Imaging supplies distributor will also provide technical support and training for Memjet printers in US and Canada.

Parts Now has announced that it has become the initial distributor and reseller of Memjet-powered C6010 colour printers in North America, expanding its product and services portfolio to benefit MPS resellers.

In addition, the company will sell Memjet consumable ink tanks, printheads, parts and refilled ink tanks, as well as “fill your own” ink systems. It will also provide technical support, technical dealer training, warranty desk and administrative dealer support for the Memjet printers.

Memjet-powered printers boast fast printing speeds of 60 pages per minute, and are described as being “less costly to acquire, maintain and operate than most colour laser options”.

Ryan Humphrey, Director of MPS at Parts Now commented: “The Memjet-powered C6010 is a fast and affordable colour option for any MPS dealer. The Memjet-powered C6010 offers a new, cost-effective alternative to A4 colour printing, making colour further accessible for a customer and profitable for a reseller.”

Speaking on appointing Parts Now as distributor and reseller for Memjet, Bill McGlynn, President of Memjet Office said: “We embrace Parts Now’s vision for MPS growth and look forward to working with them to expand the Memjet-powered C6010 business in the North American market.

“Parts Now is a trusted advisor to many MPS dealers in service and repair, and that creates condfidence around our new technology platform. They have embraced our authorised ink-tank refill program and are poised to make it real for resellers wanting to improve the profitability for their customers and the environmentalfootprint of colour printing.”

Printer manufacturer announces it has joined association, describing its technology as “perfect” for MPS.

High-speed colour printer manufacturer Memjet has announced that it is now a member of the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA), which “provides independent communications, collaboration, education, standards and success to MPS professionals”, reports My Print Resource.

Speaking on the company’s new membership of MPSA, which was founded in 2009, Bill McGlynn, President of Memjet Office, said: “We’re proud to be a part of MPSA, the premiere US industry organisation for managed print services professionals,” adding that “Memjet colour printing technology is perfect for the MPS market which is experiencing explosive growth. With low running costs, a revolutionary ink refill model and desktop colour speeds of a page-per-second, Memjet-powered office devices represent the office printing industry’s first breakthrough in two decades.

“Memjet heralds the beginning of an entirely new office printing category that gives resellers new options for increasing colour pages and profiting from them.”

The Recycler has also recently reported (http://www.therecycler.com/posts/parts-now-appointed-memjet-distributor-and-reseller-in-north-america/) on Parts Now becoming Memjet’s distributor and reseller in North America, with the company selling the Memjet-powered C6010 printer, which purportedly boasts running costs that are “half of those of traditional office printers” and uses less energy due to the elimination of the fusing process usually apparent in laser printers.

C6010 colour printer line released by Memjet, designed for SMBs.

ITBusiness.ca reports that a new line of Memjet printers has been launched in Canada, with the devices said to be the fastest colour desktop printer capable of borderless printing.

The C6010 printers offer “edge-to-edge, full-coverage” printouts at speeds of 60 pages per minute, with Memjet claiming that the high-density, page-wide printheads along with “associated office printing devices” are double the speed of traditional colour laser printers used in offices, despite being cheaper to run. According to the company, the high printing speeds are a result of 700 million drops of ink being released per second, including when the printer is still warming-up due to its “always-on” feature.

Memjet states that the products are designed for SMBs looking to print in-house marketing materials due to their borderless printing capabilities and low operating costs.

Bill McGlynn, President of Memjet Office, commented: “With the arrival of Memjet powered C6010 printers in Canada, small and medium businesses through their office equipment resellers can now for the first time access fast affordable colour printing revolutionized by Memjet page-wide printing technology. The C6010 improves productivity in fast-paced office environments for all types of businesses looking to improve efficiencies, save money and print high-impact colour documents.”

The C6010 printer line is available in Canada now, with the exception of Quebec where the printers will launch in the second half of 2013.

Printing and imaging solutions provider helps to make colour printing accessible for SMBs in region.

Ontario-based LaserAge Inc. has announced that it has become the exclusive authorised reseller of the Memjet C6010 printer in south-western Ontario, allowing small and medium businesses in the region to benefit from affordable, superfast colour printing.

The company offers MPS, Document Imaging and traditional transactional supplies, equipment and repairs to the region, which it has served for over 20 years, and will now be able to deliver the Memjet C6010 to its clients.

The Memjet C6010 is an MPS-ready inkjet printer that is said to operate at running costs half of those of traditional office printers, on average. It also features printhead technology consisting of a single page-wide printhead with over 70,000 ink nozzles, allowing for the printing og 1,600 x 800 dpi edge-to-edge colour prints at speeds of up to 60 pages per minute.

The printer also features a “green” design to support ink refill programmes that encourage the reuse of ink cartridges, preventing cartridges from going to landfill. Furthermore, the model is designed to be part of an MPS solution to offer affordable colour printing that would normally be avoided due to high costs.

The Memjet C6010 was released in Canada in April,  with Bill McGlynn, President of Memjet Office, commenting that the printer “improves productivity in fast-paced office environments for all types of businesses looking to improve efficiencies, save money and print high-impact colour documents.”

Memjet’s C6010 machine

The Memjet C6000 series will be distributed in the US by Image Star.

Sys-Con reported on the new “strategic distribution partnership” between Memjet and Image Star, an imaging products wholesaler, whereby Image Star will distribute the C6000 series of Memjet printers and their supplies in the US market.

The C6000 range includes the C6010 printer and C6030 MFP, and supplies available from Image Star will include printheads, ink tanks and refilled ink tanks, the latter filled with “authentic Memjet ink through authorised processes”, according to the company. The C6010 machine is said to be “ideal for business[es] looking for productive and affordable colour printing solutions”, whilst the C6030 MFP “combines the high-speed colour printer with a copier and scanner” for “additional workflow-friendly” options.

Kelly Munro, Vice President of Sales at Image Star, stated: “Memjet has truly innovative printhead technology and adding these devices to our portfolio ensures we’re providing our customers with the devices that can drive new value and profit via the latest technology.

“Being one of the selected distributors for Memjet-powered printers puts us in a unique position with resellers looking for ways to transition their aging monochrome laser installed base to colour and increase colour pages across their accounts. We’re looking forward to helping our customers increase the value of the fleets they manage by offering C6000 Series printers.”

Kim Beswick, President of Memjet Office, added: “The new office ink category is opening up new possibilities for the office printing market. Memjet’s C6000 device category is poised to grow rapidly in 2014, by offering blazingly fast and affordable colour alternative to the vast installed base of monochrome laser printers and a new price point for convenient desktop colour pages.

“Memjet is leading the way with refillable cartridges that deliver high quality, low cost colour pages and help resellers grow colour pages profitably. We’ve put a focus on adding strategic distributors to our global network and we’re excited to have Image Star as a new capable partner for the US market.”

Queensland-based Dynamic Supplies to distribute Memjet products in Australia and New Zealand.

ARN reported on the partnership of Memjet and Dynamic Supplies as the Californian printer company looks to build on “recent expansion” in the Australian and New Zealand (A/NZ) markets by providing an alternative option to other major OEMs.

Memjet, whose technology was developed by Silverbrook Research near Sydney, signed Dynamic Supplies, which supplies hardware from OEMs including Kyocera, Canon, Samsung and Fuji Xerox, as the company’s President, Kim Beswick, noted that Dynamic Supplies’ product portfolio offers “opportunities rather than conflicts”; with Beswick commenting: “There is a lot of technology and a lot of competition […] but our value proposition is centred around low cost colour.

Beswick added: “It’s a supplies value proposition. We have seen this work in multiple markets, and Dynamic Supplies understands that. We target the general office market. These companies are often cost-constrained. When you think about the types of documents they are printing, they have a high need for colour. They are in front of customers every day and make marketing material in house.

“We expect Dynamic Supplies to promote Memjet as an alternative to mature market choices.”

The two companies are “running a channel programme based on the vendor’s C6000 office printers”, with the programme planning to “offer rewards and rebates to resellers which are willing to make larger quarterly commitments via proactive sales strategies”.

Memjet’s C6010 and C6030 MFP

The distributor will sell the C6010 and C6030 MFP in the German market.

The company reported that the two machines, which can print at speeds of up to 60ppm in colour, will deliver “the industry’s best price-performance ratio” to authorised dealers from this month onwards, and offer print resolutions of up to 1,600 x 1,600dpi in addition to ink tank yields of 4,900 pages in black and 5,500 pages in colour.

The printers feature ink tanks that are refilled, with empty tanks to be sent to Compatech who will use Memjet Business Pro partners and authorised specialists to refill the tanks. Other features of the machines include low energy use of one-tenth the energy of a laser printer, with a maximum power use of 35 watts during printing, in addition to no particulate emissions, a first page print in six seconds, a 250 sheet paper tray, and a recommended monthly volume of 1,000 to 4,000 pages.

The C6010 will retail at a suggested price of €562.94 ($775.12), whilst the C6030 MFP will retail for a suggested price of €756.22 ($1,041.25). Compatech’s CEO Klaus Baumann stated of the launch: “The Memjet printers offer dealers the opportunity to expand their portfolio to serve new audiences and develop new service concepts.”

A Memjet printhead

The Aspen engine will enable commercial presses to print 225 feet per minute.

The company reported that the new print engine will “empower OEMs and commercial printers to control and customise colour printing”, whilst delivering a “cost-effective, on-demand” service for manufacturers and production lines.

The new engine is designed for both colour printing label and commercial presses, with speeds of up to 225 feet per minute in addition to “full dot control” and the ability to be retrofitted to old machines. The dot control allows for print shops to “ensure the accuracy of the data pipeline”, with users able to control more of what ends up printed on the page and in higher quality.

The Aspen printheads feature 70,400 nozzles delivering “millions of ink drops per second”, as well as a 1,600dpi “native” print resolution in full colour. The retrofitting meanwhile allows presses to be “enhanced with digital capability without the high cost or time required to rip and replace infrastructure”.

Aspen engines are available in three different configurations, including a single print engine “as a standalone printer”, two print engines “mounted side-by-side” for 17-inch media printing, and four print engines side-by-side for even larger prints. The new print speed of 225 feet per minute meanwhile is an upgrade on Memjet’s previous speed of 165 feet per minute.

Memjet’s Gus Piccin stated: “Customers value full control and real-time, precise printed material, and a guarantee that what’s on the screen is exactly what’s printed – down to shading and line values. OEMs and print shops with Memjet-powered technology can deliver value in the form of that control. Accurate, real-time printed material is a reality, and an avenue for opportunity and growth.”

The company’s technology will be on show at the event in Munich.

A Memjet printhead

Canon Europe, RTI Digital and Gongzheng Technology will present wide-format devices utilising Memjet technology at this year’s FESPA Digital event in Munich on May 20, with Memjet stating that the machines “demonstrate a variety of applications for printing materials for graphic arts and architecture, engineering and construction”.

Among the machines to be shown off at the event include Canon’s Océ ColorWave 900, a machine delivering a print resolution of 1600dpi, a print speed of 1,100 square metres an hour, and designed for printing “point-of sale posters [and] exhibition and trade show displays”, and RTI Digital’s Vortex 4200, powered by five Memjet printheads for thermal inkjet printing for digital graphics and commercial printing.

Finally, Gongzhen Technology’s PRO-A1060C machine will be on display, designed for “graphic arts and commercial image” printing, with a print resolution of 1600 x 800dpi and print speeds of 18.3 metres per minute. The FESPA event lasts four days and is said to “bring together business owners, printers and PSPs” to “learn how digital technology can assist in expanding business opportunities”.

Peter Barton, Director of EMEA Business at RTI Digital, stated: “As the demand for full colour graphics, and short runs, printed at faster speeds increases, more companies are looking to digital printing technologies to replace or augment traditional technologies such as litho, flexo or screen.

“We are the only company producing the full range of solutions using the Memjet technology across wide and narrow format. Our team will provide FESPA visitors with a look at what our Vortex range can offer to heighten productivity and quality in all these areas.”

Mr. Chi, Chairman of Gongzheng Technology, added: “Advanced digital printing technology offers unique opportunities for companies seeking high-quality, full-colour, commercially printed materials. As we look to expand our reseller network across the globe, we’re excited to show how the speed, clarity and flexibility of Memjet technology can build more revenue opportunities for businesses.”

The new engine is “flexible” and aimed at “custom” OEM designs.

A Memjet printhead

The new engine was announced by Memjet as being a “compact print engine” for “flexible, custom OEM designs” that will enable “easy integration into custom application configurations”. The Sirius-12G sub-system, the company added, was developed for OEMs who need to create a “compact, cost-effective printer” that would integrate into media handling systems.

The engine “facilitates” printhead maintenance without any need to “break the plane of the media”, which in turn enables a “wide range” of applications, including label printing, package printing, mail processing and print-and-apply labels for product manufacturing. Memjet added that the engine “empowers” OEMs to design solutions with “greater control and flexibility”, with one example being “more efficient printhead cleaning” from its “above the web” configuration.

In turn, the Sirius-powered printers are able to “move the print zone up and down to accommodate varying material thickness”, which offers a “greater range of media handling options for unique applications”. The colour print engine is available with the print mechanism assembled or separated into core components, and if the components are ordered, OEMs can “leverage” the printhead as a “development kit of components to be integrated based on specific needs”.

Additionally, the ink delivery system is said to be “highly flexible” and compatible with a “wide range” of ink supply cartridges, including any customer’s specific solutions.

Gus Piccin, Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Memjet, commented: “Commercial print shops must balance the varying needs of individual, custom print jobs. Sirius makes this possible by enabling OEMs to develop printers that align with customers’ unique printing needs, whether it be longer runs or diverse print materials, at an attractive price point.”

OEM unexpectedly cancels agreement with firm regarding narrow-web inkjet label presses.

WhatTheyThink reported on the “shock, seemingly arbitrary” move by US private equity owners to terminate Memjet’s OEM partner agreement with Rapid Packaging Servicesfor the development and manufacture of narrow-web inkjet label presses, despite the agreement being scheduled to run until 2017.

While Memjet reportedly “refused to say” why the agreement was terminated due to “commercial confidentiality”, a spokesperson from Rapid claimed they “have not been given a legitimate reason why” and have not been able to negotiate with Memjet management, which simply referred them to their lawyers.

The article added thatBruce Mansell, Founder of Rapid, asserted there had “absolutely not” been any outstanding commercial liabilities between the companies, adding that Rapid “have been paying in advance for print engines, heads, and ink. We have not been given any legitimate reason why Memjet is cutting us off after years of pioneering work deploying their technology in the digital label printing sector”.

Meanwhile, Memjet spokesperson Kim Beswick confirmed the termination of Rapid’s license to sell and service the company’s technology, but refused to give a reason; although she reportedly added that “there were ongoing negotiations”.

Commenting on the impact the decision may have on Rapid’s 250 Memjet customers, Beswick said she would find out how they could get in touch with Memjet and its resellers, but added that “those who need to know, know” and asserted that “no one would be left behind or stranded”. She said: “Although we regret that Rapid Labels is no longer an authorised Memjet partner, Memjet has over 30 OEM partners worldwide. It is only natural that there is some ebb and flow in our business relationships.”

The OEM’s split from manufacturer Rapid has seen more information revealed.

Graphic Repro reported on Memjet’s decision to terminate its partnership with Rapid Packaging Service for the development and manufacture of narrow-web inkjet label presses, which The Recycler previously reported on. The move was undertaken by US private equity owners to terminate the partner agreement, despite it being scheduled to run until 2017.

While Memjet “refused to say” why due to “commercial confidentiality”, Rapid’s Founder Bruce Mansell stated there had “absolutely not” been any outstanding commercial liabilities, and that Rapid “have been paying in advance for print engines, heads, and ink. We have not been given any legitimate reason why”.

Memjet’s Office and Desktop Manager Kim Beswick confirmed the termination, but refused to give a reason, and asked about the impact on Rapid’s 250 Memjet customers, Beswick said she would find out how they could get in touch with Memjet and its resellers, but added that “those who need to know, know” and asserted that “no one would be left behind or stranded”.

Graphic Repro’s Andy McCourt studied the situation, and stated that “there’s more to it than meets the eye”, referring back to the legal issues Memjet faced in 2012 that saw US fund groups fighting over the company, with Memjet eventually acquiring everything the technology’s creator, Kia Silverbrook, had patented, as well as his labs in Sydney and staff.

According to McCourt, the label printer engine “was [the] first commercialised” of the Memjet technologies, but “didn’t work”, and “it took” Rapid to make it function, with its 33 years of experience in label presses. The company worked hard to get the machine to work, saying it invested over $3 million (€2.4 million) of its own money into Memjet, and had been looking to make this back with a new machine in the next year before Memjet “tore up the agreement”.

Memjet’s response was to refer Rapid customers to “a direct competitor” in Canada, RTI Digital, though no comment was forthcoming about how the company “proposed to supply Rapid’s customers with Rapid-chipped ink cartridges” in nations in which it “has no representation”. McCourt feels that Beswick “may not be aware of the production requirements of the label industry”, and says “it looks [like] a big American stick is being waved around to bludgeon a 38-year old successful Australian manufacturer”.

He speculates that Memjet may have found Rapid wouldn’t “toe the line on inkjet ink pricing”, as Rapid stated they had “absorbed three Memjet ink price increases in two years” in the belief that “the commercial label market will not withstand” high ink pricing, with Memjet wanting “double” what the maximum for the market should be per litre, especially as the Memjet machines and their refilling model aren’t as financially viable.

Concluding that “only speculation exists” as to the real reasons behind the situation, McCourt states that “from all that I have in front of me […] I summarise in two words how it appears: it stinks”.

Rapid’s Memjet-powered XL220 label press

RTI Digital will now supply Memjet ink to Rapid’s label printer customers.

Memjet’s US private equity owners terminated the agreement with Australian label printing manufacturer Rapid Packaging, as The Recycler previously reported. While Memjet “refused to say” why due to “commercial confidentiality”, Rapid’s Founder Bruce Mansell stated there had “absolutely not” been any outstanding commercial liabilities, and that Rapid “have not been given any legitimate reason why” the agreement was cancelled.

Graphic Repro’s Andy McCourt also previously studied the situation, and stated that “there’s more to it than meets the eye […] only speculation exists” as to the real reasons behind the decision, but that “from all that I have in front of me […] I summarise in two words how it appears: it stinks”.

PrintWeek has now reported confirmation that RTI Digital now has the licence to supply Memjet’s inkjet cartridges to Rapid’s install base, with RTI Digital’s President Erik Norman stating that RTI “will be supplying the Rapid ink tanks to the current Rapid distribution partners.

“RTI’s interest and objective is in keeping the Rapid customers happy and to ensure they can keep running the Rapid presses with minimal disruption, and that includes supply pricing continuity. We have already reached a continuity plan with international distributors”.

Beswick also responded to McCourt’s suspicion that ink pricing may have been to blame, telling PrintWeek that “our pricing to OEMs supports a range of OEM pricing strategies including Rapid’s aggressive $500/litre, and still does. Moving to $1000/litre might drive up OEM margin or channel margin but would make no difference to Memjet as a technology supplier. Our pricing has changed little and is a fraction of the total price – whether we are talking about $500 or $1,000/litre.

“We have partners selling directly and through channels. We have partners selling at prices that drive growth/placements and others selling more value. Each device is different, each OEM is different, each market and channel is different. OEMs price as they see fit and generally have a CPP [cost per page] advantage vs. competition. Regardless, Memjet pricing is sufficient to drive profitability across a range of pricing strategies.”

Mason Daniel, Global Sales Manager for Rapid’s UK distributor Impression Technology Europe (ITE), also stated that “we’ve been working very hard behind the scenes at ITE to make sure there is no disruption to our customers and that it will be a very smooth transition. All our customers that have Rapid machines can have every confidence in the supply of not only existing products but also for future innovative products. The supply chain won’t be disrupted in any way, in fact our customers won’t notice a difference”.

The company’s OEM partners are said to have grown their “global presence” in wide-format, label printing and packaging sectors.

Consumer Electronics Net reported on Memjet’s announcement that 2014 was a “record year for product development and growth” among its partners, who include Afinia, Beiren, Colordyne, TechNova, TrojanLabel, Canon, RTI Digital and Xante, with RTI Digital recently appointed by Memjet to provide products to Rapid Packaging Services’ customers after Memjet abruptly cut ties with Rapid.

RTI Digital has been an OEM partner of Memjet since 2009, originally as OWN-X, and stated that it is the “only OEM partner serving both the wide-format and narrow format markets with Memjet technology solutions, and has operations in Canada, USA, and Europe”.

Memjet stated that its partners have introduced “new digital printing solutions and grow[n] global presence” across the sectors, with new technologies delivering what it calls “industry-leading […] productivity, high-quality and value for print”. It added that its OEMs “achieved impressive sales growth” in the different markets through “channel growth, private-label partnerships and direct sales momentum”.

In labels in particular, Colordyne launched the CDT3600 label press, TrojanLabel and Beiren released the TrojanTwo and Supernova DP32 mini-label press devices, and Afinia Label and TechNova produced the DLQ2000 and SmartJet LP112 full-colour labelling solutions. In wide-format, Canon relaunched its ColorWave 900 with a “software upgrade and newly available hardware”, leading to “positive growth quarter over quarter” and “invigorated” global sales.

Xante meanwhile increased sales over “the last three consecutive quarters” thanks to “increasing market acceptance of short-run corrugated packaging solutions”, and Memjet adds that RTI Digital “expanded its global reseller network with new agreements”. Overall, the company revealed that it now has over 30 OEM partners across the globe.

For Memjet itself, 2014 saw the release of two new print engines – Aspen and Sirius – which were designed for press and desktop engine partners respectively. Aspen is a page-wide colour inkjet print engine “optimised for speed and high quality” with speeds of up to 225 feet per minute in full colour and targeted at the “label and commercial press markets”. Sirius meanwhile is a “compact, single printhead” offering full colour prints for label OEMs “to speed up the development of cost-effective roll-to-roll print systems”.

German distributor launches Christmas promotional campaign for Memjet C6000 series.

Exclusive distributor of Memjet in Germany CompaTech GmbH has announced the launch of a promotional campaign for its range of Memjet C6000 series printers during the festive period, with the offers available until 23 December.

Customers will be able to benefit from deals including “order one Memjet C6010 and get another free”, and “order two Memjet MFP C6030 and get another free”.

The company added that the Memjet C6000 series feature print speeds of up to 60ppm in colour at resolutions of 1600 by 800dpi; as well as “a rigid Memjet print head which prints the continuous paper using 70,400 nozzles”, producing “774 million drops of ink per second”. In addition, the company stated that “the acquisition and operating costs are well below those of previously known inkjet or laser printers” and the energy consumption of the devices is “very low” due to there being “no heating required”.

The ink manufacturer has developed a set of inks for use in Memjet printers.

The CMYK set of inks are designed for use in Memjet-powered printers including the C6000, the Lomond Evojet Office range and the Lenovo RJ610N printer, and consist of the C9183 (cyan dye ink), M9183 (magenta dye ink), Y9183 (yellow dye ink) and BK9183 (black dye ink). The devices are capable of printing colour pages at speeds of 60ppm, with a dispersion of 74 million dots per second.

Horst Edelmeier, Founder of OCP, is “looking into new applications and the marketing of new inks”, and commented: “We have frequently received requests within the industry to develop inks for Memjet-powered printers with the positive properties OCP inks are known for, such as colour gamut and consistency as well as optical density, not only on chosen papers but on common papers such as standard copy paper, Lomond copy paper, Xerox 4200 multipurpose or HP and Epson inkjet papers.”

Hasan Bagli, Sales Manager for new inks and new applications at OCP, added: “We have vast experience in developing inks for a variety of inkjet applications using different print technology. Today’s business inkjet printers compete with and/or surpass laser printers in speed and quality. Requirements for the ink have risen.

“We applaud this development as we benefit from our work and investment in commercial and graphic communication printing markets, where high speed printing on different substrates with no moving printheads is a standard. We treat every request as a new challenge as customers’ applications and projects define our future inks.”

Memjet’s global HQ in San Diego, California

The OEM’s current base is growing as a response to “new business segments, employee growth and [an] increase in [the] OEM ecosystem”.

The headquarters, in San Diego in the USA, will “combine Memjet’s two previous facilities” on the same site within a 25,000 square-foot building, and the company noted that the “state-of-the-art” facility will “encompass cutting-edge laboratories and corporate offices”. It stated that it “requires a larger facility to increase productivity”, as well as house its “growing employee base of scientists, engineers, technicians and go-to-market experts”.

The site will also house an “expansive demo area” for “new and potential customers”, alongside “enhanced” laboratories for development of inks, printheads and hardware. The OEM noted that it has “grown in market segments targeting production printing, labels, packaging and graphics”, and now provides “leading edge components and systems to nearly 40 OEMs on a global basis”.

Len Lauer, CEO of Memjet, stated: “Memjet has seen a tremendous amount of growth in both revenue and OEM customers utilising the technology, and we expect to multiply the growth in the years ahead. The decision to expand our San Diego footprint was an easy one to make in light of the increased number of employees to support the growing customer base and our continued need to expand our R&D capability across both ink and printhead technology.”

The company has filed the IP lawsuit against HP over alleged infringement of eight of its patents relating to printhead technology.

A Memjet printhead

In a press release, Memjet announced that it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, in which it alleges “infringement of eight Memjet patents related to its page-wide ‘waterfall’ printing technology”. The company stated that it seeks to “both enjoin” HP from “its unauthorised use of Memjet’s patented page-wide waterfall technology” and to “recover damages resulting” from the use of the technology in HP’s PageWide printers.

The PageWide printhead technology is used in the OEM’s Pro X generation of office printers, its T-Series of commercial presses and its PageWide XL series of machines, and Memjet says that HP “has stated its intention to use its PageWide technology across its printing portfolio including in future wide-format and 3D printers”.

The patents cited in the case include: US patent 6,575,549, “Ink Jet Fault Tolerance Using Adjacent Nozzles”; 6,880,914, “Inkjet Pagewidth Printer For High Volume Pagewidth Printing”; 7,156,492, “Modular Printhead Assembly With A Carrier Of A Metal Alloy”; 7,325,986, titled “Printhead Assembly with Stacked Ink Distribution Sheets”; 8,662,636, “Inkjet Printhead Having Rows Of Printhead Segments”; 8,678,550, “Printhead Assembly With Laminated Ink Distribution Stack”; 8,696,096, “Laminated Ink Supply Structure Mounted In Ink Distribution Arrangement Of An Inkjet Printer”; and 9,056,475, titled “Inkjet Printer With Web Feed Maintenance Assembly”.

Memjet also commented: “Memjet has invested substantial resources in the research and development of its page-wide waterfall technology over the last decade. Memjet has protected that investment through the development of its significant patent portfolio, including several thousand US and foreign patents in the page-wide inkjet printing space.”

You can read The Recycler’s David Connett’s thoughts and analysis of this case here.

A Memjet printhead

Kambiz Izadi, Vice President for Legal Affairs, said that the patent litigation could “take a significant amount of time”.

Neal McChristy, who regularly produces the wide-format column for The Recycler, got in touch with the executive, who said this type of case is “complicated” and that “as far as how long that will take, that’s to be seen. It’s something that really depends on the actions of both parties”.

The manufacturer first took HP to court in August 2015 over alleged infringement of eight patents, with reference to Memjet’s PageWide technology.

The PageWide printhead technology is used in the OEM’s Pro X generation of office printers, its T-Series of commercial presses and its PageWide XL series of machines, and Memjet says that HP “has stated its intention to use its PageWide technology across its printing portfolio including in future wide-format and 3D printers”.

Izadi explained that “the litigation on our side has to do with (our) PageWide waterfall printing technology. That’s our general technology and that’s the patents that we’re claiming are around”, and also said Memjet does not have any other patent cases of this type on-going at present.

HP has since filed a counterclaim in the case, alleging infringement of a number of its own patents in October. Izadi said of the counterclaim: “I can’t really comment on the specifics of the litigation and strategy, but I would say generally, in patent litigation, it’s not uncommon if one party makes a claim that the other party would do the same.”

McChristy also contacted HP, who replied that: “As a matter of company policy, HP does not comment on ongoing legal cases.”

A Memjet printhead

The manufacturer was granted a preliminary injunction by the District Court of Munich over printheads, meaning HP “cannot” sell PageWide XL machines in Germany.

Wide-Format Online reported on the proceedings in Germany, which have seen District Court Munich I grant Memjet a “preliminary injunction” against HP Deutschland GmbH, a subsidiary of HP Inc in Germany. The injunction “is in effect throughout the German market”, and “bars” HP Deutschland “from offering for sale, distributing and importing for those purposes the current ink distribution assembly of the HP 841 printheads”.

These printheads are used in HP’s wide-format PageWide machines, and as a result of the injunction, the PageWide XL series of printers that feature “this assembly cannot be marketed anymore by HP Deutschland GmbH”. The proceedings found a “prima facie” case of infringement of Memjet’s EP 1 292 451 patent, specifically the German part, and the injunction has been granted “ex parte” because of “urgency”, as HP is “beginning to enter the German market with these infringing devices”.

The news site pointed out that the injunction “is subject to appeal”, and Memjet commented that it has “invested substantial resources in the research and development of its page-wide waterfall technology over the last decade”. It added that it has “protected that investment through the development of a significant patent portfolio”, including “several thousand global patents in the page-wide inkjet printing space”.

District Court I Munich

Memjet first took HP to court in August over alleged infringement of eight patents, with reference to its PageWide technology, and Kambiz Izadi, Memjet’s Vice President for Legal Affairs, told Neal McChristy recently that the patent litigation could “take a significant amount of time”. HP had filed a counterclaim in the case, alleging infringement of a number of its own patents in October, and replied to McChristy’s request for comment: “As a matter of company policy, HP does not comment on ongoing legal cases.”