Keypoint Intelligence – an independent evaluator of document imaging and smart workplace business products – has revealed its 2021 Buyers Lab (BLI) Outstanding Innovation Awards in production print with Kodak, HP and Canon among the winners.
This year was the first time Keypoint Intelligence opted to run this award this way due to the impact COVID-19 had on manufacturers being able to show their technologies at trade shows, including drupa 2020.
“In the face of a challenging year for our industry, developers and engineers continued to deliver innovative products — and with in-person tradeshows having been cancelled or put on hold, we felt it was even more imperative to showcase these accomplishments,” said Aaron Hale, Group Director & Chief Analyst at Keypoint Intelligence.
“The winners of our Outstanding Innovation awards feature technologies that improve output quality, enhance productivity, deliver workflow efficiencies, impact sustainability, and advance their product segments in meaningful ways.”
Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak was honoured in the awards for its high-speed continuous inkjet technology that is unique to its new range of digital presses that were unveiled earlier this year in a global virtual presentation.
The company’s Prosper Ultra 520 Press, which features the new Ultrastream technology, was named a winner in the Outstanding Innovation category. This press delivers an improved top resolution of 600×1800 dpi and claims impressive print speeds on all paper grades, including glossy papers with high ink coverage. It is also eco-friendly and uses Kodak’s water-based nanoparticulate pigment CMYK inks for lower operating costs.
Kodak was also recognised with an awards for its Prosper QD Packaging Inks and Film Optimizer Agent (FOA) and Prosper Plus Imprinting Systems.
Kodak also shared two more awards with its partner, the Uteco Group, for its presses that are designed for the packaging segment.
The Uteco Sapphire EVO M Press, which is also powered by Kodak stream inkjet technology, was recognised along with the Uteco Sapphire EVO W Press powered by Kodak Ultrastream inkjet technology.
Keypoint Intelligence said the Uteco Sapphire presses were noted for their use of eco-friendly water-based inks with the ability to print on a variety of substrates ranging from paper to film.
“We at Kodak regard this quintet of awards as a phenomenal success and proof of Kodak’s leadership in inkjet innovation,” Eastman Kodak Company senior vice president, Randy Vandagriff, said.
“These five awards including the two shared with Uteco, our industry partner, provide customers expanded digital solutions to grow their business in new applications which will fundamentally transform digital commercial and packaging printing.”
HP
HP was also named as a winner in the category for its HP Indigo 100K Digital Press – which is the fastest B2 printer on the market, rated at 4,500 B2 sheets per hour. Keypoint Intelligence found this press delivers enhanced productivity, groundbreaking automation, and new feeding reliability.
The HP Indigo V12 Digital Press was also named a winner. This press is based on the new HP Indigo LEPX print architecture and aims to offer digital label production at speeds comparable to analog presses with high print quality and support for the widest range of applications in digital label printing.
The HP Auto Alert Agent 2.0 for Indigo 15K Digital Press was also recognised. Keypoint Intelligence said this new in-line quality detection system saves production time while ensuring the correct fields are printed without print defects.
Canon
Canon was also recognised for its Arizona 2300 Series; Canon ProStream 1800 and the Canon varioPRINT iX Series.
To view a full list of the winners, please click here.
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