Today's statement from Ricoh Europe consolidates the company's forward-thinking attitude towards future demands for more varied ink-jet technology with the announcement of its new European ink-jet technical centre. The intention is to support the growing demand for itsindustrial print-heads and a European base now gives localised technical support across EMEAfor OEM ink-jet integrators and innovators.
As a long-time watcher of Ricoh's steady growth, in healthy competition with other print-head developers and manufacturers, the timing for a specialist premises in the UK to cover EMEA couldn't be better. It consolidates the serious attention the company is giving to the future of ink-jet in its growing number of guises and provides a valuable set of resources in a country which has always been rich in this area of digital expertise.
There has never been a lot of unnecessary noise surrounding Ricoh's growth in the ink-jet sector. But print-head use is a funny thing and not all printer manufacturers are keen to divulge which technology is used in their devices. Nonetheless, growing numbers have been adopting the company's print-heads across the sectors we all know, such as wide-format and textile, and we can expect to see more in these areas as well as in newer industrial technological developments.
The Telford centre, which opens its doors this month, has everything an integrator might expect to see. Laboratories for providing internal testing, evaluation and external training are equipped with Ricoh's ink-jet components to simplify design, evaluation and validation. This starts with development through to subsequent product introduction, accommodating wide-format graphics, direct-to-garment, 3D printing and industrial applications.
For integrators and customers wanting to have their fluid tests carried out locally, the technical team can assess jetting characteristics, component application compatibility and performance. Also on-site are chemists, mechanical and electrical engineers, plus technical support and business development teams.
That this new site should be in Telford reflects, to me, the strong position of the UK to provide both the brains and the logistics to move ink-jet developments forward. As a location – also a base for Epson and others – its setting is handy for Europe and beyond, served by a reasonable motorway network and in close proximity to Birmingham International Airport.
"Ricoh's ink-jet print-heads present many exciting opportunities for the future, and innovative developers now have expanded opportunities to use our competence and support facilities and push their imagination to the limits," states Graham Kennedy, business development manager for industrial print at Ricoh Europe. "We are excited about the possibilities, whether that is to see our print-heads being used in functional prototyping and advanced additive manufacturing, or to produce bespoke clothing on-demand or to support the graphics and signage needs of the future."
Kennedy adds that there is a large proportion of ink-jet technology customers based in EMEA, resulting in a pressing need to provide the region with localised support. "Crucially, this allows our clients to realise their ideas more quickly and subsequently bring their products to market in a faster and more efficient manner," he explains. "The establishment of the support centre ensures we are responsive to their needs and complements our existing support facilities throughout the region.
"The expanding digital market has brought with it an unprecedented wave of challenges and opportunities – and this will only increase further," Kennedy concludes. "Ricoh-sponsored research conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit reveals that 86 percent of European business leaders expect some form of technology-led disruption in the next three years. This highlights the value and assurance which the centre can offer, as well as its role as a hot-bed for future innovations."