The print department at the University of Bedfordshire has installed a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3080 multifunctional toner press with IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Optimiser to provide higher quality, cost-efficient and flexible printing.
Known as the University Print Shop, the department serves over 20,000 university students across two sites in Luton and Bedford. It is run as a commercial business and also serves the general local community with products and services such as leaflets, flyers, business cards, copying and binding. The Konica Minolta press, which provides 80ppm printing with automatic duplexing plus scanning and copying functions, was chosen in a ‘robust testing procedure’.
David Plummer, head of Print & Document Services at the university, stated, ‘The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C3080 won on the excellent quality of the print, but what really pushed it over the finishing line was the new IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Optimizer for automated inline adjustments.’ The testing process involved assessing a number of print quality criteria including continuous tone images, graduated tints, fine line text and reversed-out type. Photo quality was a particular focus.
The unit installed at The Print Shop includes a high capacity feeder, stapling unit, punch kit and a conveyance unit for media de-curling. It has proved useful during the pandemic period in supporting a click-and-collect service that allows students and other customers to send jobs online rather than bringing memory sticks in; the turnaround is fast enough that some can even send their jobs while waiting outside in a socially-distanced queue.
Mrt Plummer added, adds, ‘The AccurioPress C3080 has definitely accelerated growth for us. When people come in, they’re quite precise about what they want, and we know this machine can deliver, we know that we’re not going to get the job kicked back.’
‘We previously lost a client who went to a commercial printer and had the job printed offset, but they returned to test the new Konica Minolta solution with uncoated and recycled stock and I’m pleased to say we won them back because the results were just perfect – the IQ-501 unit holds it all together. It’s simply brilliant and it’s the icing on the cake.’
