Delphax Announces North American Introduction Of elan™

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 13, 2012

A robust production class sheet-fed print system, elan 500 offers 1600 dpi print quality in vibrant full color at speeds of up to 500 impressions per minute.  The system integrates multiple Memjet printheads with a unique Delphax-designed paper path to create an unprecedented combination of speed, versatility, affordability and high quality color for sheet-fed and on-demand inkjet production. 

"We believe that elan's combination of price, sheet-fed configuration and performance will make versatile high-quality color printing affordable—and profitable—for a much wider range of commercial printers," said Dieter Schilling, president and chief executive officer of Delphax.  "We are targeting a price of under $500,000 for a standard elan system, including a high-capacity input feeder and high-capacity stacker." 

Schilling said that elan is Delphax's response to a growing customer demand for more efficient, versatile and affordable color printing equipment.  A multi-application system, elan promises to be ideal for commercial print-on-demand challenges in direct mail, transpromotional, billing, statements and book or manual publishing.  Its variable data and MICR capability are also expected to make elan attractive to Delphax's established security printing market.

 "The system's capabilities have been shaped by our market research, including extensive customer input, on the production and competitive pressures faced by commercial printers today," Schilling said.  "The result is innovation that not only sets a new speed and quality benchmark for inkjet technology in a sheet-fed configuration, but also creates pricing advantages for our customers."

More about elan:

• The elan digital front end (DFE) uses the Adobe PDF document format for both publishing and variable workflow, driven by Delphax's unique scalable RIP architecture.  The elan DFE allows simple and cost-effective integration into any workflow solution without binding the customer to proprietary systems or requiring separate software solutions for each application type.
  
  
• An intuitive touch-screen interface simplifies the operator experience, keeping input options clear and uncomplicated.  Comprehensive reporting systems provide detailed metrics and permit real-time analysis of system performance.
  
  
• Maximum sheet size is 18 x 25.2 inches (SRA2 - 450 x 640 mm); minimum sheet size – 8 x 8 inches (203.2  x 203.2 mm). 
  
  
• The system prints on a wide range of substrates, from 60 to 350 gsm.  Patent-pending in-line primer capability is an option for enhancing substrate compatibility. 
  
  
• The system also offers up to two spot colors.  Industry certified Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) is offered for security and direct mail printing and other personalized applications.

Customer beta testing is currently scheduled to begin mid-year 2013 at customer sites in the United States, Canada and Europe. The system is expected to be available commercially before the end of 2013.