With drupa 2024 fast approaching, and a new era of commercial printing on the rise, companies that want to maintain a competitive advantage and comply with eco goals should explore how inkjet technology facilitates sustainable production printing. 

Sustainability is a trending topic in production print and, alongside it, there has been a significant rise in the use of water-based inkjet technology. This inkjet solution not only improves productivity and versatility, but it also reduces your carbon footprint in several key ways. Kyocera will be at drupa 2024 to demonstrate these core features of inkjet solutions.

What is inkjet technology?

Inkjet technology is a form of digital printing in which ink droplets are projected onto paper to recreate a digital image. Water-based inkjet solutions use water as the main solvent for pigments to produce very high-quality print results. This kind of printing creates sharp images and lines, as well as consistently vibrant colours. 

Due to the relative simplicity of inkjet technology, which does not require many moving parts, such as printer drums, belts, fusers, or toner cartridges, inkjet solutions significantly reduce waste and risks of downtime. As Kyocera will demonstrate at drupa 2024, inkjet is a responsible option for the printing industry.

How water-based inkjet enhances sustainability

Production print solutions that use water-based inkjet technology are sustainable because they use environmentally safe aqueous inks. These consumables are more than 90% pure water and contain no hazardous components or volatile liquids. In fact, the environmental impact of water-based inks is low to zero. This is particularly interesting when compared to toner powder, which contains plastics.

Moreover, the idea of sustainability goes beyond the environment. It also encompasses the concepts of longevity and reliability. Water-based inks produce results that cover all areas of sustainability, making them an eco-friendly option in more ways than one.

Less energy consumption with inkjet devices

Inkjet production print solutions do not employ fuser engines, which are used to heat up toner before it can be used. Therefore, they require less energy to run. This also means that the time to first print is very fast, so there is no long wait for the machine to warm up, which uses excess energy. Production print is more time- and energy-efficient when inkjet is employed.

In fact, Kyocera’s inkjet solutions are designed to reduce electricity consumption by switching to a low-energy sleep mode more quickly once idle. At drupa 2024, Kyocera will showcase how both the TASKalfa Pro 15000c and TASKalfa Pro 55000 reduce TCO with their conservative energy use and other sustainable features. This is just one way that Kyocera differentiates itself in the production print market.

When print service providers reduce their energy consumption, they not only comply more easily with local sustainability regulations and internal eco goals, but they also free up part of their printing budget to focus on other resources, thus providing opportunities for business development and increased productivity.

Sustainable production print solutions reduce waste

Sustainable inkjet solutions, such as Kyocera’s TASKalfa Pro 15000c, reduce plastic and paper waste. Due to their precision, there is no need for test sheets before print runs, nor is daily calibration required each morning. Print room operators can begin print runs immediately, resulting in significantly reduced paper waste.

Furthermore, fewer moving parts mean reduced risk of breakdown. Sustainable inkjet solutions lead to a reduced demand for plastic parts, which means less parts are manufactured, delivered, or discarded. This benefits production print as it leads to extremely high uptime – on average, over 90% - and reduces the industry’s carbon footprint. 

Kyocera’s inkjet solutions facilitate sustainable production printing

The lifetime of a Kyocera inkjet production printer is very high, as its static
design decreases chances of wear and tear when compared to other technologies. Printers built to last are sustainable as they do not need to be repaired or replaced as often. These devices are built with re-usable parts, including print heads, and there is almost no disposable waste produced during operation.

In maintenance mode, Kyocera’s inkjet printheads sit in a conditioned environment chamber to ensure excellent print quality and consistency. This allows for the reliable production of ink drops at the nozzle. The specially designed conditioned environment prevents ink from drying up at the nozzle, which can lead to waste or long warm-up times. Once companies reach the end of their contracts, they can return the machine to be used again.

Sustainability matters when printing in high quantities, but production print providers do not have to choose between the environment and their businesses. This is the message Kyocera is sharing at drupa 2024. With water-based inkjet solutions, you enjoy great productivity and efficiency, fantastic print results, high uptime, and reduced timewasting, all while making the responsible decision for the planet.

Kyocera has a proud heritage in inkjet. We have developed inkjet printheads for two decades for a wide range of applications and industries worldwide, and our inkjet solutions are changing the world of production print with their promises of versatility, reliability, affordability, and, of course, sustainability. That is why Kyocera is the drupa 2024 exhibitor to visit this May.