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PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Star product
Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c

Kyocera’s first production press offers lots of bang for your buck, Simon Eccles

operating at very low heat to assist with
evaporation, plus low temperature hot air
afterwards. It says “the ink is basically dry
once it comes into contact with the
media”.
Reliability is helped by minimising
moving parts. Routine checks and work
can be carried out after 600,000 prints by
a skilled operator in just 35 minutes,
Kyocera says.
An EFI Fiery FS300 Pro front-end is
described as “optional” in the brochure.
According to Trevor Maloney, TASKalfa
product marketing manager, “the device
can operate without a RIP but
functionality is limited. We are also
planning on launching a Kyocera
software solution soon that can be used
instead of the Fiery.”
Kyocera Europe has also partnered
with Solimar Systems to offer its
iConvert platform for IPDS workflows
and Chemistr y C ustomer
Communications Management workflow
tools to run with the 15000c.
What is it? onto pre-printed offset shells.
This is the Japanese manufacturer’s first The first TASKalfa 15000c to be What’s the USP?
production press. It’s an SRA3-format installed in the UK was at Document Kyocera lists its own inkjet printhead
sheetfed four-colour inkjet with a top Specifications Despatch in Basingstoke, in summer tech, few moving parts to go wrong, low
speed of 150 A4 ppm. It’s priced to Process Piezo inkjet 2020. Further installations have been energy consumption (claiming “67%
compete with mid-range dry toner Inks Aqueous made since, and Matthews says he less” than equivalent toner presses) and
presses and mainly aimed at pigment (CMYK) expects sales to really take off now that overall good environmental credentials.
transactional and direct mail ‘white Speed 150 A4ppm, Covid restrictions have been lifted
paper’ and litho overprinting markets. 88 A3ppm enough to invite prospects to see the How easy is it to use?
Although Kyocera has long made a Duty cycle 1m pages press at the UK showroom. “We’re doing The Kyocera user interface is well proven
well-regarded series of inkjet printheads, per month demos every week now,” he says. and designed to be intuitive. Operators
they have mostly been sold to other Sheet sizes A6 to get basic training on installation but
printer manufacturers. Kyocera does 330x487mm incl How does it work? there’s an optional three-day advanced
offer smaller toner-based MFPs (multi- envelopes There are 12 piezo printheads in four programme tailored to customer
function printers) and related office Max media weights banks of three per colour. The resolution requirements.
printers under its TASKalfa brand. 75-360gsm can be 600x600dpi or 600x1,200dpi for
To help gain a foothold in the new Standard feeders more detail at slower speeds. The speed is How will it be supplied?
market, last year Kyocera took on Chris Dual 500-sheet trays; the same regardless of media thickness. Kyocera UK is appointing partners with
Matthews as UK production print dual 1,500-sheet The first sheet emerges in 5.0 seconds existing knowledge of production print.
manager. Although as this issue of trays; 150-sheet when copying or 5.5 seconds when So far about 10 have been appointed.
Printweek was going to press, it emerged multi-purpose tray, printing.
that Matthews was heading to pastures totalling 4,150 sheets An autofeeding scanner is standard and What does it cost?
new; he’s leaving the business with a Price From £130,000 an inline bookletmaker is optional. The price is £130,000-£200,000
strong pipeline of orders. The print colour is rather flat; good depending on options. This is about a
enough for direct mail or transactional third of what established B3/SRA3 inkjet
When was it launched at what are the work on uncoated papers, though you press competitors from Canon and Xerox
target markets? wouldn’t use it for top quality brochures cost, though they can double the 15000c
The TASKalfa Pro 15000c was launched or photobooks. It can only run uncoated speed and are compatible with coated
in November 2019. It is being marketed or silk papers, not gloss. litho stocks.
mainly for direct mail and transactional The printer and the various other But for about the price of a mid-volume
variable data work. Although it handles modules run from single-phase 13A 120ppm dry toner press, you could have a
full colour, it is also suited to plugs, taking just two minutes to warm 150ppm inkjet with claimed lower running
overprinting variable data black or spots up. Kyocera uses a set of ink heaters costs and higher uptimes.
“The TASKalfa Pro 15000c was launched in November 2019.”

30 PrintWeek MENA November 2021 www.printweekmena.com