Press release - Konica Minolta

Press release
Konica Minolta’s green toner celebrates tenth
anniversary
Langenhagen, Germany, June 2010
Konica Minolta’s Simitri polymerised toner celebrates its tenth anniversary this
year. Produced since 2000, it is now available in its third generation,
Simitri HD+. Simitri HD+ toner is used by the latest Konica Minolta digital
printing systems, among them the new bizhub PRESS range.
Research and development were focussed from an early stage on
environmentally aware emulsion polymerised technology. A significant
reduction in energy consumption and emission testify to Konica Minolta’s
successful efforts. As the only toner in the industry, Simitri HD may even be
used for printing food labels: paper printed with this toner was certified to
comply with the criteria catalogue for food contact.
“We are proud to say ‘Happy Birthday’ to our polymerised toner,” says Olaf Lorenz,
General Manager Marketing Division at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe.
“It is proof that environmental sustainability, advanced technology and major benefits
for our customers go hand in hand. Confidence in the product and its health and
safety standards is one of the most important ones: Our toner may even be used for
printing food packages, food labels or price tags in your local supermarket.” Just
recently, paper printed with Simitri HD toner was successfully tested to comply with
the criteria catalogue for food contact. German TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH
awarded this certificate to Simitri HD toner after having tested the bizhub models
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C220, C280, and C360 as well as the bizhub PRO C5501 and PRO C6501. All tests
were conducted using the Simitri HD toner in conjunction with Nautilus Universal 80
gsm paper by Mondi. Konica Minolta’s Simitri HD is the sole toner in the industry to
hold this certificate.
Known as Simitri HD+, Konica Minolta’s third generation polymerised toner
celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. It combines a decade of reliability,
experience and success with advanced, innovative technology. It first went on sale in
2001. In the following year, the toner was manufactured in all four colours. In 2006,
the more advanced Simitri HD toner, offering low temperature fusing with higher
image quality, was launched. The current Simitri HD+ is made of an ultra thin-film
core shell structure featuring small particles, a uniform shape, and contains wax.
Thanks to this structure, the toner brings together two seemingly contradictory
properties: It enables low fusing temperatures while featuring extraordinary heat
resistance at the same time. Simitri HD+ is used in the new bizhub PRESS models.
From the outset the toner, based on emulsion polymerised technology, was
researched and developed to minimise impact on the environment throughout its
lifecycle. Thanks to a polymerisation process that uses less energy during production,
emissions such as CO 2 , NO X and SO X were reduced by a third. Less energy is
required when polymerised toners are used during printing. This is due to an
upgraded polymerisation technology and a low-melting, oil-free ester wax* kernel
that allows fusing at much lower temperatures. The special wax is used in around
10% of Simitri and Simitri HD toners.
Since their launch ten years ago, Konica Minolta polymerised toners have consisted
of almost 10% biomass, i.e. plant-based material. From a carbon neutral viewpoint,
emissions during disposal of the toner were reduced significantly thanks to its plantbased
contents. Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by
balancing a measured amount of carbon emitted with an equivalent amount
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absorbed. As biomass contents of polymerised toner absorb CO 2 before becoming
raw materials, the amount of CO 2 emitted will be equal to the amount bound.
Today, Konica Minolta is the industry leader** in producing polymerised toners with a
reduced impact on the environment. More than 99% of all colour toners and more
than 96% of monochrome toners produced are polymerised toners. The industry
average is 57.2% for colour toners and 13.3% for monochrome toners. Konica
Minolta’s digital printing systems, both colour and black and white, in office as well as
in production printing, operate with polymerised toners.
* Wax is an essential ingredient for toners as it has the ability to spread on the uppermost layer of the toner during
thermal fusing, preventing the paper from winding itself around the fusing roller and preventing the image from
deforming.
** The estimated toner production for 2009 from the 2009 Toner Market Directory by Data Supply Inc.
Press photos
From the start of production in 2000 to the most recent introduction of Simitri HD+,
Konica Minolta’s polymerised toners have always used plant-based resources.
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Konica Minolta’s polymerised toner with almost 10% biomass celebrates its tenth
anniversary this year.
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About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany,
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc., Tokyo,
Japan. The company delivers services and distributes products, systems and
solutions that fulfil all the requirements of office and production printing over the
entire document life cycle. Its product range extends from colour and monochrome
multifunctional and production printing systems, laser printers and all-in-ones to
management software that integrates devices seamlessly into work processes and IT
environments. To support customers such as printing and industrial companies
optimally with powerful and sustainable solutions, technology leader Konica Minolta
continuously invests in research and development work and regularly sets new
standards for the entire printing industry.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and
distributors in more than 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
With over 27,200 employees around the world, Konica Minolta Business
Technologies earned net sales of over EUR 4.8 billion in financial year 2009/10.
For further information about the company, visit www.konicaminolta.eu.
Product images are available at www.konicaminolta-images.eu.
Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.
Contact
Olaf Lorenz
Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH
Phone: +49 (0)511 7404-378
Olaf.Lorenz@konicaminolta.eu
Claudia Bitzer
Ketchum Pleon GmbH
Phone: +49 (0)711 21099-416
KonicaMinoltaTeam@ketchumpleon.com
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