Issue #0838/1 – This week, in Wilsonville, Oregon, Xerox unveiled a brand new solid ink A3 colour MFP exclusively to industry analysts in advance of the annual investors’ conference on Monday. Not a concept product and not a mock-up, the device was demonstrated as a fully working and fully functional MFP with expanded paper feed and finishing options attached. Full launch will not be until sometime in 2009, before which no detailed specifications will be available.
Drawing on, and pulling together, Xerox’s long expertise in the production of MFPs and solid ink printers, and representing the most exciting (and long overdue!) development in the upper office and enterprise hard copy market for years, the ‘device’ (no product naming structure has yet been revealed) breaks the mould for colour MFPs is several respects.
Firstly, it will be the greenest MFP on the market, even over and above ECOSYS products from Kyocera. As a solid ink engine, waste packaging comes only from packs of ink sticks and one long-life maintenance tray, meaning that total waste produced during a lifetime’s use will be up to 90% less than a comparative laser product.
And, all of the supplies packaging is 100% recyclable merely through depositing the waste in appropriate waste bins. The vast majority of the total waste comprises a cardboard carton and a thin plastic protective tray, which in itself is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. The only customer replaceable unit (CRU) that is involved is the long-life maintenance tray.
This is in comparison with waste from a typical laser MFP product that comprises: cardboard packaging; cardboard shock absorber innards; plastic, electrostatic protective bags; toner cartridges, which may include OPC drums, gears, rollers, clips and screws, etc.; transfer rollers or drums, with all the mechanics, metals and plastics that they incorporate; waste toner bottles; and other items. All of these, except for the cardboard elements of the packaging, require specialised collection and recycling – at a cost and involving considerable energy consumption in the process.
Secondly, running costs. The ‘device’ will offer breakthrough running costs for a colour MFP whereby pages printed in colour will cost the same as pages printed in mono – largely equivalent to the current offering on the Phaser 8860 A4 device.
In addition, the ‘device’ has been designed in such a way that it will receive existing finishing units from current MFP models, thus saving all the development costs associated with designing separate new units to fit the new machine.
Concern may be expressed regarding print speed of the solid ink engine but this new engine pushes print speeds a further notch or two above those speeds experienced with current A4 solid ink products, such as the Phaser 8860.
Destined to make waves in the enterprise hard copy environment, due to its high performance, low environmental impact, low running costs and breakthrough ease of use, the new solid ink A3 colour MFP is sure to be much sought-after regardless of the fact that economic and climate issues force us all to consider our activities carefully.
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