William Troxil is president of Industrial and Production Print at Konica Minolta Business Solutions, USA Inc., where his main responsibility is leading the company’s Industrial Print Business. Troxil recently sat down with L&NW to discuss the company’s initiatives to enhance the growth of digital label printing.

L&NW: Can you briefly share the history and journey of Konica Minolta in the label industry?
WT: Konica Minolta has been a leader in the digital label printing market for seven years. We now have a market leading position with over 1,500 presses installed. We broke into the market with our C71CF, which quickly gained traction among customers who recognized its potential for success and profitability in the short-run label market.

Customer feedback has played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of the press. By listening to our customers’ needs and aspirations, we have been able to identify areas for improvement and drive innovation. Today, we provide the third and fourth generations of the platform. These generations offer customers unparalleled speed and quality on a wide range of common substrates, eliminating the need for any precoating. These advancements enable our customers to achieve greater productivity and profitability in their label production processes. With each new iteration, we have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in digital label printing.

L&NW: How has Konica Minolta’s approach evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the label industry?
WT: Listening to our customers’ needs and finding ways to help them increase profits has always been our top priority. By engaging in open conversations with them, we have gained valuable insights into the areas where we needed to enhance our offerings. Our customers have consistently emphasized the importance of speed, capabilities, reliability, and productivity in their operations.

In response, we invested significant resources into improving these critical aspects with each new generation of the label press. Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction has allowed us to develop cutting-edge technology that meets and exceeds the evolving demands of the label industry.

By continuously enhancing the speed, capabilities, and productivity of our presses, we have empowered our customers to become independent, successful, and profitable users of Konica Minolta’s reliable label press technology. We firmly believe that by providing our customers with the tools they need to thrive, we contribute to their growth and success in the highly competitive and growing label industry.

L&NW: What sets the AccurioLabel 400 apart in the label market?
WT: Our latest generation of the press, the AccurioLabel 400 digital label press is a game-changer for customers in so many ways. We introduced a faster top speed of up to 131 fpm with this platform. This enhanced speed empowers users to meet tight deadlines and increase their productivity without compromising on quality. One of the most significant advancements in this new platform is the industry leading white toner. Unlike other label press solutions that require multiple hits to achieve the desired opacity of white, the AccurioLabel 400 white toner delivers the same level of opacity efficiently in just a single pass. This breakthrough enables our customers to produce labels on clear and metallic stocks faster and more profitably, while expanding their creative possibilities and market reach.The AccurioLabel 400 also incorporates our IQ520 technology, which continuously monitors and adjusts print quality in real time. This ensures consistent and impeccable print results. Finally, we understand the importance of controlling uptime for our customers. To address this, the AccurioLabel 400 is equipped with long-life consumables that are easy to replace.

L&NW: How does the AccurioLabel 400 address the latest challenges?
WT: Our customers are in complete control when using the AccurioLabel 400. The AccurioLabel 400 empowers users with control over the substrates they can run. This means they have the flexibility to work with a wide range of stocks, including those typically used on flexo presses. This versatility allows label manufacturers and converters to leverage their existing materials and workflows, minimizing disruptions and maximizing efficiency. Moreover, the press enables users to control speed and quality, giving them the ability to deliver precisely what their customers require.  We recognize the importance of uptime to our customers and provide comprehensive training to ensure users have the knowledge and skills to be independent with the press and optimize production capacity.

Most important to label manufacturers and converters, the AccurioLabel 400 includes a unique pricing model that increases profitability. Rather than set click charges, AccurioLabel 400 customers pay for consumables as they are utilized. This pay-as-you-go approach allows our customers to have better control over their costs.

L&NW: What do you envision for the future of label printing, and how does Konica Minolta plan to stay at the forefront of innovation?
WT: The future of label printing is expected to be driven by the increasing demand for customization, versioning, and personalization of products. We recognize this trend and remain committed to staying at the forefront of innovation in the label market. With a focus on listening to our customers’ needs, we continually enhance solutions to increase profitabilty and efficiency.