Chroma becomes first Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 customer in Poland
After extensive testing and a successful installation in January, the commercial printer is making money on a range of applications. These include posters, flyers, business cards, calendars and other marketing collaterals in their state-of-the-art 5,500m production facilities in Zary. This first installation of the AccurioJet KM-1 in Poland will complement other solutions for Chroma from Konica Minolta, which include the MGI JETVarnish 3D digital spot UV coater. It will further strengthen Chroma’s position as an innovative print company looking to develop new applications that the B2+ digital press can deliver. Konica Minolta will be supporting Chroma to grow its online business as part of ongoing consultancy.
“We are confident that we have made the right investment decision,” said Andrzej Nowak, R&D Manager at Chroma, which employs 165 employees and was established 25 years ago. “As the market continues to evolve with the increase of shorter-run length jobs we are transferring these from litho to the AccurioJet KM-1. This will enable us to capitalise on the machine’s ability to match offset quality and have quicker job turnarounds, greater efficiency and substantial cost-savings. The AccurioJet KM-1 strengthens our position in the market and will help us grow.”
Dubbed the “Swiss Army” knife of the printing industry because it has so many uses, the AccurioJet KM-1 can easily be integrated into offset and digital environments with productivity of up to 3,000 sheets per hour simplex on a range of media. Its numerous advantages include the patented "Dot Freeze” LED UV-cured ink technology, guaranteeing perfect colour registration and outstanding image stability.
The Chroma contract comes within weeks of Realisaprint.com’s announcement as the first user in France of the same system, underlining how Konica Minolta is on a success path with the AccurioJet KM-1. Fully automated finishing is now being offered in partnership with Rollem International and Harrison Bruno. These further significant developments enable print companies to fully automate and achieve even greater efficiencies thanks to a bridge that enables connecting to other third-party finishing devices.
Mark Hinder, Head of Market Development, Konica Minolta Europe Business Solutions GmbH, said: “The AccurioJet KM-1 market attraction continues to set the benchmark. We are delighted to welcome Chroma to a growing family that joins many other users benefiting from this highly productive and highly stable UV inkjet platform. Our approach is to treat every customer as a family member to support their business objectives.
“Chroma is also benefiting by developing new applications and opportunities that the uniqueness of Dot Freeze Technology™ offers compared to other digital printing processes,” he concludes. The Dot Freeze Technology™ ability to “freeze” the inkjet dot enables perfect registration of colours and image stability. Customers confirm a delta E colour shift of no more than 1.5, which happens to be a major advantage for new customers to invest in this platform.
The AccurioJet KM-1 offers immense flexibility, not least through its unique ability to produce duplex prints that come off the press and go straight to finishing without the need for drying. Registration accuracy is guaranteed by using the same gripper-to-gripper technology used in offset. It can handle a wide variety of media, including coated and uncoated paper, offset paper, textured substrates, canvas and PVC from 60 to 600 microns thickness without pre-treatment.