Konica Minolta DFT drives inkjet innovation for AccurioJet KM-1

| 18 October 2018

Konica Minolta DFT drives inkjet innovation for AccurioJet KM-1

A unique patented process from Konica Minolta is helping to drive a new wave of innovation within inkjet for its B2 UV LED press, the AccurioJet KM-1, which is seen as the “Swiss Army Knife” of printing thanks to its versatility with substrates and applications.


Konica Minolta has unveiled more details on its Dot Freeze Technology® (DFT) that has overcome one of the fundamental challenges of inkjet printing – uncontrolled ink dot movement that reduces print quality and workable materials.

 

The patented DFT technology uniquely self-freezes ink drops immediately upon contact with the material. A rapid change in temperature turns high-flowing inks from a printhead nozzle into a low-flowing, immobile ink droplet when it hits the material so the challenge of mottling of colours and of printing on to porous materials is eliminated.

 

The result is superior colour stability and consistency and excellent results with instantly dry perfected prints on the widest range of materials. This includes standard offset stock materials without needing pre-treated paper or a primer system in the printing press. Even the thinnest 60-micron paper can be printed two-sided and perfected (duplex) in one process. DFT also extends the CMYK colour gamut, reducing the need for special colours.

 

Konica Minolta’s flagship sheetfed digital AccurioJet KM-1 is the first press in the world to use DFT, which enables customers to explore applications and materials in a way that was not previously possible. It was developed by Konica Minolta, a company with inkjet expertise stretching back more than 40 years covering printhead, ink and textile machine developments, as well as software and colour management. As a market leader, its range of industrial textile digital textile printers include the high-speed single-pass SP-1 and NASSENGER 8 and 10 multi-pass models. And for more than a decade with its toner presses, Konica Minolta has been the No. 1 in Europe in mid- and low-end production printing. 

 

Benefiting from offset-comparable production, the AccurioJet KM-1 is used on a wide range of materials such as plastics, canvas, heavy textured, synthetic and fine art materials. These are in addition to its core capability of printing on standard offset media uncoated and coated paper media materials without the need for pre-treatment. Specialty applications also include loyalty and gift cards.

 

One major benefit of the Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 is the ability to instantly move prints to finishing. This machine has a 100% contact-free printing process and provides excellent front-to-back registration with prints fully perfected. It has a media thickness range of 0.06 to 0.6 mm (simplex) and 0.06 to 0.45 (duplex), print speeds of 3,000 sheets per hour simplex (1,500 duplex) at 1200x1200dpi and the industry’s biggest sheet size available at 585 x 750mm.

 

Mark Hinder, Konica Minolta Europe’s Head of Market Development, said: “The AccurioJet KM-1 press is providing a real alternative to offset and enabling customers to become more profitable. This sheetfed B2 UV LED press is unlocking more creative opportunities and expanding application portfolios successfully for customers globally. These include some of the largest photo and book producers in the world, as well as direct mail houses, commercial and online printers.”

 

He added: “From the printers’ perspective, it’s about cost-efficiency and productivity. Printing using our unique and proprietary technology reassures the customer that they will achieve high quality and constancy from job to job and sheet to sheet.”

 

For further information, please contact:

Keith Hau 
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd 
Phone: +44 (0)7714221751
Email: press@konicaminolta.co.uk


Dot Freeze Technology

With our patented printing process you get colour consistency from page to page and the ability to print on untreated paper without pre-coating. Delivering high print quality and a wide colour gamut. No primer, no water, no paper curl.

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