of revenue, digital only covers 7.7 billion Euro. Digital colour print is set to experience a compound annual growth rate of about four per cent until 2017. With this knowledge, Konica Minolta decided to expand its reach into new markets and increase its product portfolio, as we are committed to the printing industry and convinced it has a bright future.”
For further information about the company, visit www.konicaminolta.eu.
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