Countdown to Drupa: KM-1 to be the star at Konica Minolta stall

Konica Minolta is well known in the Indian market and left its stamp with its commercial-level bizhub range of printers. A visit to its Gurgaon demo centre and HQ make syou realise that the company’s production print business also offers a range of 3D printers, finishing systems, inkjet textile printers, the KIP wide-format printers, and value-added industrial print solutions such as UV coaters. 

During an interview with V Balakrishnan, the executive general manager – marketing, marketing division, Konica Minolta India, he said, “The production printing division has a number of released products that it will be able to draw upon to add value for customers. These include the KM-1 B2 UV inkjet sheetfed press, the bizhub Press C71cf roll-to-roll continuous digital label printer, and the MGi JetVarnish 3DS, with spot and tactile varnishing capabilities.

While the bizhub Press C71cf was launched at Labelexpo in Brussels in 2015, the KM-1 B2 sheetfed press will be showcased at Drupa. Four years after a public showing during 2012.

Since that first public showing, the B2 press, has been “in development phase”, and “a lengthy trial period”. Konica Minolta wanted to be comfortable with its performance and build up support infrastructure for the machine before moving into full commercial production.

In addition to the digital machines, the business zones at Drupa will cover the complete Konica Minolta production printing portfolio. This includes markets such as industrial inkjet, label printing and marketing automation. With a view to adding some rock and roll flair to proceedings, almost all of the print samples focus on Konica’s Drupa show band Alice Francis and provide real-life examples of the marketing materials required by a band, such as posters, banners, post cards, photobooks, calendars, etc.