Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000 delivers quality, accuracy and productivity gains
Recently, Auckland-based web to print specialist Banner Express installed a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000. Raymond Kho, owner and director at Banner Express, says, “We had another machine and the lease had expired, so it was time to upgrade. I had been talking to Rob Whiting from Konica Minolta New Zealand about the AccurioPress.
“I told Rob about the issues we were having with our old machine, and then we started to engage with their ideas. Rob was quite helpful and when he showed me the machine, it ran really well. I liked the colour quality and after discussing pricing etc, we got a great deal from Konica Minolta. Now, the AccurioPress C12000 is delivering high quality print for us.”
Konica Minolta’s IQ-501 is a fully automated, closed-loop quality management tool that performs automatic density correction and front-to-back registration prior to printing. This unit inspects colour density and registration accuracy on a sheet-by-sheet basis throughout the print run taking remedial action if it detects any deviation. It does all of this, and more at the full rated speed of 120 pages per minute.
Raymond says, “I would like to mention a few key points about how the IQ is helping us. Firstly, we have long term customers with repeat jobs and we used to spend a fair amount of time adjusting colours. Second, we used to have to do a lot of printing to get the alignment right. The AccurioPress has put an end to those issues.
“Most of our work is booklets, flyers, brochures and business cards. Not having to worry about manual colour adjustment and registration is a major benefit to our business. I would say production has improved 25 per cent; we are simply doing more work in the same amount of time and that is not just because the AccurioPress is printing much faster than our previous machine.
“It is interesting because I try not to have to do overtime. Previously, the team would have to stay at work to get the long run jobs done but now, we can finish the jobs on time.
“Also, having the alignment basically spot on is also vital for print finishing. For example, folding and die-cutting require accurate registration and we have that with the AccurioPress C12000. It is a seriously good machine and we are running it pretty much constantly.
“One really cool feature of the AccurioPress is its ability to handle media up to 450gsm at the rated speed, enabling us to do thick cards and premium business cards. We can duplex with that as well. A lot of other machines can only do simplex on the heavier stock.
“Another important point I want to raise is the technical support we get from the Konica Minolta team. We have never had a Konica Minolta machine before and they have responded really well with any issues, reducing downtime. I think the Konica Minolta support is fantastic and their communication is very good.
“Right now we are really busy but we are keen to explore new products with the improved production capabilities and finishing options of the AccurioPress C12000; that is the next step, sometime next year.”
Web to print
Immigrating to New Zealand in 2013, Raymond Kho saw an opportunity for web to print.
He explains, “I had owned and ran a print company in Singapore, although I am originally from Malaysia. I started Banner Express in 2013 because I saw the possibilities for web to print as a niche print business. We initially focused on designs but later we moved to digital printing.
“We have been able to go nationwide because we have such a strong web presence, and that goes back to when I started Banner Express.
“While we lost 40 per cent of business during Covid-19, we also had long term customers who stayed with us. We are actually busier now than pre-Covid and our Customer base has grown. We did not lose any staff. In fact, after Covid we have employed more staff.
“I am appreciative of the 10 staff members here at Banner Express. For me, the people around me are important. Every company can come up with the same pricing and product but it is the service level that we provide that makes the difference.
“It is a fact that our staff are a significant factor in the success of this business and its survival through the worst part of the pandemic. Their support certainly helped us get through a difficult time.”
Originally published in the November 2022 issue of the New Zealand Printer Magazine.