Memjet announces Océ partnership at Drupa

The San Diego-based inkjet manufacturer is to develop a high-speed, wide-format colour printer through a new joint venture with Canon subsidiary, Océ.

The initiative, Project Velocity, will deliver technology that can print up to 500 A0 colour prints per hour - around 15 times faster than conventional inkjet systems – on a 1,060mm print-path at 1,600 x 800dpi.

The touchscreen-controlled system will be fitted with six addressable media rolls, with the ability to switch between rolls and widths with up to 1,200m output capacity. The Velocity concept is making its public debut at the Canon Europe Drupa stand (Hall 8A, C06-1), where visitors can see hourly demonstrations.

Memjet president and chief executive Len Lauer said: "The Océ partnership is significant, underscoring the performance that Memjet technology and components deliver. Océ’s wide format experience, excellent product development, sales and marketing expertise, and worldwide brand and distribution make them the ideal partner for Memjet in the wide format segment."

Infotrends' Tim Greene said the partnership would change the competitive landscape of the global wide format market, overnight. "Velocity takes advantage of Océ's strengths such as paper handling for production environments, production workflow in the technical market and controller technology, and wraps them around Memjet's revolutionary technology and components," he added.

Océ will reveal pricing and availability information in the second half of 2012.

Meanwhile Memjet has also announced it is to partner with Toshiba TEC Corporation to develop multi-function office products. Toshiba will integrate Memjet components into a "Multi-function Peripheral product (MFP)" including a scanner, photocopier and colour printer.

On display at Memjet’s Drupa stand (hall 5, E28) is a future MFP, which is being co-developed by both companies.

Under the partnership agreement Toshiba will evaluate Memjet technology for high-speed requirements in manufacturing, logistics and retail environments.

General manager Hidetaka Nonami said: "Customers are continuously looking for the latest innovations that strengthen operations as well as the financial bottom line. We believe Memjet has developed an approach to office printing that can do both."