By DPS Staff
Canon recently invited customers, as well as industry press and analysts, to participate in a two-week event this May in the company’s Poing, Germany facility.
The event, titled Canon for Business 2014 hosted more than 2,600 customers that were sent on a virtual journey split into four stages—Insight, Inspiration, Delivery, and Support.
Niagara Update
Prior to the main event in Poing, press and analysts spent a day in Venlo, The Netherland’s to preview Canon’s new project, the “Niagara” inkjet printer.
Canon touts Niagara as a game changing, sheet-fed inkjet platform that produces at 300 A/4 letter impressions per minute, Niagara is positioned between Canon’s imagePRESS and high-end ColorStream, JetStream, and ImageStream series products.
In a presentation to press and analysis, Erik van Deurzen, director product management, OIP Production System Grou Venio, Océ Technologies B.V., discussed the Niagara project. For targeted applications, it promises to accelerate the B&W to color and offset to digital transition as well as consolidate existing cut-sheet B&W, highlight color, and full-color volume onto one platform.
The device uses standard CMYK and an in-house developed aqueous ink. It handles media up to B3—19.7×13.9 inches—and weight between 60 to 300 gsm.
Insight, Inspiration, Delivery
Back in Poing, as part the Insight stage of the Canon for Business 2014 event, the company highlighted recent findings of its report, Building your Future with Print. Based on in-depth research, the report identifies several areas where the perception of print buyers and suppliers currently differ.
For instance, print buyers are now more aware of digital print applications then they were two years ago, however 31 percent remain unaware of print on demand or short-run applications. This leaves an opportunity for print providers. Similarly, while the report finds that the use of Web to print (W2P) by print buyers has grown by 50 percent since 2012, more than 66 percent of print providers do not currently offer W2P services.
Within the Inspiration track, customers attended a variety of seminars on business mentoring and Canon’s Business & Innovation Scan, which offers an independent assessment of a customer’s current business capabilities and future growth opportunities.
In the Delivery and Support stages, Canon showcased its portfolio of professional print solutions including wide format, cut sheet, and continuous feed devices as well as software.
Several product announcements also took place throughout the event.
Océ ImageStream 3500
Canon Europe announced the Océ ImageStream 3500. This marks the manufacturer’s first full-color press from the Océ inkjet product range that can print on offset coated paper stocks.
The ImageStream 3500 runs up to 525 feet per minute (fpm) at 1,200×600 dpi with flexible droplet modulation for even higher perceived image resolution.
Additionally, the machine features new pigment inks designed to provide finer edge sharpness, less fray and dot gain, and increased optical density for a stronger contrast.
The Océ ImageStream 3500 is scheduled for availability beginning in 2015.
Océ VarioStream 4000
Attendees also witnessed the launch of the Océ VarioStream 4000, a newly designed, toner-based monochrome simplex/duplex continuous feed solution. It is developed for enhanced flexibility for corporate data centers, PSPs, and commercial printers with mid to very high print volumes.
The latest addition to the VarioStream features a speed range between 180 to 1,200 pages per minute and A4 simplex and duplex printing in two-up mode, the continuous feed VarioStream is ideal for transactional, TransPromo, and direct mail applications.
InfiniStream
Just prior to the press and analyst event in Poing, Canon announced the first installation of its inline carton board coating, cutting, and stacking solution for the roll-fed Océ Infinistream at Joh. Leupold GmbH, a packaging printer based in Schwabach, Germany.
The InfiniStream is designed to address fundamental trends in the packaging value chain, such as decreased run lengths, limited waste, and reduced turnaround times. According to the company, the technology offers quality and productivity at sheet-fed offset level. Integrated in a roll-fed modular print tower architecture, the electrophotographic liquid toner process enables high-quality printing on standard carton board with an extended color gamut based on seven colors. It features a line speed of up to 394 fpm and produces 14,400 B2 or 7,200 B1 sheets per hour in a 28-inch Web.
Commitment to Success
Canon continues to expand its portfolio to address the latest trends and evolving demands of the print industry.
Through continuous technology upgrades to flagship lines and the launch of entirely new platforms, we expect the company to remain a leading provider of digital printing platforms for its core markets, including graphic arts, transactional, and direct mail—all areas we cover in-depth throughout the year. dps
Jul2014, DPS Magazine
