Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., a leader in industrial and commercial printing and packaging solutions, is pleased to announce the installation of its AccurioJet KM-1e LED UV Inkjet Press at The Kennickell Group (Kennickell), a commercial printing and wide-format company founded in 1892. Savannah’s oldest family-owned business and one of the largest printers in the region, Kennickell specializes in commercial print, direct mail, publications, print-on-demand, and wide format printing.
Producing a vast array of work for its clients, Kennickell runs jobs as small as business cards up to magazines, books, direct mail, online storefronts, wall murals, vehicle wraps and more. Looking to make an impact across all aspects of its business, the printer searched out a new, high-quality digital printing platform with a larger sheet size than available on most toner devices. Other requirements included a low operating cost with high productivity. Kennickell looked at a number of large-format toner and inkjet presses, eventually choosing Konica Minolta’s AccurioJet KM-1e for its print quality, ability to perfect, and UV inks for quick drying.
Previously, Kennickell was spending a great deal of time moving its many direct mail and postcard projects from its printers to then be addressed on its mailing inkjets. After installation of the AccurioJet KM-1e, it was able to vastly increase throughput by printing and addressing pieces at the same time. Additionally, what used to be two-hour make readies on Kennickell’s offset presses now takes only minutes, with the first sheet off the AccurioJet KM-1e being perfect.
“We love the print quality,” said Al Kennickell, President, The Kennickell Group. “We have a number of high-end clients for whom we print some really difficult jobs including heavy solids, multi-signature crossovers and ghosting issues, and the AccurioJet KM-1e handles it all beautifully.”
Kennickell anticipates the new press will significantly change the way its clients order print. Shorter runs are now economical, as unit costs remain low without having to order thousands more than needed. With the AccurioJet KM-1e, direct mail can now be produced days faster and at lower costs. The printer also purchased the MGI JETvarnish 3D One for its postcard applications and its potential to grow the packaging and signage part of its business.
Kennickell has long been committed to being good stewards of the environment by encouraging the use of recycled papers, recycling 100% of paper products/waste and aluminum plates, and using vegetable-based inks and environmentally friendly products. The company was extremely pleased that with the AccurioJet KM-1e there is no longer a need for plates, no wasted paper for make readies and less power consumption.
“With the addition of the AccurioJet KM-1e we have had to train our staff to rethink throughput,” adds Kennickell. “Until you have a press like this, you really don’t understand the flexibility you have, and we are rethinking many aspects of how we push work through our plant. I can truly say this is a game changer for us.”
“We know The Kennickell Group prides itself on improving efficiency and reducing costs for its clients, while also providing the highest quality output, all of which we are able to make possible through the benefits of the AccurioJet KM-1e,” says Bill Troxil, president, industrial print and production print business, Konica Minolta. “We are proud that they have chosen to deploy the latest in UV inkjet technology by investing in this device.”
The Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1e is a 29" sheet-fed UV inkjet press. The KM-1e can produce up to 3,000 sheets per hour on a wide range of paper thicknesses, from 0.06 to 0.6 mm. The press prints on various media, including clear film, metallic media, canvas, and embossed paper.
Watch a brief video about The Kennickell Group and their experience with the AccurioJet KM-1e LED UV Inkjet Press.