At Labelexpo 2016, Konica Minolta showcased its bizhub PRESS C71cf to the visitors and Indian customers for the first time. The bizhub PRESS C71cf is the company’s first digital press for the label industry in India and it is aimed as an optimum printing solution for small- and medium-sized businesses in the label and packaging segment.
Yuji Nakata, managing director, Konica Minolta India said, “The new digital press will completely change the dynamics of the market. Typically, the digital label market in India can be broadly divided into three segments—low, mid and high. The high end has big players such as HP or Xeikon whereas in the low segment, there are some Chinese companies competing. There is, however, a sort of vacuum in the mid segment. We are primarily targetting this mid segment with our product. There is a need in the market and we expect to do well in the segment.”
The bizhub PRESS C71cf has a printing resolution of 1200 dpi,equivalent to 3600 dpi x 1200 dpi and prints images with a maximum size of 1195 x 320 mm. It is compatible with a paper width of 330 mm. It also packs in low temperature fusing technology and Simitri HDE toner, enabling it to print on a broad range of different materials including synthetic paper and polypropylene.
According to Yoshinori Koide, executive general manager – PP and IP marketing, Konica Minolta India, “Most flexo label printers or other established printers are majorly stressed as they don’t get any free time with their presses to do any kind of short-run printing. Our press will give them the flexibility to do a short- to mid-run job very easily.”
Nakata also informed that the company is moving towards industrial printing products now with this new label printer and other products such as the MGI range or the KM-1. Konica Minolta also demonstrated its bizhub PRESS 1250 digital printing press for high volume printing demands in B&W domain. The press comes with a printing speed of up to 125 ppm and is also embedded with real-time image density and toner ratio sensors for high image stability during prolonged printing operations.
