Fujifilm has announced the sale of its first Revoria and Apeos digital presses only weeks after introducing them to the UK market and timing the announcements with the launch event in London.
Fujifilm UK general manager graphic arts Andy Kent was able to declare that leading photo lab Loxleys would be the first with the Revoria PC1120 while Emerson Press would be getting the first Apeos Pro C in the country.
“Ian and his team have committed to purchase the Revoria,” Kent told the room of guests, while Emerson would be adding the new light production colour press to the Jetpress 750 B2 inkjet press that the Kenilworth printer operates. Both are long term customers of Fujifilm, the one for photographic materials, the latter as the UK’s first Jetpress 720 and then 750 user.
The addition of a portfolio of toner presses means that Fujifilm can “call on any printer in the country and have something to offer everybody” he said “and as a trusted partner”.
The current portfolio comprises the six-colour Revoria PC1120, a 120ppm SRA3 press, a 135ppm mono Revoria Press E1 and the light production Apeos Pro C offering 80ppm maximum throughput. There is clearly a gap between this machine and the flagship and that is expected to be filled by two additional machines later this year. Furthermore in a year’s time, Fujifilm is expected to announce availability of a B2 toner press that was previewed at Igas in Japan at the end of last year.
Route to market will be a combination of direct sales, particularly for the Revoria models, and dealers. Support will rely on Fujifilm UK’s existing engineers with additional support as needed in pre sales consultancy and specialist support.
Mark Lawn, head of Print on Demand solutions for Fujifilm Emea, explained: “We can also do things a little differently to improve uptime and machine availability.”
This will inlace an uptime kit provided at installation which includes frequently needed parts so that engineers do not need to carry these. There will be operator training to enable some parts to be user replaceable and a 24/7 hotline to provide remote assistance.
Those present at the launch included dealers keen to take on the products as well as printers and potential partners. The set up at the Trinity Buoy Wharf, once used to train lighthouse keepers and now an events and exhibition space, included the three Fujifilm presses and an Intec FC9000 cutting table supplied by Morgana. Like the presses this will head for a new demonstration and showroom facility in Luton.
Horizon will feature in other partnerships with the presses. “Horizon will be a main partner,” says Taro Aoki, head of Fujifilm Emea digital press solutions. “It used to be enough to provide a high quality printed sheet. Now the customer wants a finished product, which is why we need to offer a total solution.”
