Katun: committed to respecting intellectual property rights

So, I was in my hotel having breakfast, flicking through the paper here in Manila and came across this article….

It’s not just fake Gucci handbags and Prada Sunglasses….. This also affects our industry with cheap copies of Toner, Drums, Fusers etc….

And the “I didn’t know” defence won’t cut it if your Dealership is caught up in the issue.

Remember my post from a few weeks ago: Canon’s had a busy year legally…are you risking a knock on the door??

So, Remember:

Katun is committed to respecting the valid intellectual property rights of others and strives to market “IP-friendly” products to its customers. Katun’s focus on intellectual property is an important aspect in its overall approach to providing quality products and outstanding service.

Katun has three full-time in-house attorneys with IP backgrounds who work closely with its product development team, suppliers and outside counsel on IP-related issues. The dedication of significant internal and external resources to intellectual property is just one measurement of Katun’s commitment to this area of its business.

At the initial stages of product development, efforts are typically taken to promote intellectual property compliance before a product is offered for sale. As appropriate, these efforts include an analysis of competitor’s intellectual property in the relevant technology areas and/or markets to prevent any potential infringement of valid intellectual property rights.

When you buy Katun Performance, Katun Business Color and Katun Access brand products, you significantly reduce your chances of any supply chain interruptions due to IP issues. As a Katun partner, you are buying from an organisation that respects valid intellectual property rights and competes fairly – a company you can trust.

Drop me an email to see how I can help your Dealership stay safe….. and keep the lawyers away 🙂

HCP shipments decline in Q3 2018

New data released by IDC reveals that in the Western European HCP market, MFP shipments have continued to fall, but revenues are “more stable”.

The Western European MFP market declined by 6.7 percent, IDC reports, compared with the same period in 2017. However, “on a more positive note the market values declined at a much lower rate of 2.1 percent as the market continued to transition to higher-speed devices and colour A3 devices.”

The laser market performed better than predicted, dropping by only 1.2 percent, while the colour and monochrome shipments “remained relatively stable”, colour shipments rising marginally and monochrome shipments falling just a little in terms of units.

The inkjet sector performed most poorly in terms of unit growth, “with 3Q shipments registering a 9 percent decline even though revenues declined at a slower rate.” The majority of OEMs producing inkjet devices demonstrated “lower sales”, due to a fall in demand from home users and business consumers alike. However the business inkjet market “is showing signs of transition as higher-priced and higher-specification devices are shipping in place of entry-level models”.

“The HCP market will show an overall decline in 2018 as the market transitions away from the printed page to the digital page, but the Western Europe market remains a sizeable opportunity for many,” said Phil Sargeant, Program Director in IDC’s Western European Imaging, Hardware Devices, and Document Solutions group. “Print remains an important attribute for many companies and it’s clear that there are many transitions and opportunities that remain in areas such as colour, ink, and even monochrome. Those suppliers utilising their IT services, security, and environmental policies are seeing some success as a result.”

The main highlights of IDC’s findings are as follows:

• The overall Western European hardcopy market “contracted by 6.7 percent year on year in 3Q18, recording a shipment figure of 4.8 million units.”
• The main area of growth was in A3 business inkjets, which IDC states is “an area that many OEMs are now beginning to focus more on.”
• In the laser markets “overall colour showed slight growth and though monochrome overall declined there was strong demand for A4 MFP products.”
• 85 percent of all hardcopy shipments are now from MFP products, which IDC says is an increase from the same period a year ago and from the previous quarter of 2Q18.

In terms of country highlights, IDC examined the “big 3 markets of Germany, France and the UK” and illuminated the differences among them. 

In Germany the market declined by 5.6 percent in Q3, with shipments “in line with the European averages.” Both ink and laser markets “contracted”, with the sole area of growth being the consumer inkjet market. However, “colour printer markets increased slightly and in the production sphere there were increases in the amount of hardcopy shipments that were installed.”

In France, shipments registered a “strong decline” of 15.2 percent, causing it to drop below the level of the UK despite France having had a good market in the second quarter. There were “few areas of growth” apart from the double-digit growth reported by the A4 colour MFP market.

Finally, in the UK, overall shipments fell by 1.4 percent, meaning the UK market “performed better than most other countries and saw some strong growth in the laser markets where both colour and monochrome shipments increased in 3Q18.” While inkjet shipments dropped, business inkjets registered double-digit growth.

Canon’s had a busy year legally…are you risking a knock on the door??

This week the OEM has announced the settlement of a patent infringement dispute and the filing of more reports with Amazon, requesting product removals.

This year has been a very busy one for Canon on the legal front, with the OEM filing a series of patent infringement lawsuits both in the United States and further afield. The latest case to approach its conclusion is Canon’s dispute with Biggest Discount Limited.

The OEM has revealed that Canon and Biggest Discount Limited have agreed to “resolve their pending patent dispute by signing a settlement agreement.” Biggest Discount Limited accepted a preliminary injunction handed down by the District Court of Dusseldorf, based on the infringement of the German portion of Canon’s European patent EP 2 087 407 B1.

Biggest Discount has also agreed to “refrain from making, offering, putting into circulation and/or importing and/or owning laser toner cartridges comprising a drum unit with a certain coupling member sold for use in various models of HP and/or Canon laser beam printers in the UK.

The company has also agreed to pay damages for past infringements to Canon.

This week Canon has also resumed its war against patent infringement on Amazon, filing two Report Infringement Forms with Amazon UK regarding cartridge models offered by both Ink N Toner UK Retail Ltd and Officetec (UK).

These forms were filed based on the alleged use of claims 1 and 25 of the UK portion of Canon’s European Patent EP 2 087407.

Amazon subsequently removed the cartridge listings and informed the vendors.

 

I was discussing the risks just last week with a Dealer…

If you want an IP friendly solution, drop me a line 🙂

 

5 tips for channel partners to succeed in the SMB market

 

Quocirca’s Global Print 2025 report reveals that print manufacturers are set to lose their influence on customer relationships in favour of IT service providers that deliver print services as part of a broader offering.  Businesses are increasingly looking for suppliers that can demonstrate IT expertise and be strategic partners to both IT and various lines of business (LOB). Building IT services capabilities would present print manufacturers with the opportunity in the small and mid-sized business (SMB) market, helping to offset declining legacy revenue. However, to do so manufacturers must ensure the right mix of channel and technology partnerships.

Changing channel dynamics

The changing ways SMBs wish to purchase, consume and pay for their IT is redefining the role of the channel, fundamentally changing business models and relationships. While print channel partners are gradually transitioning to a managed print services (MPS) model, extending this to other aspects of IT will be the key to sustaining growth.

While printing is not set to disappear any time soon – overall 64% of businesses expect to still rely on printing by 2025 – digitisation efforts are also accelerating, and security is a top concern. This convergence demands a new breed of supplier that can support the business transformation needs of SMBs.

In the SMB market, print vendors have an opportunity to offset diminishing revenues from traditional hardware-centric business models by advancing services portfolios. The Global Print 2025 study reveals that by 2025, 26% of SMBs expect their organisations to have the deepest relationship with IT service providers, increasing from 23% today. This is at the expense of print manufacturers, which see their influence drop from 27% today to 13% in 2025.  A further 17% of SMBs expect a stronger relationship with MPS providers in 2025, up from 14%.

The evolving technology needs of SMBs

SMBs are diverse, ranging in scale and ambition, from fast-growth start-ups to stable, medium-sized businesses. SME technology investment plans vary depending on business focus and size, but according to the Global 2025 report IT security and cloud top the agenda.

Just like larger companies, SMBs are interested in deploying new technology, but are constrained by budget and limited IT expertise.  This lack of expertise is good news for suppliers which understand their customers’ business and industry needs and have the technical expertise to deliver a broader array of solutions and services.   SMBs are increasingly adopting low-cost, cloud-based services and managed services to reduce operational costs, remain competitive and improve efficiency. Consequently they are placing increased demands on suppliers.

Quocirca’s Global Print 2025 research reflects these changing requirements. In organisations with 100-249 employees, 57% are looking for a provider that can be a strategic partner to both IT and LOB – this rises to 60% in organisations with 500-999 employees. Over half of SMBs expect a supplier to have strong IT security expertise, rising to 65% in SMBs with 500-999 employees. Other top requirements are industry specific expertise, business process automation capabilities and providing analytic insight.

Can the channel shift gear?

Although some print-focussed channel partners have successfully made the transition to managed print services (MPS), the majority remain focused on  hardware-centric transactional sales. When it comes to IT services, traditional print partners often lack the skills, experience and capabilities to be credible providers. There may not be the incentives or knowledge in place to sell broader IT solutions, and provide a consultative sales approach which is a core capability of many broader IT service providers.  As a result, many print channel partners may view a move to IT services as high risk requiring too much investment and time.

Typically, SMBs do not typically look to traditional print channel partners or print vendors as a source of innovative services beyond print. They are more likely to turn to existing IT service providers focused on business outcomes, rather than speeds and feeds.

So how can the print channel step up its game, and build IT services credibility and reputation? Consider the following recommendations:

1. Change the conversation. Channel partners must change their expertise, shifting from the outdated print-centric reselling model to embrace a new role as trusted and strategic advisors to their customers. They must change the nature of the conversation they have with SMBs, engaging with the influential business decision-makers responsible for strategy. The conversation must be around the how to drive efficiency and productivity – not just about technology or products. As businesses turn to them for guidance and support,  channel partners will need to be able to deliver consultative services and expertise.  This also means tapping into adjacencies such as digitisation and security, which are increasingly part of the broader printing proposition.
2. Partner for IT expertise. Partnering with accredited and experienced IT service providers gives print channel partners access to both a broader product portfolio and provides a direct route into the IT services market, supported by specialist technology sales and support resources. For instance, this enables partners to potentially offer print security services and solutions as part of a broader managed security service offering. For manufacturers or large channel organisations, acquiring IT providers can be an effective means of gaining specialised expertise to develop and augment IT services in-house. It is also a direct means accessing experience in selling or supporting IT services. Some manufacturers including Konica Minolta, Ricoh and Sharp have already made the shift, expanding their managed IT service capabilities largely through acquisition.
3. Become specialised. The shift to margin-rich services means developing industry specific expertise. Invest in the skills needed to deploy and connect a range of technologies – both across hardware and software – and consider developing vertical specific offerings.
4. Focus on delivering business outcomes. As SMB purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by non-IT decision makers, channel partners will need to expand their influence to multiple stakeholders. For larger businesses, the channel needs to focus on building skills in delivering business outcomes to LOB buyers, while retaining a strong relationship with the IT department.
5. Monetise solutions. Channel partners that invest in software development to expand their offerings should consider monetising and building the resultant intellectual property (IP) through delivering applications. Building a portfolio of applications wrapped around the core business – for example, MPS or document workflow – should lead to new opportunities. Consider including assessment or consulting services as well as integration services.

 The channel must shift gears and change its business model in order to increase engagement with SMBs.  Repositioning as an IT services and solution provider may seem high risk, but by developing credible converged IT offerings, channel partners may be able to increase their relevance, create differentiation and create longer term and more profitable relationships.

Learn more about the changing SMB printing landscape at http://www.print2025.com.

By Louella Fernandes

Kodak to Sell Flexographic Packaging Division to Montagu

 

Eastman Kodak Company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Flexographic Packaging Division to Montagu Private Equity LLP, a leading private equity firm. After closing, the business will operate as a new standalone company which will develop, manufacture and sell flexographic products, including the flagship KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, to the packaging print segment.

Under its new ownership, the business will have the same organizational structure, management team and growth culture that has served Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division well in recent years. Chris Payne, who has served as President of the Flexographic Packaging Division for the last three years, will lead the new company as CEO.

Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division is an excellent example of Kodak incubating and bringing disruptive innovation to the marketplace. Over the past five years, the Flexographic Packaging business has grown and thrived within Kodak, and has become a significant player in the packaging print industry. The business will be well-positioned to continue delivering solutions to maintain profitable growth for printers in the packaging sector and remain at the leading edge of flexographic print production.

Kodak expects to receive total value of up to $390 million, comprised of the following components: (1) base purchase price of $340 million, subject to purchase price adjustments; (2) potential earn-out payments of up to $35 million over the period through 2020 based on achievement by the business of agreed-upon performance metrics; and (3) $15 million payable by Montagu to Kodak at the closing as a prepayment for various services and products to be provided by Kodak to the business post-closing pursuant to commercial agreements, subject to completion of certain pledge and collateral arrangements.

The net proceeds from the transaction will be used by Kodak to reduce outstanding term debt. The Company expects that the remaining outstanding term debt will be refinanced and/or repaid using cash proceeds from additional asset monetizations.

“This transaction is an important turning point in our transformation and is a significant, positive development for Kodak,” said Jeff Clarke, CEO, Kodak. “The sale of the Flexographic Packaging Division unlocks value for shareholders and strengthens our financial position by providing a meaningful infusion of cash which allows us to reduce debt, improving the capital structure of the Company and enabling greater flexibility to invest in our growth engines.”

Kodak remains committed to the print industry and delivering products and services which meet the evolving needs of printers. Following this transaction, Kodak will continue to focus on the demonstrated growth areas of SONORA environmental plates, enterprise inkjet, workflow software and brand licensing. The Company is well-positioned for the future by leveraging these growth engines and continuing to maximize value in commercial printing, film and advanced materials.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019, subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of closing conditions.

UBS Investment Bank acted as exclusive financial advisor and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP acted as legal advisor to Kodak for the transaction.  Ernst & Young acted as financial advisor, Bain & Co. acted as commercial advisor and Linklaters LLP acted as legal advisor to Montagu for the transaction.

Kodak’s agreement with Montagu, which is available at http://investor.kodak.com/investor-relations, will be filed with the SEC upon the re-opening of the EDGAR system on November 13, 2018.

Nuance Signs Definitive Agreement to Sell Document Imaging Division to Kofax for $400 million cash

Enables Nuance to sharpen focus on its conversational AI- and cloud-related technologies, simplify its business, and improve its growth profile

 

BURLINGTON, Mass., November 12, 2018 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) today announced the company has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Document Imaging division to Kofax, Inc. The sale enables Nuance to focus the business entirely on its conversational AI- and cloud- based solutions while simplifying the organization and improving its growth profile. For Kofax, the Document Imaging division bolsters the company’s leadership in Intelligent Automation technologies. Total consideration for the transaction is $400 million in cash. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close by the end of Nuance’s second fiscal quarter.

“Nuance is entering the next phase of our organization’s growth and while selling the Document Imaging division was not an easy decision given its many years of contributions and dedication of our Imaging associates, it became clear in our portfolio reviews that this is the right outcome,” said Mark Benjamin, chief executive officer of Nuance. “Selling the Imaging division enables us to sharpen focus on our conversational AI- and cloud-related portfolio and accelerate the transformation well underway at the Company.”

Nuance Document Imaging provides the software solutions and expertise required by professionals and organizations to more securely and efficiently optimize information-centric processes. The Company’s expansive portfolio enables strict compliance with information security policies and regulations while enabling organizations to streamline and eliminate gaps across the full spectrum of workflows spanning the lifecycle of their documents from origin to archiving. For users, Nuance’s Imaging solutions deliver an experience that is consistent, familiar and intuitive for more efficient, natural, and intelligent interactions with technologies used to create, capture, and process documents.

“Through the acquisition of Nuance’s Document Imaging division, Kofax will drive customer value by adding key technologies, including cloud compatibility, scan-to-archive, scan-to-workflow, print management and document security, to our end-to-end Intelligent Automation platform,” said Reynolds C. Bish, Chief Executive Officer of Kofax. “In addition, we will now be able to combine the best capture capabilities available in the market into one product portfolio.”

Additional details will be discussed on the Company’s November 19, 2018 fourth quarter earnings call. BofA Merrill Lynch served as Nuance’s financial advisor, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Baker McKenzie served as Nuance’s legal advisors on the transaction.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is the pioneer and leader in conversational AI innovations that bring intelligence to everyday work and life. The company delivers solutions that understand, analyze and respond to human language to increase productivity and amplify human intelligence. With decades of domain and artificial intelligence expertise, Nuance works with thousands of organizations – in global industries that include healthcare, telecommunications, automotive, financial services, and retail – to create stronger relationships and better experiences for their customers and workforce. For more information, please visit http://www.nuance.com.

Trademark reference: Nuance and the Nuance logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Nuance Communications, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Auricular Reconstruction: Netherlands Researchers 3D Print & Assess New Methods for Making Ears

As users around the world embrace 3D printing, the impacts continue to grow in a wide range of industries—but particularly medicine as researchers make strides in their own labs with bioprinting, as well as creating medical devices, implants, prostheses, and more. And although 3D printing in the realm of hearing devices and bioprinting of ear tissue is not entirely new, researchers in the Netherlands have been working on a novel method for auricular reconstruction.

The Netherlands research team outlines their findings in ‘Design and fabrication of a hybrid alginate hydrogel/poly(ε‐caprolactone) mold for auricular cartilage reconstruction. ‘ With the challenging goal of creating a 3D printed cartilage implant, the researchers assessed whether the bioprinting materials they had in mind were actually viable as they worked to create poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds, using alginate as a cell carrier. Success with such technology could mean bypassing more conventional methods that present challenges to include:

• Morbidity at donor site
• Risky exposure of implants
• Difficulty in surgical procedures

“Tissue engineering, in combination with novel biofabrication strategies, is a promising solution to engineer auricular implants with patient‐derived donor cells. These biofabricated auricular constructs could ultimately function as patient‐specific implants for the reconstruction of a deformed auricle,” state the researchers in their paper.

The key for the these scientists was in finding a scaffold strong enough to bear cell growth as well as that of resulting tissue. This type of new scaffold must be durable but also porous and able to break down easily in terms of biodegradability. Bioink composed of synthetic or natural hydrogel could be used for 3D printing cells, or there is also the option of fabricating the support scaffolds and then adding the cell-hydrogel mixture. Poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL) is a plastic material used successfully to create scaffolds strong enough for such a purpose.

Scaffolds were created with differences in strands:

• 400 μm
• 600 μm
• 800 μm
• 1000 μm
• 1200 μm

Customized software created G-code, and medical-grade PCL was 3D printed on a 3DDiscovery. Afterward, the molds were cleaned, sterilized, and sealed. The researchers evaluated each sample’s structure using a microscope, digital camera, and fiber optic light. They then assessed cell viability, after which biomechanical analysis examined PCL scaffolds and the alginate hydrogel itself.

They then found that the scaffolds were viable:

“The structural properties of 3D printed PCL scaffolds were determined by examining the surface porosity and mechanical properties. Macroscopic analysis of the PCL scaffolds showed good printing quality,” stated the researchers. “However, microscopic analysis of individual PCL strands showed some variance in strand diameter over a short distance. In addition, the lateral view of the scaffold showed a large variety in pore width. Overall, the smaller the pore width, the more accurate the 3D printed scaffold.”

Overall results were examined further as the researchers considered the following:

• Structural properties of 3D‐printed PCL
• Cell viability and proliferation in alginate hydrogel beads
• Hydrogel biomechanical properties
• Neocartilage formation
• Auricular implant model

The researchers state that the 3D printed cartilage implant does indeed possess the type of mechanical properties required to withstand challenges during in vivo tissue maturation, as well as a natural core that is able to form tissue.

“The mold can be easily printed and assembled, while the design makes it easy to inject any suitable hydrogel for tissue formation,” concluded the researchers. “While long‐term in vivo experiments are required to test its preclinical applicability, the work presented in this study provides a possible strategy for the use of biofabricated tissue constructs in the clinic.”

What do you think of this 3D printing news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images:  ‘Design and fabrication of a hybrid alginate hydrogel/poly(ε‐caprolactone) mold for auricular cartilage reconstruction’]

 

Industrial 3D printer shipments rise

 

New data from CONTEXT has revealed an 18 percent and 30 percent year-on-year growth for polymer and metal-focused 3D printer shipments respectively.

Overall shipments in the first six months of this year were up by 22 percent, with plastic/polymer-producing printers climbing 18 percent, and metal 3D printers rising even further, by 30 percent.

Polymer-based 3D printers accounted for 68 percent of all Industrial printers shipped during the first half of 2018, and the ongoing rise of shipments from HP and Carbon more than took up the slack from Stratasys which, although it remains the industry leader, continued to struggle. While Q2 was “fantastic” for 3D Systems, the leading publicly-traded company in this market, most of its growth came from shipments of Design and Professional printers. The company began shipping new products – including the much-anticipated Figure 4 systems – in Q3, meaning the second half of the year is expected to be strong. While most companies focused shipments on North America and Western Europe, UnionTech remained solid “largely because of its focus on China,” according to CONTEXT.

The period continued to see even stronger interest in and growing demand for metal Industrial 3D printers, with shipments 30 percent higher than a year ago. All major vendors witnessed growth with EOS and GE Additive as joint leaders by market share. While they did not ship in bulk in the first half of the year, Desktop Metal has now begun supplying their lower-priced Studio system; with a strong and growing backlog of orders, CONTEXT declares that “this company is expected to enter the global Top 5 before the end of the year.”

Having just introduced its Metal Jet technology to the world, HP will also join leaders EOS, GE Additive, SLM, 3D Systems, TRUMPF and Renishaw in the years to come. HP will enter the metals side of Industrial 3D printing in what CONTEXT described as  “a slow and methodical fashion,” with the full market impact not expected to be clear before 2020. Like Desktop Metal’s first product (as well as its larger Production System which is set to hit the market next year), HP’s Metal Jet focuses on mainstream manufacturing across all sectors, rather than just the aerospace, automotive and medical industries where metal 3D printing already thrives.

In total, Industrial 3D-printer shipments represented 70 percent of total printer revenues in H1 2018. “The Industrial class of 3D printers is currently the most closely monitored, due to its ability to disrupt the $12 trillion (€10.5 trillion) global manufacturing industry,” noted Chris Connery, Vice-President for Global Analysis at CONTEXT.

Augmented Reality Is Reshaping The Future Of Quality Assurance In Industrial Manufacturing

Digitalisation has fundamentally reshaped industry processes – from research and development to logistics – driving up overall productivity and increasing process efficiency. However, transformation has been rather slow in certain parts of the industrial value chain, as new solutions have not been able to provide significant benefits compared to established processes or have faced significant obstacles. This is particularly true for complex manual assembly or quality assurance processes that cannot be performed by robots.

Augmented reality (AR) devices for worker guidance can help bridge this gap, merging manual labour with digital processes. As a major global player leading the field in high-tech industrial production, Siemens AG is eager to take advantage of these new solutions in order to keep evolving its business and stay at the forefront of process innovation. For this purpose, Siemens set up a team of specialists in Mülheim Germany to explore the potential of wearable technology at the world’s most technologically advanced location for the production of gas turbines, steam turbines and generators for power plants. As a pilot project, Konica Minolta’s AIRe Lens solution, a head-mounted AR smart glasses technology for industrial use, was implemented in close collaboration with the experts from Konica Minolta’s European Business Innovation Centre.

In this interview with Julian Melsbach, Project Lead implementation of smart glasses at Siemens Mülheim, and Zdeněk Vrbka, Innovation Manager at Konica Minolta, we learn more about the application possibilities for augmented reality technologies and their lasting impact on the industry.

What is your take on the transformation in industrial production – and how are you dealing with it?

Julian Melsbach, Siemens:

We are right in the middle of a significant change within the industry. Processes as we know them are changing drastically as digitalisation gradually finds its way onto the production floors. We anticipate and embrace the possibilities our workers and our company are provided with through technology in order to ensure we maintain our leadership in the industry. We are always exploring new opportunities to further improve our processes and find suitable ways of designing them to be more effective and efficient.

Zdeněk Vrbka, Konica Minolta:

Digitalisation will fundamentally change the way work is done in industrial production – away from simple repetitive tasks towards managing and monitoring roles, where human strengths such as flexibility, creativity and problem resolution capabilities are essential. As a production company ourselves we go through the processes with open eyes to look for solutions which take production to the next – often digital – level. In this way we have developed a variety of technologies which we are already testing and using together with our valued customers and partners like Siemens AG.

Why has Siemens dedicated a special team of experts to wearable technology in industrial environments?

Julian Melsbach:

We constantly push for innovation and new technology that make our internal process even more effective while maintaining the highest levels of product quality. Hence, Siemens is steadily examining exciting new technologies and their potential. Wearable devices and augmented reality solutions are highly promising technologies for applications on the shop floor, supporting our workers in mastering their craft in fields like picking and assembly, maintenance or quality management. Hence, we have set up a dedicated specialist team to evaluate various possibilities. We decided to start with the promising product group of smart glasses and started to look for suitable solutions that fit our purposes.

How did you find the solution to fit your purposes? Why did you choose to partner with Konica Minolta?

Julian Melsbach:

Our main goal is to see what the technology can really do in everyday working processes, to see if the promised advantages really translate into real-life increases in efficiency. We quickly realised that, particularly in the area of smart glasses, many solutions have significant limitations when applied in industrial production settings. One positive example which stood out for us, however was Konica Minolta’s AIRe Lens. We came into contact with this at one of our sister locations in Brno, Czech Republic. They had already run a successful trial with this solution for guidance in complex assembly processes. They worked together with an expert team from Konica Minolta’s European Business Innovation Centre, and the results they yielded were very promising. On this basis, we decided to take a closer look at the technology and were impressed by its usability on the shop floor. In comparison to other AR smart glasses, you see right from the start that Konica Minolta’s solution has been specifically tailored for the use in an industrial environment. It delivers the highest level of safety as workers can wear the head mounted device with full protective gear and prescription glasses. Thanks to its design, it is very light and comfortable to wear and also does not restrict the field of sight, which is one of the most important safety factors when operating with heavy machinery. We wanted to see for ourselves what additional tasks can be supported.

What application field did you explore then within the scope of your collaboration?

Julian Melsbach:

Basing our decision on factors of applicability, efficiency improvement rate and need, we quickly identified manual quality assurance processes as a promising field for a pilot test at our site. For our various types of turbines, we have to measure up to 1,800 values to ensure the proper functionality and high quality of our products. The process itself is very time-consuming and requires a team of two. One worker needs his hands free to measure these hard-to-reach positions and the other worker has to take down the values in a log. This log is later digitised in the quality management department. With the AIRe Lens, however, we are exploring a procedure where a single worker measures the values while using the AIRe Lens for guidance and visualisation as well as a numeric keypad for entering the results. The values are directly digitised – while the worker maintains full movement abilities thanks to the solution’s design. The AIRe Lens displays the recorded values in real-time so the worker can double-check the validity right on the spot. This allows the quality assurance measurements to be recorded significantly faster, while ensuring the highest level of reliability and control.

What are the next steps in this project?

Julian Melsbach:

With our month-long pilot, we identified a new use case. We now need to work on incorporating the procedure into our systems. The next step the Konica Minolta expert team is working on closely together with our IT department is to prepare for seamless integration of this solution into our infrastructure. For us it is really interesting and valuable to know that wearable technology like the AIRe Lens is not just designed to support workers in one dedicated process, but it is more of an evolving technology that can be used in a variety of applications. This gives us the opportunity to evaluate all of our processes with open eyes in order to potentially tap into new ways of using them.

Do you think wearable technology such as the AIRe Lens will have a lasting impact on the industrial production environment?

Julian Melsbach:

Our trial projects show that wearable technology offers huge potential when it comes to efficiency improvements in various fields of production. We truly believe that if applied in a sensible manner, it will reshape the future of production. At the moment we are at the start of this development. Yet we can already see how workers and their environment are becoming more efficient, processes less error-prone while the value for the customer increases. We are excited to see what developments might happen in the near future and happy to start working on the revolution of manufacturing right now together with strong partners like Konica Minolta.

Zdeněk Vrbka:

Things are becoming increasingly connected in our private lives – from our phones to our homes. Why not utilise similar kinds of solutions that have the potential to help workers become more efficient, reduce errors and deliver higher quality in production? In recent years we have seen a shortage of skilled workers, who – even with all digital technology – will continue to constitute the backbone of industry. Hence, solutions like the AIRe Lens that are able to enhance their performance have the potential of becoming a valuable asset for manufacturing companies. Through our close relationships with our customers like Siemens we are truly able to understand their needs and develop our solutions accordingly.

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, based in Langenhagen, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. Konica Minolta enables its clients to champion the digital era: with its unique imaging expertise and data processing capabilities, Konica Minolta creates relevant solutions for its customers and solves issues faced by society. As a provider of comprehensive IT services, Konica Minolta delivers consultancy and services to optimise business processes with workflow automation and implements solutions in the field of IT infrastructure and IT security as well as cloud environments. Konica Minolta was awarded the prestigious “Buyers Lab PaceSetter award for Smart Workplace Vision” from Keypoint Intelligence as the only vendor in its industry thanks to its forward-looking vision of the future of work and investment in innovative technology. Being a strong partner for the production and industrial printing market, Konica Minolta offers business consulting, state-of-the-art technology and software and, in 2017, was the production printing market leader for the tenth consecutive year in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa (InfoSource). The hardware portfolio covers light and mid production as well as industrial printing machines. Konica Minolta Marketing Services provides value added services that intelligently link print and digital marketing in an effective and efficient way. In the healthcare sector, Konica Minolta drives digitalisation of clinical workflows and offers a broad range of next-level diagnostic solutions. Through its Business Innovation Centre in London and four R&D laboratories in Europe, Konica Minolta brings innovation forward by collaborating with its customers as well as academic, industrial and entrepreneurial partners. Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe is represented by subsidiaries and distributors in more than 80 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With almost 9,900 employees (as of April 2018), Konica Minolta Europe earned net sales of over EUR 2.37 billion in financial year 2017/18.

For more information, please visit http://newsroom.konicaminolta.eu/ and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter @KonicaMinoltaEU.