Author: dbadmin

Company will spend $22m to expand plant in China
OSAKA — Japanese electronics maker Kyocera will increase production capacity of photoreceptor drums by 150% through a 2.5 billion yen ($22.3 million) expansion of a Chinese plant, in hopes of capturing growing demand for copiers in emerging Asian economies.

Photoreceptor drums, which allow copiers to print on paper, are a consumable that must be replaced and can affect the life span of the machine itself.
Subsidiary Kyocera Document Solutions will add a new building to a plant in China’s Guangdong Province that currently also assembles finished copiers.
Mass production at the new facility is slated to start in May. The entire production process will be automated, allowing the company to employ more than 90% fewer workers at the new facility and offset rising labor costs in China.
The drums produced there will be used in slower models that print 20 to 35 sheets a minute. Kyocera’s drums use just one layer of photoreceptors instead of the typical three, making the parts more durable than the competition’s.
More businesses in China and other emerging economies are using copiers in their offices. Kyocera aims to boost sales of slower models in such markets, while developing more sophisticated products for mature economies.

“KYOCERA’s Summer 2017 Pick winners proved to be true workhorses, with exceptional reliability,” said George Mikolay, Associate Director of A3/Production for Keypoint Intelligence – Buyers Lab. “On top of that, the devices have robust feature sets, very good usability, and seamless integration with business software and applications, making them a strong value proposition.”

Takahiro Sato, President of KYOCERA Document Solutions Europe B.V., said: “We are incredibly proud to have our products rated as the best by such a prestigious, unbiased industry body. We work hard to ensure our devices present the best possible performance and value, so this is testament to the talented people across KYOCERA who have delivered on our promises to our customers.”

BLI are a world-renowned testing body which conducts in-depth, unbiased research into the document imaging industry. The full list of KYOCERA products named in the Buyer’s Lab summer picks 2017 are:
TASKalfa 2552ci – Outstanding 25-ppm Colour Copier MFP
TASKalfa 4052ci – Outstanding 40-ppm Colour Copier MFP
TASKalfa 5052ci – Outstanding 50-ppm Colour Copier MFP
TASKalfa 7052ci – Outstanding 65- to 70-ppm Colour Copier MFP
TASKalfa 8052ci – Outstanding 70- to 80-ppm Colour Copier MFP
ECOSYS P3055dn – Outstanding Printer for Large Workgroups

Hoofddorp, The Netherlands – February 15, 2017 – KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of document imaging solutions and document management systems, is pleased to announce that four of its A4 multifunctional products (MFPs) and printers; namely the ECOSYS M5526cdw, P5026cdw, M2640idw and P2040dw; have won the “iF DESIGN AWARD 2017” sponsored by the International Forum Design GmbH (Germany).

These products showcase excellence in compact design and low-noise operations; thereby allowing them to be set up in close proximity to the users at businesses such as retailers or distributors. KYOCERA received the “iF DESIGN AWARD 2017” due to the evaluation of its long-life design as a feature of product development, waste and printing cost reduction, as well as simple design and operability considering the user. The same four models have also won the “Good Design Award 2016” hosted by the Japan Institute for Design Promotion (JDP), a public interest incorporated foundation.

Encouraged by the award, KYOCERA will continue to develop reliable devices that promise high-quality not only in performance but also in design and usability, thus contributing to building office environments where users can efficiently manage their document workflows.

KYOCERA’s award-winning products are expected to be on show at the “iF DESIGN EXHIBITION” in Hamburg, Germany (Exhibition Part 1) between March 11 – June 2017.

About the iF Design Award

Every year, iF International Forum Design GmbH organizes one of the world’s most celebrated and valued design competitions: the iF DESIGN AWARD. Recognised as a symbol of design excellence around the world, the iF DESIGN AWARD welcomes over 5,500 submissions from 59 countries this year.

About KYOCERA Document Solutions

KYOCERA Document Solutions, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is a leading manufacturer of document imaging solutions and document management systems, including colour and monochrome multifunctional products as well as printers and wide format devices. Kyocera’s products are renowned for their unique long-life imaging components that provide greater reliability and less waste – resulting in a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the life of the product.

The KYOCERA Document Solutions portfolio does not stop at hardware. A full suite of business applications and consultative services allow customers to optimise and manage their document workflow, unleashing the full potential of their hardware investment. KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. is a core company of KYOCERA Corporation, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components. During the year ended March 31 2016, KYOCERA Corporation’s net sales totalled 1.48 trillion yen (approx. USD 13.1 billion). For more information and press-ready photos, visit https://www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.co.za
 

“THERE IS AN OLD SAYING IN OUR INDUSTRY: A SALES REPRESENTATIVE SELLS THE FIRST MACHINE TO THE CUSTOMER, A SERVICE TECHNICIAN SELLS ALL THE MACHINES THAT FOLLOW”, SAYS NORBERT WOLTER, KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS EUROPE’S CSSD SENIOR GENERAL MANAGER.

2017 is the last year at KYOCERA Document Solutions for Norbert Wolter as Senior General Manager before his retirement. This year also marks a memorable one for the company as KYOCERA celebrates the 10thanniversary of the annual KYOCERA Document Solutions European Service Awards. Having dedicated his tenure at KYOCERA to this pivotal division, Norbert has helped create a center of excellence in celebration of KYOCERA Service Technicians’ remarkable skills in the repair and maintenance of KYOCERA’s products. This annual (and industry only), competition assists in uniting all service technicians across the EMEA region as they strive to win the coveted title “KYOCERA European Service Award Winner”.

The idea was born 15 years ago out of the close and trustful relationship between KYOCERA Document Solutions Germany (KDDE) and its dealership companies when technicians were assigned the crucial task of maintaining KYOCERA’s hardware devices. Soon after, as Norbert puts it, “they were not only fixing problems, but establishing themselves as KYOCERA’s quality guardians, assuring customers they have made the right choice when opting for a KYOCERA device,” explains Norbert.

“IN MY OPINION IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING IN RETURN TO ALL THOSE LOYAL TECHNICIANS.”

This act of appreciation resulted in the first Service Awards which took place within the German marketplace. Not long after, the noble initiative sparked the interest of sales companies across the EMEA territories to what has resulted today in the 10th annual Service Awards. The ultimate goal in sight for the Sales Company’s dealer technicians is to become the European Service Award Winner. The title serves as a symbol of highly deserved recognition for unprecedented excellence. Yet, the path towards the trophy is as challenging as the profession itself: the service engineers across EMEA go through practical and theoretical tests which evaluate their skills. Then, the national winners gather in Europe to compete against one another for the final once-in-a-lifetime prize – a trip to KYOCERA’s factory in China or Vietnam and company’s headquarters in Japan. Nevertheless, the greatest reward remains the global recognition of extraordinary dedication and exceptional skills. “A Service Award winner is a Super Champion for KYOCERA”, says Norbert. “It is someone to whom we pay the highest regard.”

The world as we view it now has fundamentally changed. Digitalisation has become the buzz word over the past couple of years and this has transformed not only the core of the industry but also the nature of the service technician profession. As Norbert puts it, “On the one hand, you still need to be a good mechanical engineer but your real focus must be on the software; and I am only talking about machines. On the other hand, KYOCERA now offers a lot of software and applications to meet our customers’ requirements which our service technician must attend to.”

With the 10th anniversary of the Service Awards on the horizon, Norbert closes the chapter on a decade of palpable and positive change within the industry through his personal initiative. “The creation of the Service Award, to see it grow and become so successful, is something that I will take with me and be proud of. The moment we announce who the Service Award winner is and see the expression of surprise on the face of the winner is such a precious moment. I only wish for every technician to participate and strive towards achieving this recognition,” Norbert explains.

The future of KYOCERA’s technicians is more challenging, yet more rewarding and exciting: “Our future machines will continue to feature more functions and possibilities. It will be essential for the technician to predict a failure before it really happens. As a result, the role of technicians will change fundamentally, but we are readily preparing them and are excited to meet those challenges”.

Facing such trials, the Service Awards will serve as a great pillar of acknowledgement not only for the individual participating technicians but also collectively for the broader KYOCERA family. As per Norbert Wolter: “Our aim is to work closer with our channel partners and excite them on this service excellence journey with this brand. When we add value to our partnerships we are but one step closer in building a close knit KYOCERA family that will only aid our success in an ever challenging landscape.”

Service Awards 2017 – KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa

South Africa has been outstanding in the Kyocera Global Service Awards in years gone by, having produced top 3 positions for the last 3 years in the European finals. This year we’ve already have 45* entries booked and 28* have completed the online questionnaire in their quest to be the best.

KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa, one of the country’s leading document solutions companies, has launched five new colour and five new monochrome A3 multifunctional printers that help organisations to streamline document management and digitise their business processes. The three new product ranges are the TASKalfa 6052ci colour devices, the monochrome TASKalfa 6002i series and the monochrome TASKalfa 3511i series.
The new multifunctional printers have print speeds ranging from 25ppm up to 60ppm and will also include features to better manage maintenance and replacement of consumables.

Davy Khonzani, A3 product manager, KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa, says: “Our ten new printers provide flexible information sharing hubs that meet the needs of businesses from real-estate agents and lawyers up to healthcare, finance companies and through to ad agencies that need high capacity printing and high quality finishes. We can support organisations who not only require printing from a wide range of desktop and mobile printers, but full integration with document management systems, including scanning, OCR-based conversion, and more.”

High-quality colour printing

The new TASKalfa 6052ci offers a combination of outstanding colour quality, high speeds and high-capacity document processing. The superb colour quality is thanks to their newly developed toner with a wider colour gamut and their 1,200 x 1,200 dpi print resolution, which is offered at full engine speed. It supports productivity with flexible paper-handling options and fast, economical and reliable printing. Users can also print on special paper sizes such as SRA3 (full-bleed edge-to-edge A3), banner paper, tab divider sheets and paper of up to 300 gsm.

An innovative toner technology with thinner and more homogenous coating enables improved and far more even light reflection, as well as improved colour quality. The new TASKalfa 6052ci series also impresses with significantly sharper images due to high resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, 2 bit depth (4,800 x 1,200 dpi).

For companies with demanding image quality needs, or particularly complex workflows, four of the new colour MFPs offer an optional Fiery print controller. The Fiery controller increases the quality of prints and improves RIP (raster image processor) speed, as well as taking document and print order management to a new level.

“With this product range, KYOCERA is re-positioning itself in the area of professional colour printing and plays in the top league of colour printers,” says Khonzani. “The new TASKalfa 6052ci series can effortlessly fulfil even the highest professional colour requirements from demanding print users such as advertising agencies, graphic studios or high-performing copy shops.”

Efficient monochrome printing

With output and scan speeds of up to 60 ppm and 180 ppm respectively, the TASKalfa 6002i is a workhorse that keeps productivity flowing in medium and large sized workgroups. It handles heavy workloads with ease thanks to flexible, high-capacity finishing options and a paper capacity of up to 7,150 sheets. Its digital document management functions are quickly accessible via an intuitive, large colour touch panel. Sensitive documents are protected by a range of enhanced security functions.

Consumables management

KYOCERA’s new TASKalfa 6052ci and 6002i series both feature a toner lock, preventing users from exchanging toners unless it is really time to do so. This has a positive impact on the TCO and the eco-friendliness of the new products. KYOCERA was awarded a BLI (Buyers Lab) Pick of Summer 2016 Award for innovation for its reusable black toner feature. Companies can use an expired black toner bottle as a waste container, reducing waste generated, storage requirements for supplies, as well as downtime and service costs.

Document workflow optimisation

Through its managed document services and solutions, KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa can help companies get rid of the clutter by fully optimising their document management fleet and by using the functionality of the new TASKalfa series to streamline their document workflow. The MFPs offer dual scan document processors of up to 270 originals – when combined with one of KYOCERA’s capturing solutions,  can help organisations to complete their digital transformation.

Small organisations – different needs

Two of KYOCERA’s new MFPs, the TASKalfa 3011i and 3511i, have been designed to fulfil the needs of smaller organisations such as branch or satellite offices and small schools or institutes. These monochrome A3 MFPs offer the same user interface and security level as the TASKalfa 6052ci and 6002i series.

The TASKalfa 3011i, 3511i and 2552ci are launching in October 2016,  with the remaining range launching towards the end of the year.