The facility is located in Houghton Regis near Luton, close to a variety of transport links.
It has been kitted out with a wealth of Konica Minolta equipment alongside products and software from a number of technology partners including eProductivity Software, Fiery, Flex4 OPS, Foilco, Plockmatic, Premier Paper and Solimar Systems.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) CEO Rob Ferris said he was immensely proud to open the new Client Engagement Centre (CEC).
“By working closely with our technology partners, we have developed a comprehensive end-to-end workflow experience, that enables our customers to see first-hand what can be possible within their organisations.
“This new facility firmly demonstrates our ongoing commitment and dedication to the UK print market, as well as supporting the business needs of our customers and channel partners,” he said.
The setup includes AccurioJet KM-1 B2-plus sheetfed inkjet press and a JetVarnish Evo75 from sister company MGI.
Also on show are AccurioPress toner devices, an AccurioLabel 230 and 400, a PKG-1300 inkjet press for printing onto corrugated board, and AccurioShine 3600 embellisher with iFoil One.
Workflow and production monitoring is via KM’s AccurioPro Flux and Dashboard systems.
Head of Production & Industrial Print Jon Hiscock described the opening of the centre as a significant milestone in supporting the firm’s professional print customers and its partners.
“Built on Industry 5.0 principles, the CEC enables us to bring the latest innovations to the market and demonstrates our commitment to the UK printing industry,” he said.
Inline and offline finishing options also form part of the showcase, with third-party equipment including a Valiani Omnia cutting table, Intec ColorCut SC-6500 and Morgana DigiFold Pro XL.
As part of the inline finishing showcase KM highlighted its “unique” TU-510 automated inline trimming unit, with more than 220 sold in Europe since its launch in 2021.
Chief revenue officer Mark Ash said the opening was “the first phase” for the CEC and further development and expansion of the technologies on show was on the cards for the future.
At the upcoming Drupa show Konica Minolta plans to showcase 20 innovations including the debut for its new AccurioJet 60000 top-of-the-range B2 inkjet. It is exhibiting in Hall 8b at the expo.
