Xerox solid ink capacity to rocket with US plant

Xerox has increased the production of its latest generation of solid ink tenfold after opening an 11.7m ($24m) manufacturing plant in the US.

The Portland, Oregon, site will produce the ink, which launched in September, for its Phaser 8860 colour printer and the Phaser 8860MFP colour multifunction printer.

The 929sqm plant, which currently employs 75 staff, serves growing demand for its solid ink colour printers and ink technology, which it said makes colour printing "as affordable as black and white".

The crayon-like ink sticks, which have been five years in development, increase the total number of pages the ink can produce and are said to create 90% less waste than comparable colour laser products.

Jim Rise, vice president and general manager of the Solid Ink Business Unit, said: "Xerox has redefined colour printing with the advancements we've made in solid ink."

He said the investment in the new factory shows "our success in solid ink is really just getting started".

The plant follows the opening in September of a £29.4m emulsion aggregation (EA) toner plant near Rochester, New York.

The Phaser 8860 colour printer starts at £1,699, while the Phaser 8860MFP starts at £2,919.

Black ink costs £144 and colours retail at £48.