Imaging Solution Monthly Magazine April 2019

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ISSUE 04 VOLUME 07 Monthly Magazine April 2019

36 Pages

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www.imagingsolution.in THE BEST INFORMATION RESOURCE FOR IMAGING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

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E d i t o r ’ s desk Dear Readers, The printing industry in India is currently experiencing many transitions, the latest in the form of Digital Printing. Digital printing branded as ‘New Business Printing’ is a key area on the rise. Demands from the print customers are increasingly being met with digital printing and related services.

The Printing industry is no different. Many segments of the printing industry have already adopted digital as a supplement to, or replacement for offset printing, and experts think that digital printing will experience remarkable growth over the next few years. That sort of growth cannot be ignored , even by small-to-midsize quick print shops that have been printing offset successfully for many years and have been slower to embrace digital.

There’s no doubt that new value-added services are the lifeblood of the printing industry, and will become even more critical in the decade to come. Graphic arts service providers need to offer more than just ink on paper, because their customers’ businesses are demanding it. Ignoring value-added services such as consulting, mailing and fulfillment, pre-press services, and variable information printing will be perilous, as more and more printers develop these non-traditional competencies to be more competitive.

The printers that have begun to adopt these services are already seeing key benefits, including improved customer satisfaction, increased profitable revenue and an expanded customer base. While implementing these services may seem daunting, printers won’t have to do it alone.

Editor’s

Desk

Swapan Roy Editor & Publisher

Publisher & Editor : Editor in Chief : Asst. Editor : Staff Photographer : Product Head : Marketing Manager : Marketing Executive :

Finance : Circulation Head : Circulation Asst. :

Swapan Roy Manoj Jha S. Goswamy Ajay Kumar Tapan Roy Tridip Dey S. Dutta, Raj Kumar Sujit Goswami Sandip Sarkar Pratap Biswas Ashish Ghosh / Ashok Paul

Roy Mediative Head Office: A-23 1st floor, Okhla Industrial Area Phase - 1, New Delhi-110020 (India) P: 91-11-41602841, 65683896, 40536384-87 M: 09810380882, 09811346846, 09910146340, 09350468790 Reg. Office: 38-B/56 Block, C. R. Park, New Delhi-110019 (India) SOUTH REPRESENTATIVE: Chennai: Mob: 9810380882 Kolkata: 105/19, Dum Dum Road, Sil Colony, Kolkata-700074 (India) Mob: 09891666264, 09330922965, 09903392620

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c o n te n ts

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News Update

Expansion plan

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Creative Copiers Aims to Expand their Partner Network and Business Operations product roundup

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interaction

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Best Quality Product, Affordable Prices and Timely Delivery are Merits of Cartridge King Mr. Lalji Patel,

Proprietor, Cartridge King

tech talk What do you really know about cartridge chips?

22 review Growlam : Paper Shredder i-Shred STS08CD

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Elizabeth McKee Announced as Static Control’s General Counsel Static Control announces that Elizabeth McKee has been promoted to the company’s General Counsel position effective April 1. McKee replaces industry veteran Skip London, who remains with Static Control serving as Executive Vice President. Beth has been instrumental in all of our key legal cases through the years,” said London.

“I’m completely confident she will carry the torch in defending the aftermarket with the same tenacity that I’ve had in my years with Static Control.”

McKee has been with Static Control for more than 10 years and has played an integral role in Static Control’s landmark Lexmark and Canon cases. In addition, she’s shared her passion for the law teaching as an adjunct professor at American Public University Systems and Fayetteville Technical Community College. She sits on the Council of the North Carolina Bar Association Corporate Counsel, and also serves as the co-chair for the Corporate Counsel’s legislative committee. McKee received her J.D. from Syracuse University and is licensed to practice in North Carolina and Georgia. “I’m excited to represent Static Control as General Counsel at such a pivotal time in the company’s history,” said McKee. “I look forward to continuing to fight for the aftermarket and working with the executive leadership on continuing to strengthen Static Control’s position as an industry leader.”

Color-Logic Donates Process Metallic Software to Dunwoody College of Technology The Graphic Design Department at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the latest graphic design school to receive a copy of the Color-Logic Process Metallic Color System software. Discussing the donation, ColorLogic Director of Sales and Marketing Mark Geeves said: “Dunwoody is widely known for turning out students schooled in practical graphic arts, and most graduates move directly into printing and packaging firms, as well as production art and design roles at creative studios and in-house roles. This focus made Dunwoody an obvious choice to receive a copy of our software. We were particularly impressed with the fact that every Dunwoody graphic design student receives a laptop already loaded with the very software they will need upon graduation, so the learning curve in industry is brief. Students

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at Dunwoody are already using Color-Logic-both in the classroom and in projects designed to show prospective employers the depth of their skill.”

Lexmark Featured in CRN’s 2019 Partner Program Guide

Lexmark announced that CRN has given Lexmark a 5-Star rating in its 2019 Partner Program Guide. This annual guide identifies

the strongest and most successful partner programs in the channel, offered by the top technology suppliers for IT products and services. The 5-Star rating recognizes an elite subset of companies that offer solution providers the best partnering elements in their channel programs. To determine the 2019 5-Star ratings, The Channel Company’s research team assessed each supplier’s partner program based on investments in program offerings, partner profitability, partner training, education and support, marketing programs and resources, sales support, and communication. Lexmark’s Partner Program is a global and integrated marketing program that empowers partners to effectively win more business opportunities by taking advantage of Lexmark offerings in a rewarding manner.

Lexmark offers partners access to innovative imaging solutions and technologies, tools, resources and benefits that ultimately improve their bottom line. “With new technologies emerging every year, evaluating which IT vendors to partner with grows increasingly more complex for solution providers,” said Bob Skelley, CEO, The Channel Company.

“We are proud the CRN Partner Program Guide has become the trusted resource to identify the most rewarding partner programs and provides crucial insight into their strengths and benefits for the channel.”

“The designation for the second year in a row as a 5-Star technology vendor from CRN demonstrates Lexmark’s dedication to our channel partners,” said Sammy Kinlaw, vice president, worldwide channel and OEM sales. “With our announcements in the past year of the Lexmark GO Line and Two Series, and the introduction of our Lexmark Cloud Management tools, we are focused on providing the right products, programs and coverage for our partners.”

Axcient Appoints Gina Thompson as New Vice President of Worldwide Channels and Distribution Axcient announced the appointment of Gina Thompson to vice president, Worldwide Channels and Distribution. In this role, Thompson will be responsible for developing strategic alliances and driving increased adoption of Axcient’s business availability suite in the IT channel. Thompson will report to Jeff Cummings, chief revenue

officer at Axcient. Thompson has more than 20 years of IT channel experience and a strong track record of leading global business transformation, designing complex strategic initiatives, and delivering solid operational planning and processes that drive business results. In her most recent role as the Global Cloud Business Operations Transformation Leader at Ingram Micro, Thompson worked closely with key stakeholders from different parts of the business and geographies to access where programs needed to be built or improved to support accelerated growth, a scalable business model, reduction of costs and increased efficiencies. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from State University of New York College at Buffalo and an MBA from Canisius College. “Gina brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Axcient, and we are

excited to welcome her to the team,” said Cummings. “This announcement reaffirms our commitment to the IT channel and our focus on helping our partners elevates their go-to-market strategies with Axcient’s suite of leading cloud solutions. As a change agent in the industry with a proven ability to provide leadership during transformational market changes, we look forward to the growth and impact Gina will have in her new role.”

Keypoint Intelligence Ranks Canon Number One in Inkjet Market Share for Third Consecutive Year Canon U.S.A. Inc. announced that Canon has been ranked number one in the U.S. for continuous feed, cut sheet, and total-high volume inkjet market share for the third consecutive year.

Based on InfoTrends data and published by Keypoint Intelligence, a top market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry, the new report places Canon in the highest ranking in the three key metrics around inkjet market share.“There is a massive growth opportunity for suppliers who develop inkjet printing technology as they benefit from page migration from other print technologies. In the U.S. alone, page volume for high-speed inkjet continues to grow at a fast pace to reach over 200 billion pages (A4/Letter) by 2022 representing over 12 percent (CAGR) growth in five years,” said Ron Gilboa, group director, production, Keypoint Intelligence. “Canon’s leading position stems from its ongoing investment in inkjet technology and, more importantly, in their customers’ success that propelled Canon to this market share position for three consecutive years.” “Today, printing

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n e w s u pdate companies know that inkjet is a big part of the future of their business. The question becomes whether they have the infrastructure and support for inkjet to propel their business forward,” said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A. Inc. “At Canon, we have not only invested in our product portfolio to help address our customers’ evolving needs, but we’ve also placed a priority on the consultation, service and support we provide to help ensure that our customers are well prepared to see the benefits of their investment. I think that has been a big factor in getting us to where we are today.”Canon Solutions America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., has been instrumental in helping maintain prominence in the U.S. as the nation’s production inkjet leader, operating as the sales channel for such innovative products as the Océ ProStream and Océ VarioPrint i-series inkjet presses, which offer outstanding image quality, speed and efficiency required for high-end applications.

The market share gain is also due in part to increased offerings to commercial and book printing accounts. “After extensive research, we decided that Canon was leading the way in inkjet technology and we approached the company for direction on our transition from toner to inkjet,” said David Keiger, production manager at BIP Printing Solutions.

“Ultimately, our decision to go with Canon Solutions America was based on the company’s ability to communicate and effectively guide us to the best possible solutions for our company. Since installation, nearly everything that was promised to us has materialized and we are very excited for what the future holds with Canon.” As inkjet continues to redefine the industry at large, Canon remains vigilant in its approach to helping customers reap the benefits of this transformative technology. It is, however, Canon’s relationships with its customers and the Company’s commitment to being more than just a technology vendor which truly drives innovation forward. Canon sets its focus beyond solutions to also provide professional consulting services and resources to educate clients on how to properly position

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the benefits of Canon inkjet technology and applications to customers to ultimately help them grow page volume.

Konica Minolta Honors Pro-Tech Service Award Recipients Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce its 2017-2018 Pro-Tech Service Award recipients. The 145 dealers were honored at a special presentation during the company’s annual dealer conference on March 5, which took place at the Newport Beach Marriott Resort and Spa in California.

“Congratulations to all our dealers for this outstanding achievement,” said Sam Errigo, executive vice president, Sales and Business Development. “The Pro-Tech program is a rigorous process, and Konica Minolta recognizes and appreciates their exceptional commitment to customer support and satisfaction.” The Pro-Tech program requires that dealer’s complete strict training and servicing criteria to ensure they are providing the best customer and product support for their Konica Minolta devices in the field. Pro-Tech dealers must also allow random inspections of their Konica Minolta products at customer locations to verify that products are wellmaintained and customers are satisfied with the level of service. The Pro-Tech designation identifies dealers with exceptional dedication to delivering professional, reliable service and maximum performance for Konica Minolta’s award-winning lines of digital imaging products. To earn the Pro-Tech standard, each element of the dealers’ operations are evaluated, including management skills, inventory control systems, technical expertise, dispatch systems and customer satisfaction ratings. By becoming part of this elite group of experts, Konica Minolta dealers are able to provide the services of Pro-Tech certified technicians to all their customers – raising

the standard of customer service and assuring customers that they can Count on Konica Minolta for all their document imaging and solution needs.

Compass Announces New Enhancements to SherpaGo Compass Sales Solutions is excited to announce recently released New Enhancements to our SherpaGo software.

SherpaGo mobility suite brings the power and functionality of Sherpa to your sales professional’s smartphone and allows for such items as completing activities, equipment, opportunities, pricing, and live ERP data.

All from the palm of their hand! Our users that utilize SherpaGo will be as excited as we are to see the changes that have been implemented to make your SherpaGo experience a more streamlined process. At Compass we realize how hectic things can get when out in the field, calling on your clients and wanting to access the information you have diligently stored within your Sherpa database. We are continually striving to accommodate those daily needs.

Better Buys Honors Four Epson Commercial Document Scanners with Editor’s Choice Awards

Epson America announced that Better Buys awarded its newest commercial document scanners with Editor’s Choice certifications. The DS-970 and DS-870 duplex workgroup document scanners were recognized in the “High-Volume Machines” category while the DS-80W and DS-70 portable mobile document scanners were recognized in the “Scanners” category. Better Buys credited Epson’s commercial scanners for outperforming similar portable document scanners and high-volume duplex workgroup document scanners in side-by-side

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comparisons. Each product was individually evaluated and compared against competitive document scanners on a range of criteria, including unique features, value to the business and price.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Better Buys for both our portable and workgroup commercial document scanning offerings,” said Kaila Murphy, associate product manager, Commercial Scanners, Epson America. “These accolades underscore Epson’s commitment to providing businesses and our channel partners with reliable, costeffective and dependable document scanning solutions – from on-the-go professionals in need of a reliable mobile solution to highvolume workgroups in demanding office environments.”

Epson America Appoints Joseph Contreras as Commercial Marketing Executive, Office Solutions

Epson America Inc. announced Joseph Contreras has been named Commercial Marketing Executive – Office Solutions, leading this new division of the c o m p a n y ’s commercial inkjet printer business. In this role, Contreras will be responsible for overseeing portfolio management, strategic partnerships, software integration and support, and sales and marketing programs for WorkForce Enterprise inkjet printing solutions. “The business printing market is evolving, and with the significant strides in technology that inkjet solutions have made in recent years, disruption in the industry is on the

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horizon,” said Joseph Contreras, commercial marketing executive, office solutions, Epson America. “Epson is at the forefront of that innovation, including PrecisionCore advanced print head technology and Replaceable Ink Pack System solutions, and I am excited to spearhead the sales and portfolio strategies to position our channel partners for success in this changing market, and empower them to

offer the most productive and cost-effective solutions to their clients.”With over 18 years of successful strategic and creative marketing experience, the newly-appointed executive is tasked with creating growth strategies for the company’s WorkForce Enterprise printer business division. Contreras will also develop strategies to implement and sustain

Haripriya Infotech Clocks Impressive Growth for the Copier Consumables within a short span

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aripriya Infotech, founded in Jan 2019, is a Delhi-based provider of black and color copier consumables, including toners, cartridge parts, mag rollers, blades, drums, Teflon sleeves, etc for all the leading brands of copier machines including Xerox, Ricoh Sharp, Toshiba, HP, Brother, Konica, etc. Started just 3 months back, the company is clocking impressive revenue and volume growth from the customers spread mainly in Delhi-NCR, UP and North India. Sunil Kr Srivastava, Proprietor, Haripriya Infotech, has sound technical, marketing and managerial knowledge gained thorough 20 years of imaging industry experience working with leading companies in responsible positions.

The company provides toners in bulk.

Haripriya Infotech is also specialized in providing Xerox developer for copier.

Sunil Kr Srivastava shares, “We are very excited by the response we have been getting from the customers within just 3 after we founded the company. Right now we have 80 committed channel partners

and we work only with select partners. We use raw materials supplied by standard players from Japan and USA. Color copier segment is growing very well and that will be our main focus in the coming times. Our main selling points are high quality, transparency, relationships based on trust and sound aftersales-service. Since we work systematically and honestly, we do not see any serious challenges in the market. In the coming months and years, we want to add more partners to our network and expand our operations into other areas where we are not yet strong. We also want to add more products to our line-up and launch our own brand by 2020.”

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n e w s u pdate “We want to speak directly to the real-world challenges IBPI members are having and the opportunities LMI can provide with our new platform of Managed Print Infrastructure that makes it easier and more profitable than ever before for MPS dealers,” stated Annie Willert, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for LMI Solutions. The new Parts Now 2019 MPS Pain Survey consists of several questions scoped at critical phases of executing an effective and profitable Managed Print Business. IBPI members were asked to rate their current pain in several areas of their Managed Print Business using a sliding scale with all results summarized and ready for release at the LMI segment of the event.

Early results indicate the continued need for enhanced lead generation, simplification of execution and a heightened awareness cost management—all primary highlights of the new platform LMI has recently developed to help dealers grow their MPS business and their MPS profits with advanced services and support well beyond LMI’s world class quality print cartridges.

an ecosystem of third-party ISV partners to support WorkForce Enterprise product sales. “Epson has assembled a high-caliber leadership team to drive sales, marketing and service to ensure the success of our business inkjet business,” said Mark Mathews, vice president, commercial sales and marketing, Epson America, Inc. “Joseph was a natural choice given his track record in the industry, strong skills and proven success in the BTA channel. His addition to the team will create a cohesive, focused and agile team capable of attaining our growth goals.”

Parts Now to Release Top Dealer Managed Print Pain Points at IBPI Conference Parts Now, a division of LMI Solutions, the undisputed leader in Managed Print

Infrastructure serving hundreds of Imaging Dealers, Managed Print Providers and Managed Service Providers is pleased to announce the release of their latest survey results highlighting the Top Managed Print Pain Points as selected by IBPI members.

Showcard Print acquired by MagHarl Writtle had previously owned Creo Retail Marketing, which it sold to DS Smith

in 2016. The acquisition of Letchworthbased Showcard also marks the return of Creo founder Richard Saysell to the group.

He becomes a director of Magnet Harlequin Group and managing director of Showcard Print, effective from 8 April. Magnet Harlequin Group executive chairman Alan Wright said customers would benefit from the expansion of services. “We are delighted to welcome Showcard and Richard to our growing group.

Our brand and retail clients will benefit from this acquisition which further accelerates our ambition to provide the fastest and most cost-effective end-to-end route to market in the sector.”Showcard’s services include retail point-of-sale and display units, and largeformat window and in-store graphics. It has produced work for major retailers and brands, including Primark, Adidas and L’Oréal. The business had been owned by private equity backers Lloyds Development Capital. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Writtle Holdings has returned to the point-of-sale printing arena with Magnet Harlequin Group’s acquisition of Showcard Print

A R Copier Witnessing Great Demand for their ASDY Brand Compatibles and OEM Products

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R Copier is a Delhi-based provider of printer and copier consumables --both OEM and compatibles. Founded in 2011, A R Copier is also an authorized partner for Epson, Brother and HP brand printer and copier consumables. A R Copier launched their own compatibles brand ASDY in 2013, under which currently they sell compatibles including cartridges, cartridge parts, drums, toner powders, blades, PCR, mag rollers, upper / lower rollers, Teflon sleeves, etc, for HP, Canon and Samsung branded copiers and printers, in addition to OEM consumables for all the brands.

Ashish Ahlawat, Proprietor, A R Copier, comments, “Except South and West India regions, our business operations cover pan India and currently we are growing at an annual rate of 20 to 25%. We have compatibles under our own ASDY brand for HP, Canon and Samsung branded printer and copier machines. We are selling

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both printer and copier consumables well. Our main selling points are good quality, better service and competitive pricing. Our toners give higher output compared to average grey products or general market brands. Customers once buy from us, they will come back for repeat buying.” A R Copier provides printer and copier OEM consumables for the machines of the brands Brother, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Samsung, Canon, Epson, Sharp, Xerox, HP, Panasonic, Toshiba, Kyocera, Sharp, Toshiba.

A R Copier is also an authorized dealer for Epson, Brother and HP A4 inkjet and laser printers. Ashish Ahlawat adds, “Currently, we have 250 partners and we want to add new partners steadily. Intense competition and price wars are bringing down margins and quality standards in the market and that is the biggest challenge we are facing. Low-quality and cheap products are attracting customers attention. Color is doing well on inks side for Brother and Epson printers. On laser printers

Mr. Ashish Ahlawat, Proprietor, A R Copier side still monochrome dominates. In the coming years, we want to expand our operations to South India. Our main target customers are traders, wholesalers, and B2B channel who purchase in bulk. No direct sales to customers.”

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UniNet Releases Absolute Black Toner, Components and Replacement Cartridge for Use in Ricoh Printers UniNet releases Absolute Black toner, components and replacement cartridge for use in Ricoh Aficio MP 6054, 5054, 4054, 3554, 3054, 2554 monochrome printer series. The Ricoh Aficio MP 6054 is a multifunction monochrome laser printer rated at 60 pages p/m with printing, copying and scanning capabilities. This printer features a 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution, and it was designed to satisfy the printing needs of small to mid-size office environments. The Absolute Black toner for use in Ricoh Aficio MP 6054, 5054, 4054, 3554, 3054, 2554 printer series is a high-quality and superior high-density formula that creates sharp and crisp black text for professional-looking documents. UniNet offers a complete product solution to serve the needs of MPS providers and remanufacturers of this cartridge. The Ricoh Aficio MP 6054 black toner cartridge (842126) is rated at 37,000 pages with an average of 6% page coverage.

Media Sciences Compatible Color Toner Cartridges Now Available for Samsung Printers Media Sciences compatible toner cartridges for Samsung CLP 365/CLX 3305-series machines and Samsung Xpress C430 W/Xpress 480FW-series machines, are now available. These remanufactured toner cartridges offer yields equivalent to the original manufacturer’s toner cartridges, as well as outstanding color reproduction and crisp, clear print quality. Media Sciences compatible black, cyan, magenta and yellow toner cartridges (Media Sciences part numbers 50848, 50849, 50850, 50851) for Samsung CLP 365/CLX 3305-series machines (OEM ref: CLT-K406, CLT-C406, CLT-M406 and CLT-Y406) are available at significant cost-per-print savings when compared to the original manufacturer’s cartridges. Likewise, the Media Sciences compatible color toner set (Media Sciences part numbers 50844, 50845, 50846, 50847) for Samsung Xpress C 430 and Xpress 480FW-series applications (OEM ref: CLT-C404, CLT-K404, CLT-M404, and CLT-Y404) provides high-quality color prints and equivalent yields at prices significantly lower than original cartridges. Media Sciences remanufactured and newbuild toner cartridges are subjected to rigorous testing to ensure they meet Katun’s high-quality standards. These test results are reviewed and approved in Katun’s state-of-the-art research and development lab in Minneapolis.

Katun Corporation Introduces Katun Business Ink Katun Corporation is pleased to introduce Katun Business Ink, a new line of remanufactured inkjet cartridges for business printer applications.

Katun Business Ink cartridges provide outstanding print quality and color reproduction, OEMequivalent yields and significant cost savings – which are all cornerstones of Katun’s value proposition.“We’re excited to introduce this dynamic new line of inkjet printer cartridges to the imaging industry,” said Katun Director of Printer Business Development, Tony Ko. “Since 1979, dealers and distributors have come to trust Katun for high-quality, high-value toner, drums and parts for copiers, printers and multifunctional devices. Now we are bringing this same product and industry expertise to a new line of remanufactured inkjet products, thereby enabling our customers to seize new business opportunities, open new revenue streams and increase their profitability.

All with full confidence in product quality and performance, because it

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comes from Katun.”The new line of Katun Business Ink inkjet products features more than 50 part numbers for use in HP and Epson applications, with many additional products planned for rollout in upcoming months.

SAi Sets Sights on ISA International Sign Expo with New Product Innovations and Official Power of Purple Unveil SA International (SAi) will use the upcoming ISA International Sign Expo as the platform on which to announce new product innovations that will significantly benefit sign and display businesses seeking to boost creativity and increase throughput. As the show’s software sponsor, SAi will demonstrate its very latest packages which provide innovative added-value solutions that facilitate design to production operations and drive business growth for customers. Visitors to SAi’s booth will have the opportunity to partake in informative one-to-one tutorials focusing on the feature-rich Flexi and EnRoute solutions, as well as the company’s Box & Display software, introduced for those looking to quickly and easily design custom cardboard boxes. SAi heads to the show marking 30 years in business and will use the event to officially unveil its vibrant new purple branding. Visitors can look forward to celebrating the milestone with the SAi team, who will serve beer and wine on its booth during the last hour of each day. ISA will also provide visitors with a chance to explore the benefits of accessing Flexi via monthly subscription and cloud-based downloads. HP’s Flexi-powered L365 Printer package, an offering available exclusively in the Americas, enables customers who purchase the device to benefit from a year’s free subscription of Flexi software.

This allows large format print providers and sign & display businesses to eliminate a major capital investment and incur a low operational cost, while also ensuring they always benefit from having the latest updates.

Subscribers also benefit from SAi’s recently-introduced Sign Design Elements, a comprehensive stock library of over six-and-a-half million downloadable assets for the sign industry.

LD Products Launches CF360A and X Family: New Gold Line Color Cartridges for Use in HP M552, M553 and M577 Printers LD Products Channel Partner Division is pleased to announce the latest addition to their premium quality GOLD Line Series for use in the popular HP M552, M553 and M577 color laser printers. Ready for immediate order taking, these new color cartridges join the industries most revered line of OEM color toner alternatives that boast North America’s lowest return rate of a mere 0.1% and a growing list of satisfied dealers now using the LD GOLD Line products.“Imaging Resellers looking for crisp and vibrant color output will be more than impressed with the outstanding print quality and a whole new level of profitability compared to OEM and leading remanufactured alternatives,” stated Christian Pepper, president, LD Channel Partner Division. “LD Products has invested over a year and millions in research and development to create what we believe is the best aftermarket color toner cartridge so our dealers can be 100 percent confident challenging OEM toner buyers to switch and save.”This new product release is designed to drive bigger profits from a very popular color printer series for Imaging Dealers, Managed Print providers and Office Products resellers looking to provide their customers with outstanding color print results that rival OEM performance at higher margins. With advanced distribution capabilities from coast to coast, these new LD color cartridges are the perfect solution for value driven customers with local placements or national fleet accounts.

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pr o d u ct r o u n d u p Canon Solutions America Launches Océ PrintSight Software Canon Solutions America, Inc. announced the launch of the new Océ PrintSight software developed by Canon Solutions America to provide print-for-pay businesses an effective tool to monitor their Océ Arizona, Océ Colorado, and Océ ColorWave printers. The Océ PrintSight software will enable print-for-pay business owners and their production staff to closely monitor many important aspects of their Océ Arizona, Océ Colorado, and Océ ColorWave printer fleet from anywhere on their network. Océ PrintSight displays a range of data in an intuitive user interface, allowing for real time reporting on ink usage, media type printed, square footage, print time, machine status, and more.

To help better determine production schedules, machine utilization, and identify the printers that still have capacity should print volumes increase, Océ PrintSight provides the amount of time it takes to print an image. Furthermore, it can instantly calculate the cost of a job by enabling print providers to enter their ink cost per liter and media cost. Overall, the combination of Océ printers and the Océ PrintSight software makes for a valuable addition for print providers interested in quickly and easily knowing exactly what is going on in their production environment. Océ PrintSight gives print shop owners details to make informed decisions, allowing them to better utilize their printers and improve profitability while maintaining competitive pricing.“What the Océ PrintSight software has now brought to our customers is more control over their printing environment to better support the dynamic applications they are producing on their Océ devices,” said Robert Reddy, Senior Vice President, Large Format Solutions, Operations, Canon Solutions America. “We have amazed our customers with the incredible Océ technology, and decided to take it one step further by developing a software that would help take productivity to the next level.”

Mimaki debuts 3D printer for direct-to-object market Mimaki has unveiled its latest 3D printing technology, the 3DFF222, which is intended to enable direct-to-object (DTO) print companies to bring jig production in-house. Designed to work in tandem with Mimaki’s own UJF family of LED UV printers, the 3DFF-222 is a cobranded development with South Korean manufacturer Sindoh that will be distributed in the UK by Hybrid Services from May. Able to print parts up to 210x200x195mm, it allows jigs to be produced quickly and in-house so printers can immediately accommodate specific DTO applications. Hybrid chief operations officer Brett Newman said: “With the variety of internal shapes and recesses it can produce within jigs, the 3DFF-222 has an endless list of applications it can support including toothbrushes, yo-yos, pens and more.“Personalisation is a big drive for us and Mimaki. Specifically, that is emotional personalisation in which customers are happy to pay more if you have added personal value for them to an item, which in turn is profitable. It also opens up avenues in corporate branding by putting logos onto merchandise.“It also allows for shorterrun production by cutting out the expensive, time-consuming need

to outsource jig production. For instance, a local plumber may want to give out promotional pens but only want 50 printed – this makes that cost-effective.” The Mimaki/Sindoh 3DFF-222 uses a poly-lactic acid filament, a plant-based eco-plastic derived from corn and potato starch, to create objects. The machine can be monitored remotely with a specially-designed Mimaki app for smartphones.

LD Products Channel Partner Division Unveils New Xerox Cartridges LD Products Channel Partner Division released premium quality OEM alternative for use in the Xerox Versalink Series – a solid addition to LD’s Gold Line Series, only available to imaging reseller and managed print providers and boasts the industry’s lowest cartridge return rate of only 0.1%. This new quality benchmark includes the LD Gold Line color products which have caught the attention of many top dealers throughout the United States. The newly released color products are available with LD’s state-of-the-art distribution capabilities throughout the United States. LD Products’ Channel Partner division offers the Gold Line of Non-Infringing New Build Compatible printer consumables exclusively to qualified dealers. The Gold line is engineered in the USA and assembled by contract manufacturing partners in China. Packaging is unbranded, and resellers own logos and contact info is applied at the point of sale by attaching a wraparound label detailing a picture of the cartridge inside, product info and delivery instructions.

The Gold line features a lifetime warranty and includes hassle-free cost coverage for resellers that must respond to onsite printer repairs caused by a faulty consumable. LD stands behind its products and indemnifies its customers for infringement claims of U.S. Patents.

OKI Europe Launches the Smallest A3 Color Printer OKI Europe announced the launch of its new C800 Series of ultra-compact A3 color printers that produces professional results inhouse for every type of business. With a focus on delivering value for organizations that typically outsource print jobs, the C800 Series has been developed to handle any print job large or small, quickly and cost effectively. Featuring OKI’s pioneering digital LED technology, the C800 Series can handle an unrivalled range of media in HD color, from pre-cut media to eye-catching posters and expansive banners. It’s compact size, fast print speeds and high quality results make the C800 Series a perfect choice for any business type, particularly retailers. OKI’s new energy-efficient fusing technology means it’s quick to wake-up, warm up and quieten down allowing businesses using the C800 Series to save time and energy without compromising on quality or performance. The C800 Series is the smallest A3 color business printer on the market, and includes the versatile C824 which is ideal for individuals and workgroups with different needs and delivers affordable day-to-day document printing and outstanding high-impact results on a wide range of sales and marketing materials. Users can also access troubleshooting video content from the OKI Mobile Print App. Private Print and optional Card Release user authentication technology prevents unauthorized access and helps to protect corporate data.

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pr o d u ct r o u n d u p UniNet Releases Absolute Black Toner, Components and Replacement Cartridge for Use in Sharp Printers UniNet releases Absolute Black toner, components and replacement cartridge for use in Sharp MX-M 503, 502, 453, 452, 363, 362, 263, 283, 282 monochrome printer series. The Sharp MX-M 503 is a multifunction monochrome laser printer rated at 50 pages p/m with printing, copying and scanning capabilities.

This printer features a 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution, and it was designed to satisfy the printing needs of small to midsize office environments. The Absolute Black toner for use in Sharp MX-M 503, 502, 453, 452, 363, 362, 263, 283, 282 printer series is a high-quality and superior highdensity formula that creates sharp and crisp black text for professionallooking documents. UniNet offers a complete product solution to serve the needs of MPS providers and remanufacturers of this cartridge. The Sharp MX-M 503 black toner cartridge (MX-500NT) is rated at 40,000 pages with an average of 5 percent page coverage.

MagnaColours launches new under base ink MagnaColours has developed a new under base ink to enable plastisol screen printers to take their first steps into water-based printing. Previewed at ISS Long Beach 2019 in January, MagnaPrint Killer Base is commercially available .It has been developed to improve print appearance and handling while simultaneously providing “significant” cost savings for printers.

MagnaColours said the product is designed to be used as a waterbased replacement for the first layer of plastisol ink or as an alternative option for printers using discharge under bases. With high opacity and “excellent” fibre matting down properties, the product is said to provide a smooth, silk-like under base for further layers of plastisol ink to be printed over, and also prevents fibrillation and pin-holing of fabrics. The developer said its other benefits include minimal print weight, reduced application costs and the fact that it has none of the pot-life implications associated with using a discharge under base. MagnaColours owner and chairman Tom Abbey said: “Killer Base is suitable for small print shops looking to improve the handle of plastisol prints or just beginning the process of moving to water-based inks by starting with a single screen.

Bobst unveils new products at innovation event Bobst has launched three technologies to reduce changeover times and improve colour consistency on its inline flexo presses Bobst has launched three technologies to reduce changeover times and improve colour consistency on its inline flexo presses. Ink-on-Demand (IoD) is a digital inking unit; Highly Accurate Liquids (HAL), an ink mixing factory; and DigiColor, a system for controlling ink density without changing ink film thickness, enabling closed-loop colour control. The three technologies, all designed to improve flexo’s time to market and cost effectiveness for lower volumes, were unveiled at a Labels & Packaging Innovations event at Bobst’s factory in Florence, Italy, this week. By improving the consistency of the flexo process they also make it easier to swap jobs between flexo and digital production, improving a supplier’s flexibility. Bobst also announced two new presses: a version of its M6 optimised for folding carton work and a hybrid line that will integrate subsidiary Mouvent’s inkjet printing and which will be shown at LabelExpo 2019 in Brussels this September. Also present at the event were Bobst’s partners in the Revo extended colour gamut/fixed palette printing project, including AVT, Esko and X-Rite, which showed a closed-loop colour system that automates colour setup, control and reporting.

EBB adds Invercote Digital to range Elliott Baxter (EBB) has expanded its digital offering after adding the Invercote Digital range to its portfolio. Manufactured in Sweden at the Iggesund Paper Mill, Invercote is a solid paperboard for digital printing

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on thicker paper material. All of the products in the range are fully guaranteed on both toner-based and HP Indigo presses. “Our customers are demanding a wider choice of material, particularly digital products where we have seen considerable growth in recent years,” said EBB sales and marketing director Chris Sandwell. “Printers want quality products with a range of stock sizes backed by a consistent, reliable service.” The range comprises Invercote G, a one-sided, triple-coated matt SBS board, Invercote Creato a two-sided double-coated matt SBS board, and metallic silver laminated board Invercote Metalprint.

Invercote G is suitable for packaging, greetings cards, book covers and commercial print applications. It is available in various weights from 260-350gsm and is stocked in SRA3+ and B2+ sheet sizes for HP Indigo presses. Invercote Creato is targeted at high-quality packaging and for where the boards need to be creased across both grain directions. It is available in SRA3+ size sheets with various weights from 280-400gsm.

Mangaldip Launch own brand VRD for Compatible Toner Cartridges and Toners Founded by Rupesh Dalmia, Proprietor, in 2006 and based in Daryaganj, New Delhi, Mangaldip Enterprises, a provider of compatible and original toners for laser printers and copier machines for a wide range of brands and models, launched their own brand named VRD. Rupesh Dalmia has over 16 years of experience in the imaging industry before launching Mangaldip. They provide all products through their channel. Mangaldip’s main areas of operation are NCR, North India and North-East India. Rupesh Dalmia clarifies, “Under VRD brand we are providing compatible copier and printer toners, toner cartridges, toner cartridge parts, etc for copiers and printers of all major brands and models—color and monochrome. The main selling points of our brand are good quality, strong relationships and effective service. Our main focus will be on copier segment, but also printer segment as second preference. We also provide compatibles for maser digital duplicator machines.

At present, we also distribute OEM toners. We also sell unbranded laser printer and copier machine and cartridge spare parts in bulk. We have a wide network of trusted channel partners across India through whom we reach the end customers. We promote through advertisements in channel media and through our sales personnel and channel partners.”

Kingsbury modernises folding with MBO buy

Kingsbury Press has installed a B1-size MBO T960 high-speed folder to refresh and enhance its folding services. the machine represents a £150,000 investment for the Doncaster-based commercial operation. It replaces an ageing Stahlfolder to fulfil similar applications more efficiently. It was supplied by Friedheim International – the first time Kingsbury had completed a deal with the Hemel Hempstead-based finishing kit vendor. Kingsbury sales director Rob Layton said: “We needed to replace our Stahlfolder as it was very old and we needed a machine that could work faster. We found the MBO offered a good price and it suited us in terms of the quality of its output and its build.“We were not looking to particularly change what we were doing, but we needed a more modern machine. We will benefit internally as we can now get stuff on the floor faster. “It has been a very positive experience working with Friedheim, no trouble at all, and we will go back to them for more products if and when that fits.” The MBO T960 operates at speeds from 10-230m/min and will accommodate a specific 880mmwide job for a client at Kingsbury that could not be fulfilled on any other machine. With a portfolio that includes two Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 presses, three Polar guillotines and a Horizon Stitchliner, Layton said Kingsbury is now looking to add a B1 press to its shop floor, with manufacturers such as Heidelberg and Komori currently in consideration.

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What do you really know about cartridge chips?

By Mike Josiah and the Technical Staff at Uninet

What exactly is a cartridge chip? What does the chips work, what they can and cannot do a cartridge chip actually do? What can a chip becomes important.

NOT do?

The answer to those questions can be both simple and complicated. Because they are now such a large part of our industry, we thought it a good time to cover the origins of cartridge chips and their development through the years. We will also look at the different technologies used, differences in some of the latest chips and possibly most importantly what they can and cannot do.

Before we get started, let’s cover a little chip history

Before chips there were a decent amount of cartridges that used electrical fuses of one shape or another. They were cheap and easily replaced. See Figures A & B. When cartridge chips first appeared, they were very simple and easily resettable. In fact they could be reset with a simple box that would re-write the Through the year’s cartridge chips have evolved code. First seen in the spring of 1992 the TEC quite a bit, (sometimes faster than the technology used in the cartridges they are attached to). If you haven’t yet, take a close look at the initial picture in this article, there are over 20 years of chips in there. Because they are now such a large part of our industry, we thought it a good time to cover the origins of cartridge chips and their development through the years. We will also look at the different technologies used, differences in some of the latest Fig. 1 chips and possibly most importantly what they can and cannot do.

Most production lines will simply replace or 1305 engine was one of the first to use chips. reset their chips and move on and that’s fine. It’s The chips used in the TEC 1305 and also the when there is an issue that understanding how Xerox N24 engine which came out soon after

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Fig. 2

were fairly simple devices. (See Figure 1).

HP at first also used very simple off the shelf chips for the Color LJ 4500. They just plug into a socket. In Figure 2 you can see the progression of HP chips through the years in the aftermarket chips. There is the old 4500 IC, first RF chip, one of the first SMT (surface mount technology) boards and finally the dedicated microprocessor versions used today.

Lexmark has been one of the most challenging OEM’s for our industry. The Optra T (4069) wasn’t too bad to overcome, but with the release of the T520 series, our world changed. One of the first aftermarket solutions was to have a wired large board that actually used the used OEM chip in a “Piggyback”

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style. It was wired to a small pass-through board that fit into the OEM slot. Then came the first stand alone boards. They started out with somewhat large components that over time were miniaturized as our industry evolved. Then finally the new smaller boards with extremely complex encryption codes which is what we have now. (See Figure 3)

10’s of thousands). New toner will have their own chips which interact with the drum chips.

Chip resetter’s appeared a few years back and at first were mainly for most of the more simple chips where the code could be completely be re-written. As time as gone on the resetter’s have progressed to the point where OEM microprocessor chips can now be reset as well as some of the more complicated chips with encryption algorithms.

Fig. F

Manufacturing Dedicated Microprocessor chips The manufacturing process for microprocessor chips is actually pretty interesting.

Fig. 3

With few exceptions all the HP and Lexmark chips have been the contact types which have plated pads on the boards that touch contacts in the machines when installed.

(HP-4100, 4600 and 9000 excluded). Another chip style is the RF (Radio Frequency) type.

These chips broadcast a small signal through an antenna to communicate to the printer.

The antenna can be a hard wire coil or even a thin label with a flexible circuit printed on it.

They can and do look very different from one manufacturer to another. (See Figure 4)

It all starts with sand or silicon in the form of Silicon Dioxide. The silicon dioxide is purified and melted and a crystal is grown to eventually be what we call an Ingot. They typically weigh about 100Kg and are shaped like a solid cylinder.

The Ingots are sliced and each slice is polished until they have a flawless mirror smooth surface. At this point the slices are coated with photo resist, exposed, etched and then doped. Doping is where other chemicals are added to specific places to change the way the silicon conducts electricity. See Figures C-H.

Fig. G

Fig. C

Fig. 4

There have also been some odd shaped chips and cases too. Figure 5 shows a few of them. The board that looks like a credit card is inserted into the machine when a new cartridge is installed to reset the counter in the printer.

The latest development for both the OEM and aftermarket is in dedicated Microprocessor chips. They are designed specifically for one purpose. The programming is actually built in and is more hardware than software.

New in the last year or so are dual use chips. Mainly used in systems that have both toner and drum cartridges. Starter drum cartridges have chips that also monitor toner usage. These chips will call for new toner when needed but the drum side stays active through the life of the drum. (Typically in the

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Fig. H

Fig. D

Fig. E

Now depending on what is being manufactured other layers or copper leads are added. The wafer shown measures 6” in diameter. (See Figure 6).

Fig. 6

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The wafers are tested and then sliced so that the wafer produces thousands of chips. For the HP P4015 there are approximately 15,000 chips with encryption per wafer. They are now packaged so the chip can be hardwired and for the purposes of our industry, installed on to a small circuit board. See Figures 7 & 8 for some close up views of the chips in the wafer.

encryption module takes up real estate on the chip die. The larger the die, the less chips per wafer and the higher the cost per chip.

Figures 9 & 10 shows the layout of both style chips. Figure 10 shows the encryption module (#4). If the chip has this encryption module, then it can emulate the OEM 100%.

Firmware updates will not matter because this module actually calculates the correct answer.

It doesn’t just send a programmed answer like the less expensive chips do. While not in use (yet) newer machines and chips from HP have the ability to run a second verifying command.

Only chips with the encryption module will be able to send the correct response. If you’re not sure which style chips your vendor is selling, ask them.

• Lists the Region (Worldwide, some printer manufacturers use a different chip code for different geographical regions) • Provides authentication communication

to

allow

o Must answer machine challenges correctly o Use the correct encryption o Answer within a specific time frame • Holds data as needed to allow the machine to manage the toner use o The machine determines the toner level and writes this information to the chip o The chip will send this information back to the machine as requested.

• Stores ongoing machine information as the cartridge is used o The machine counts the pages printed and stores this info on the chip

Fig. 7

o The machine counts the pixels printed (Page coverage) and also stores this on the chip o The chip will send this information back to the machine as requested It should be noted here that early versions of machines did not have very accurate page coverage calculating systems. They have improved immensely, but still are not perfect.

Fig. 9

So now we know what a chip is. Now we come to the next question: What does a cartridge chip actually do?

Fig. 8

That’s a very simplified explanation.

For anyone interested, Intel has a great informative page on their website. Here is a link for it: http://download.intel.com/pressroom/ kits/chipmaking/Making_of_a_Chip.pdf Are all Dedicated Microprocessor chips equal?

So since all microprocessor chips are made basically the same way, are they all equal?

Sadly no. They may all be manufactured the same way, but the design can be very different. There are two basic types in the field right now. Some are designed not to have an encryption module. The encryption module is what calculates the response to the question the printer is asking. Less expensive chips do not have this module. They emulate existing chips in that they can answer all the current questions, but if there were to be a firmware update that posed new questions, or even the same question but asked differently, they cannot respond correctly and the printer will show an error. This is a common OEM tactic to use (Changing a question or how a question is asked so it’s important to know how your chips function.)

The reason for the two types is cost. The

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Fig. 10

What is a cartridge chip?

Now that we’ve covered a short history, we still have the questions: What exactly is a cartridge chip? What does a chip actually do?

Let’s start with what they are; A cartridge chip is a device that communicates with a machine through either direct contact or RF (Radio Frequency).

• They typically are mounted on a small circuit board.

• They have memory to store information • Sometimes have a processor to provide the correct responses • Have a power control circuit to feed the processor when needed.

• Provide power protection from voltage spikes etc.

The chip usually: • Contains cartridge specific information (So the machine knows the correct cartridge has been installed) • Lists the cartridge yield

The chip will store and when requested by the machine, send the machine info on the cartridge part #, Yield, and region. As the cartridge is used, the printer will send the chip information on the pages printed, page coverage and estimated toner remaining. This information is stored on the chip and will be sent back to the printer as requested.

The machine is the master. It first sends the data to the chip and then reads the chip data back as needed on all the above items.

The chip is the slave. The chip must be capable of correctly responding to the machine in a certain time frame using the correct encryption; o The correct cartridge info (Part #) o Correct region o Cartridge new or used o If used the page count and page coverage o Toner remaining in the cartridge The chip information MUST match the yield for the toner load. o Chips are not able to compensate for large changes o Mismatched info will result in errors.

OK so now we know what a chip can do. Now let’s take a look at

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• A chip does NOT control the yield. They are preprogrammed with the start yield, but the machine determines the page count, page coverage, toner low and toner out. The machine does write this info to the chip so when requested the chip will report it back, but the initial determination comes from the printer. Once toner low or out is written to the chip, it’s irreversible.

This is why if you have a bad electrical contact to a mag roller and get a toner low error; even after you fix the contact issue the cartridge chip will still report a toner low condition. Once these errors have been written to the chip, the only way to clear it is to replace/reset the chip.

• Chips do not shut a machine down at a certain page count o Chips do not have this ability.

Machines will use the information stored on the chip to determine if or when it should stop printing, but that information initially came from the machine. It was not calculated by the chip • Chips also do not control toner level information o This is also something that chips do not have the ability to do. o The machine determines the toner level by counting the number of pixels. The machine uses a formula to calculate the amount of toner used per pixel and stores that data on the chip o Some machines also have mechanical, electrical or optical methods of determining the toner level. Again, this info is stored on the chip, but is not determined by the chip.

For a chip to determine the toner level, pages printed etc it would need to be incredibly complex and would take up much more space than would be economically feasible. Why duplicate expensive circuitry over and over when you can do it once in the machine itself?

• Chips cannot give an error message. o The machine contains all the circuitry needed to generate error codes. If the

machine cannot see or read a chip that will generate an error code, but it always comes from the machine, not the chip.

Think of a cartridge chip as a flash drive. It may have some info on it to start off with such as the cartridge part #, brand, cartridge serial # and stated yield. The rest of it is blank. As the printer determines things like toner levels, page counts etc. it stores that info in memory buckets on the chip.

In the past that info was only stored on the chip but recent machines now they store all that information including the serial numbers so that the same serial # cannot be used again.

Some machines have limited storage for this some have unlimited (in theory) storage for this.

What is the best way to handle chips in production?

While most microprocessor type chips are more resistant to static electricity damage (ESD) than other types, it can still happen and normal IC type chips can still easily be damaged by it. Here are a few precautions you can take on the production line to minimize any issues. While ESD can happen any time, it is more problematic when the humidity is very low. (Think walking across a rug in your socks in the winter time and touching a metal door knob).

• Do not remove chips from their packaging until ready to use • Make sure handlers are grounded • Do not dump chips into bins or onto tables/ benches • Do not use compressed air or a vacuum to clean the cartridge after testing. Just wipe them down with a clean cloth if needed.

(Don’t wipe the chip!). The air movement from compressed air or generated by a vacuum can cause a static charge to build up. Even statically grounded vacuum systems can cause issues if the environmental conditions are right.

A visible strong shock like you get when walking across a rug in the winter and touching something metal is ESD, but not the typical type you would ever see on a

production line. Most times ESD is not visible and you would never notice any damage took place. Following the above guidelines can help minimize any damage that might happen.

That damage can show immediately as a dead chip or worse a chip that seems to work but fails in the field because data cannot be written to it.

Like it or not, cartridge chips are now an integral part of our industry. It’s clear they are not going away but following recent trends, they are just going to get more complicated.

One thing to keep in mind is that no matter what the OEM’s have thrown at us complexity wise, we have answered every time. That’s something we as an industry should be proud of. Lexmark has their military type encryption; Samsung uses a proprietary dual layer chip.

Both styles are very complex, but both were answered resoundly. Cartridge chips continue to get smaller so it’s our opinion that while they may become more complex in their code, the functions they can perform will stay basically the same.

While for the most part cartridge chips as far as our industry is concerned are considered more of a nuisance, they actually can also be helpful. By storing the data that they do, we have a pretty good record of what the customer is doing built into the cartridge.

When a customer calls to say the cartridge only printed “X” number of pages before it ran dry, you have a way of determining the actual page count and for many machines now also the percentage of coverage on the page. This can either validate what the customer thinks is happening or be used to educate them.

Like the printers they work with, chips for a while followed the “Smaller, better, faster” Axiom. Recently you can add higher complexity to that too. Chip technology will continue to evolve, but so will our industry.

The availability of aftermarket non-infringing highly complicated chips as well as resetter’s that reset quite a few styles/sizes/complexities of chips to me means we are right where we need to be for the most part. Yes a few chips have proven more difficult to produce, but we as an industry will get there! The one constant I can say is it will never be boring!

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Creative Copiers Aims to Expand their Partner Network and Business Operations Creative Copiers currently well-established in North India region, aims to expand their operations pan-India in the coming times best after-sales-service, fair prices, good margins for the partners and transparent dealings with providers, partners and customers. We give equally good treatment to new partners and old customers and maintain long-term relations based on trust and transparencywith our vendors and providers. In 2018, we have been awarded for exceptional sales performance by Kyocera consecutively two times (once for each quarter). That shows the trust and reputation we have with Kyocera.”

Creative Copiers, currently well-established in North India region, aims to expand their operations pan-India in the coming times. The company is also specialized in providing top class repair services and rentals of copier machines (black and color). The company aims to focus more on selling to corporates and to add more channel partners as part of their expansion plan. Creative Copiers has a sister concern by name Nitnui Technology whose main focus is 3D printers.

Mr. Risshee Golchha,

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reative Copiers, founded in 2002 in Darya Ganj (New Delhi) is a provider of brand new copiers(of Kyocera) and reconditioned (RC) copiers, copier parts & consumables, copier repair and rental services. Since 2012, Creative Copiers has beena Premium Business Partner for Kyocera brand new MFD copier machines for North India. They provide copier consumables under their brand name Creative. Creative Copiers provides RC copiers of Canon, Xerox and Konica Minolta brands. In an interaction with Imaging Solution, Risshee Golchha, Proprietor, Creative Copiers, shares their company’s business structure, business policy, mission and future plans.

Risshee Golchha shares, “Our main selling points are providing

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Risshee Golchha adds, “We import RC machines of Canon, Xerox and Konica brands from USA and Europe. Our Kyocera brand new machines form nearly 40% of our business whereas RC segment forms 60% of our business. Under our Creative brand name, copier consumables are also selling well both for mono and color. Demand for color copier machines and consumable is growing fast. Right now, monochrome forms 70% and color 30% of our business, but in the coming 3 to 5 yrs time, color usage is expected to cross75% in the copiers segment. Our main challenge is from the growing concept of ‘paperless office’ as result of which copier and printer usage is likely to decrease in the coming years, though currently copier usage and sales are doing well. To compensate this trend of declining usage of copiers and printers, we have started our 3D printing which is a growing trend.

To meet new challenges we keep adapting by changing our business strategies, adding new verticals, reaching out to new areas, new customer segments and so on. The GST law launched in 2016 has been a good development as now we are able to do hassle free business across state boundaries across India. It also reduced too many formalities, reduced hassles and streamline the business processes.”

Talking about their business relationship with Kyocera and their business future plans, Risshee Golchha concludes, “Our relationship with Kyocera has been very cordial, positive and mutually beneficial.

The management of Kyocerahas been quite cooperative, supportive and business-friendly.Currently, we have 90 partners across India, mostly concentrated in North India and we keep adding 10 to 15 partners to our list each year. Currently, we are growing at an annual rate of 10-15% and in future, we want to expand our business pan-India by adding more partners and widening our product portfolio. We recently started rental business, which want to expand further. We also want to venture into other states where we our presence is not strong. We are content with the progress we made so far and quite optimistic about our future course of business activities.”

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Best Quality Products Affordable Prices and Timely Delivery are Merits of Cartridge King Cartridge King’s products are acclaimed in the industry for their consistency and quality. The brand uses only the best-in-class materials their products. Their products are thoroughly inspected before they are dispatched to the partners.

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artridge King, incepted in 2006 and led by its Proprietor, Lalji Patel, is a Pune-based provider of laser printer compatible imaging consumables including toner powders & toner cartridges (black and color) and cartridge parts including blades, rollers, drums, etc. with customer base spread pan-India. Currently, Cartridge King does not deal in inks or printer machine parts.

Lalji Patel shares, “We deal mainly in black toner cartridges, toners and cartridge parts which form a major portion of our sales and only a small percentage comes for color laser products. We have more than 50 models of laser compatible cartridges to meet the demand for machines and models of different brands. Nowadays, only good quality or good price alone cannot sell in the market, so we maintain good quality at affordable prices, which is the motivation for our partners and also for our customers. We are growing at an annual rate of 30%. We are content with the growth and want to maintain this for future.”

The print consumables market in India has grown significantly over the last decade alongside the printer market. The consumables market depends directly on the number of printers installed and profitability for vendors in consumables is comparatively more than in selling printers. The Indian market is price sensitive. The overall running cost of a printer is an important factor for printer buyers, which not only includes the one-time purchase cost of a printer, but also the cost of consumables used over the printer’s life.

Cartridge King’s products are acclaimed in the industry for their consistency and quality. The brand uses only the best-in-class materials their products. Their products are thoroughly inspected before they are dispatched to the partners. The company maintains a well-equipped warehouse and keeps enough stocks to meet

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Mr. Lalji Patel, Proprietor, Cartridge King

fluctuating demands. Cartridge King aims to provide best quality products at affordable prices and to deliver in-time. The other merits of Cartridge King include easy payment options and a wide distribution network.

Lalji Patel adds, “We keep adding new models of toner cartridges as per the market demand and according to newly appearing models.

We import from quality-proven providers from China. One challenge we are facing in the market is price wars which are bringing down margins and profits, and most customers are attracted to low-quality Chinese consumables, which are very cheap but can cost more in the long-run. There is a need to promote quality consciousness and educate people not to focus more on quality and less on price.”

Cartridge King is supported by a team of trained and diligent workforce. Working in synchronization with each other, some of the main members of Cartridge King include quality testing personnel, R&D executives, marketing executives, logistics personnel, packaging personnel and administrative staff. Cartridge King’s products undergo strict quality check before they are released into the market. The brand aims to give the best possible customer satisfaction and aims at bridging long-term relations that are mutually beneficial.

Lalji Patel concludes, “We are growing well and we want to maintain this growth rate and expand our business further. We have a customer-base spread across India connected by a network of 150 dedicated dealers. GST law has been good for us and it has simplified the procedures as earlier there used too many formalities which used waste lot of time, besides creating a lot of pressure on the minds. We will keep on adding new cartridges, as soon as new models of laser printers appear in the market. We strive to keep up-to-date and help our partners get best benefit of the market developments.”

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re v i e w

Growlam : Paper Shredder

i-Shred STS08CD

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ince we are not a paperless society, the threat of identity theft is real. Therefore, this new Growlam paper shredders allow people to obliterate sensitive information. It is much better option comparison to our usual habit to dispose off our official papers and protecting your information from average identity thieves and criminals. A single sheet of paper flies through the feed into a generous 13L bin when it comes to the looks It’s multicolored body gives a tinge of fun to your workplace, lightening your mood. Easy to use useful and a handy machine at an affordable price.

use and is a perfect option for your home, office, school, banks, hotels etc.

Yes, we can cut legal paper as well as plastic cards, stapler pins, DVDs, CDs etc. However, the machine becomes slight noisy after some use. But it works really well and does the job for you. Each time you shred a paper lot of (8 papers max.), do one time reverse shredding followed by forward shredding (without paper), so that anything stuck in the cutting tool is freed and we can use it smoothly for next lot.

 It has a unique disposal feature and is equipped with a bin capacity of 13 litres

Verdict: This is a very good way environmentally, to destroy accounts papers or legal documents. This device is very easy to

 This high-tech equipment is energy saving device with auto start and off mechanism

April 2019

Key Features:  Multi-cut scissors used to shred paper  Paper shredder machine has 8 sheets capacity of A4 size of 80 GSM.  It uses a strip cut technology that uses rotating knives to cut narrow strips of 6mm

 Growlam shredder not only manages to slice the papers, it also destroys plastic cards, stapler pins, DVDs, CDs etc.  A preferred choice for offices and organizations  It features a separate slot for credit and debit cards and discs

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R.N.I. nO DELENG/2012/46000 | PostAl reg. No. DL(S)-01/3441/2019-21 | Date of Pub: 20 April 2019 | Postal Date: 24 & 25 of Same Month | Posted at: NDPSO

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