Konica Minolta’s bizhub devices recently swept the board at the Buyers Laboratory LLC’s (BLI) 2015 PRO Awards by scooping all three prizes. Particularly noteworthy is the unit’s colour consistency, which is among the best BLI has seen and earned the rarely awarded 5-star rating for this important category. Text and fine lines were equally significant, also earning 5-star ratings, and the device produced smooth halftone curves across all four colours on both coated and uncoated paper. In addition, the unit achieved simplex and duplex throughput speeds at rated speed across the entire supported media range.
The new bizhub PRESS C1100 series from Konica Minolta South Africa is ideally placed to create new sources of revenue for clients, as well as to maximise uptime and print orders.These new colour production printers are perfect for commercial print providers, central reprographic departments (CRDs) and anyone who needs large print volumes delivered at high speeds. The new series also offers outstanding performance, first-rate quality and attractive added value.
In keeping with the motto: 'Better performance while cutting time and costs', the new digital colour production printers also meet the demands for completing a wider range of high-volume jobs more efficiently, while meeting high-level specifications and enhancing output.
The Need For Speed
With printing speeds of 100 ppm, the bizhub PRESS C1100 series offers the fastest of Konica Minolta’s colour production printers. Various types of printing jobs with tight deadlines can be completed more efficiently and punctually while cutting operating costs and work time. In addition, the new devices offer high-performance printing, the same printing speed for paper weights ranging from 55gsm to 350gsm, as well as automatic duplex printing, which all improve efficiency and prevent productivity loss.
De-Curling And Automatic Colour Calibration
The de-curling functionality is unique to Konica Minolta as the RU-511 relay unit offers mechanical zigzag de-curling, which reduces waviness and curl in both directions for uncoated and coated papers. Additionally, the optional Intercooler Curl Eliminator (ICE) can be integrated to humidify the paper passage and help not only paper curl and clinging, but also electro static as it cools down the paper for immediate finishing. Up to three paper feeding modules can be connected to boost the devices’ performance to a maximum of nine trays, thus offering a capacity of 13890 sheets.
A density sensor and colour feedback system that uses a new algorithm are also mounted in the RU-11. The output colour feedback system is capable of measuring secondary colours (RGB) in addition to CMYK; whilst densities can be corrected to match the characteristics of the output paper, achieving more precise and stabilised colour reproductions during continuous printing.
Skew Detection And High Image Positioning Accuracy
Thanks to the Skew Detection System monitoring the skewness of the leading edge of the paper, the bizhub PRESS C1100 produces prints with the highest front-to-back accuracy.
The high-precision registration unit, combining the paper skew detection system and auto-correction mechanism with an interim roller nip release mechanism, auto corrects the amount of paper skewness and aids paper registration being fed through the machine. All these features enable realisation of high front-to-back registration accuracy.
100% Productivity
The Simitri HD E polymerised toner, inherent to Konica Minolta products, guarantees consistently high-quality image output and better environmental performance. Advanced S.E.A.D. IV image processing technology also improves image quality and reproducibility.
The synergy between the newly-designed large-diameter upper fusing system and Simitri HD E toner enables realisation of high speed printing across paper weights from 55 to 350gsm. Improvements to the fusing roller have enabled expansion of the fusing belt contact area, resulting in greater optimisation to achieve speedy and homogenised heat transfer.
Image Density Control monitors the image consistency during continuous printing without affecting the performance. Corrections are fully automatic and improve the stability of the image quality, while the whole process considerably enhances production efficiency.
In-Line Finishing
The bizhub PRESS C1100 can be equipped with a wide range of finishing options to create professional print products in one step without manual intervention; such as booklet production, perfect binding, auto ring binding and, of course, high stacking capabilities of up to 10,000 sheets.
Highly Awarded
David Sweetnam, head of BLI’s European Research and Lab Services, said, 'Usually, we see models that excel in one or two areas, but fall short in others. But with very high ratings across the board in every category, the bizhub PRESS C1100 will be a good fit in mid-volume production environments regardless of whether productivity, image quality, media handling or ease of use is the main concern.'
The bizhub PRESS C1100 was awarded Outstanding Colour Mid-Volume Production Device; whilst the bizhub PRESS 1052 and bizhub PRESS 2250P were awarded Outstanding Monochrome Light- to Mid-Volume Production Device and Outstanding Monochrome Mid- to High-Volume Production Device respectively.
These awards acknowledge the best-in-class devices in BLI’s production field tests. Having generated tens of millions of impressions on production devices from the leading vendors over several years, BLI’s production tests reveal the attributes that distinguish the most outstanding performers in a challenging evaluation covering productivity, image quality, media handling, ease of use and more.
FOGRA Certification
FOGRA is the leading research organisation for the printing industry. FOGRA certification is one of the industry's top stamps of quality approval and demonstrates that products are able to meet precise international printing industry standards for colour accuracy and quality. The bizhub PRESS C1100 digital printing system fulfils all criteria and is FOGRA certified.
With these products, flexible production systems meet professional demands, and achieve a wide range of post-processing requirements to increase profitability by reducing operating hours, cutting costs and adding value. With the bizhub PRESS C1100 series, Konica Minolta has taken the next step in the colour production printer market. Performance is the key to boosting the print supply businesses, and that’s exactly what these devices deliver.
Konica Minolta South Africa +27 (0)11 661-9000 leonm@kmsa.com www.konicaminoltasa.com.
This feature was published in the Africa Print Journal magazine.
