Xerox To Raise Its Game In Solid Ink With New A3
Offering
November 26, 2008 – Xerox Office Group (XOG) held a
briefing for industry analysts at its Wilsonville, OR, facility on November 19
to deliver a sneak preview at an all-new and groundbreaking color MFP set to
debut in 2009. While details about the product (name, speed and price) won’t be
shared until closer to its launch, the concept and execution certainly look
intriguing—perhaps even game-changing for certain segments of the market.
The news: Xerox is readying an A3-class color MFP
based on its solid-ink technology as a competitor to 11" x 17" color
laser engines and HP’s Edgeline inkjet-based offerings. Pioneered by Oregon State University researchers in the 1980s and commercialized by printer maker
Tektronix (Xerox acquired the color printing and imaging division of Tektronix
in 2000), solid-ink engines are currently used by Xerox in some A4-class
printers and MFPs such as the Phaser 8860 family (which includes the 8860
and the 8860MFP).
The technology uses melted ink sticks, as opposed to toner particles or liquid
ink, to render an image.
Xerox has steadily increased the speed and lowered the
cost of its solid-ink offerings, which has let the technology migrate to
devices targeted to general office use. For example, the Phaser 8860 and 8860MFP
feature different modes and different speeds for each mode. The highest quality
output is delivered at the slowest speed, which in the case of the Phaser 8860
family, is 10 ppm in High Resolution/Photo mode. For more on this, see the
article, Color
For The Price Of Monochrome.
With the upcoming MFP, Xerox will take those
advancements to the next level. According to the company, the new device is
faster than previous solid-ink offerings. It is also exceedingly easy to use;
as with current solid-ink devices, replenishing supplies is as easy as dropping
mess-free ink sticks into the proper slot. Because the sticks simply drop into
a carriage, once they’re depleted there are no cartridges to discard, thus
reducing waste. There’s also no potential mess involved due to the dust-free
nature of the sticks. The new device also has the potential to redefine
affordable office color printing, though final per-page pricing is not yet
available.
“When we were doing due diligence for the Tektronix
acquisition, I felt the crown jewel of the company was not their channel
presence or even the outstanding A4 color laser business, but its solid-ink
technology,” recalled Rick Dastin, president of XOG. “This new model represents
some of the best technology you’ll see anywhere. It delivers all the expected
features and functions of a laser A3 MFP, with the added benefits of lower cost
and better sustainability attributes.”
