Konica Minolta launches bizhub 40P/40PX series

     Konica Minolta Business Solutions has unveiled the bizhub 40P/40PX Series of black and white desktop printers. Developed for medium to large workgroups that require significant black & white output, these new network-ready printers deliver simplicity, manageability, and value to both end-users and IT departments.
     The bizhub 40P/40PX Series featuring Konica Minolta’s own Emperon print system architecture, is a high-quality 45 pages per minute laser printer that boasts performance and value along with productivity.
     Compatible with Windows, Macintosh and Linux environments, the Emperon Print Technology in this series supports XPS (XML Paper Specification) file format from Microsoft Vista with a built-in XPS interpreter in addition to PostScript, PDF, and PCL emulations.
     Secure prints via password protected printing are also possible.
     “The bizhub 40P/40PX Series expands our product line of bizhub print solutions, allowing us to provide our customers a more comprehensive range of tools to optimize their print environment,” said Kevin P. Kern, vice president, marketing and product planning, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. “By incorporating our exclusive Emperon Print Technology, we can deliver a common operating system across our line of MFP and printer products, which simplifies deployment and support for IT professionals.”
     The bizhub 40P/40PX Series is available with an optional 500-sheet offset stacker and an optional duplexer unit (standard on the bizhub 40PX).
     Standard input is 700 sheets, and two optional paper trays allow a maximum capacity of 1,800 sheets, and a wide range of media size and weights can be used.
     The bizhub 40P/40PX Series is available now. Headquartered in Ramsey, NJ, Konica Minolta delivers expert professional services and client support through an extensive network of direct sales offices, authorized dealers, resellers and distribution partners in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Kyocera introduces fastest drop-on-demand inkjet printhead

     Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan has developed the world’s fastest high-resolution inkjet printhead----the main imaging component used in inkjet printers----for commercial applications. The company will commence global sales of the new KJ4 Series printhead this month.
     The KJ4 Series offers outstanding reliability and productivity, with full-color print speeds of up to 200 meters per minute at 600 x 480 dpi, or 150 meters per minute at 600 x 600 dpi. The KJ4 Series also offers the widest print line of any printhead in its class, spanning 4.25 inches (108 millimeters).
     A high-speed inkjet printer equipped with Kyocera’s KJ4 Series printhead will be on display in the booth of Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co., Ltd., at Drupa 2008, a printing industry exhibition. Drupa 2008 takes place from May 29 through June 11, 2008, at the Dusseldorf Trade Fair Center in Germany; the event is held once every four years.
     Kyocera’s KJ4 Series printhead has been produced and sold on a purely limited basis until now. The company began initial technology development with Brother Industries, Ltd. in 2002, and continued KJ4 development efforts independently. Kyocera recently completed approximately one year of successful testing of the KJ4 Series on commercial printing equipment.
     “he superior performance and reliability of Kyocera’s KJ4 Series printhead represents a breakthrough that will open new markets for inkjet printing technology,” stated Hitoshi Takao, general manager of Kyocera Corporation’s Thin Film Components Group. “We believe this product will finally make it possible for the inkjet printer to compete successfully in the mainstream market for commercial printing.”
     During development, Kyocera applied its proprietary piezoelectric ceramics technology to create a compact piezo actuator3 for a critical element of the printhead.
     By optimizing its core competency as a global leader in fine ceramic technologies, Kyocera created a new device that allows inkjet printing with unprecedented speed, resolution and reliability.
     In addition, Kyocera utilized the extensive range of printhead technologies it has accumulated through its commercialization of thermal and LED printheads.
     Leveraging its design and manufacturing expertise, Kyocera arranged the actuator and its accompanying nozzles into a dense, regular pattern for the industry’s widest printhead. Kyocera also ensured that the components work together reliably and with a high level of precision.
     Kyocera projects first-year sales of 1 billion yen (about USD 10 million) for the new product, rising to an expected 10 billion yen (about USD 100 million) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.
     Kyocera’s KJ4 Series printhead has achieved a print speed of 150 meters per minute on Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co., Ltd.’s MJP600 printer. This printer uses Kyocera standard ink and combines two printheads in the scanning direction (each with a speed of 75 meters per minute).
     The MJP600 can print the equivalent of approximately 1,000 sheets of A4 paper per minute.
     The KJ4 Series printhead supports both waterborne pigment ink and UV ink, making it possible to print on paper or other materials ranging from cloth to non-absorbent films and plastics.