april-09
DESCRIPTION
magazine on printer cartridges.TRANSCRIPT
Printed at :
Lakshmi Mudranalaya
# 117/2, 5th Main, Chamarajpet,
Bangalore - 560 018. INDIA
Ph : +91 80 26613123, 26618752
While every effort is made to ensure authenticity in the preparation of this publication, the publisher and editors can not be held responsible for its contents. The views of contributors to the magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.
All trademark names cited in the magazines are property of their respective owners. Product brand names mentioned are intended to show compatibility only.
Press releases, company profiles, articles and opinions are all welcome.
Wendy McRae
Managing Editor
Publisher :
# 63, 1st Floor, 5th Cross, Malleswaram,
Bangalore - 560 003.
Ph: +91-80-23312014
E-mail: [email protected]
Veerendra Chopra
Issue 21, April 2009
APRIL 2009
2
Contents
Deepak Jalihal
General Manager
Vijay Jamadar
Design & Concept
099021 35669
16 Industry News
6 Remanufacturing Instructions
HL-2700CN Toner Cartridge
16 Indian Toners & Developers Ltd - Technical Conferences, Cameron Hill Joins
UniNet As Chief Operating Officer, Static Control Components' Webinar Sessions
Now Online
17 AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station in Hubli, R&G Capital Is First Sri Lankan
Company To Receive STMC Certification, Future Graphics Imaging Corporation
Awarded Patent for Color Sealing Mechanism.
18 Key Aftermarket Event ReIndia Expo Promotes, Educates
20 Faroudja Offers Bulk Toner For The Okidata C 7300, Toner And Chip For
Samsung Scx-4200, Faroudja Offers Xante Ilumina Chips, UniNet Smartchips For
Hp And Xerox Phaser,
21 Static Control Releases HP Component System Solution, Future Graphics
Imaging Corporation Releases Chip for Samsung SCX-4200, Future Graphics
Releases Reset Gears for Brother Printers, UniNet X-generation Black Toner For
Hp P-1500, 1505,
22 Densigraphix Introduces Konica/minolta New Compatible Cartridge
13 Cover Story
New Mould Cartridges and Other Patent Issues
28 Information & Analysis
23 Company Profile
No Borders: No Problem at UniNet
49 Classified Advertising
51 Association ContactsAdvertiser Index &
28 Survey Finds Color Toner Cartridges More Popular Than Ever.
41 Industry Briefing
41 Memjet Refills: What it Means for the Aftermarket.
44 STMC Certification: A Decade of Providing Proof of Superior Products
Owned and Published by M.J. Prasanth Kumar from 733, 1st Floor, 6th Cross, Kempegowda Layout, BSK 3rd Phase, 3rd Stage, Bangalore - 560 085 and printed by Mr. Ashok Kumar B.R. at Luxmi Mudranalaya, 117/2, 5th Main, Chamarajpet, Bangalore - 560 018. INDIA. Ph: +91 80 2661 3123.
APRIL 2009
4
Editor’s Note
On the Road to Quality
There are many avenues that remanufacturing companies take to ensure that their products meet or exceed
quality demanded by their customers and buyers. The most important way (and also the easiest way) our
industry can establish credibility with end users is to not use counterfeit products that undermine the
legitimate businesses that strive to be successful.
In the Recharge India cover story this month, industry expert Deepak Jalihal examines deeply relevant issues
that have an ongoing effect for remanufacturers. He looks at the consequences of counterfeit and new mould
cartridges in the market. Jalihal also explores intellectual property and patent issues that affect our industry.
Another resource that remanufacturers can use to show end-users that they take quality seriously, is STMC
(Standardized Test Methods Committee) certification.
The STMC is a global committee formed in 1999 to find and promote standardized test methods for the
printer cartridge industry.
International Imaging Technology Council Executive Director Tricia Judge goes in depth in a feature article on
STMC and how it has improved the quality of products in our industry. Judge writes, “The STMC developed
and adopted the standards, and compiled those tests to a guide that is used by monochrome toner cartridge
remanufacturers. STMC's secondary mission is to educate end-users or buyers as to what such testing means
when purchasing remanufactured cartridges. The committee has created a program that led to the certification
of the companies that proved that they were properly and consistently using the test methods.”
We applaud the STMC for educating end-users and buyers of remanufactured cartridges on the importance of
quality.
We also want to congratulate R&G Capital, pioneers in re-engineering computer printer toners. R&G has
been qualified with Standardized Test Methods Committee certification, the first time a Sri Lankan company
has received STMC certification. R&G is also only the third company in South Asia to receive this
certification. Only a small fraction of companies in this industry have earned the right to display the STMC
logo on their product, packaging and marketing materials.
It's not only important for end-users to understand the value of quality and also the consequences of using (or
worse, making) products that lack quality.
We hope that you enjoy this issue!
Sincerely,
Wendy McRae
Managing Editor
APRIL 2009
6
Remanufacturing
Remanufacturing the Brother
Toner CartridgeHL-2700CNby Mike Josiah and the Technical Staff at UniNet Imaging — A Distributor of UniNet and Summit Products
he Brother HL-2700CN printers are based on a 31-ppm black, 8-
ppm color 600-dpi engine. The toner cartridges are simple to do, and
quite profitable. These machines were designed as workgroup printers,
and continued to be very popular. One nice item to note on these
cartridges is that they do not use a chip. There is also nothing to reset
when installing them. There are four separate color toner cartridges, one
separate waste cartridge and a separate OPC belt unit used in these
machines. The part numbers and current list pricing are listed below:
T All four of the toner cartridges are different in that they each have unique
tabs on the side that prevent one color from being inserted into another
color’s slot. See Figures A and B.
These are extremely fast and easy cartridges to do and should prove to be
a nice profit center for you. It actually takes longer to explain how they
work than to actually remanufacture them.
As the layout of these cartridges is a bit different, we have included the
cartridge printing theory below:
A
B
APRIL 2009
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Remanufacturing
Cartridge Printing Theory:
Figure 1 is a basic diagram of the color printing process. Different colors
are formed through the use of three primary colors (cyan, magenta,
yellow). All colors and shades are made through the use of this process.
While black can be made by mixing all three colors, it’s not very cost
efficient so that is why a separate black cartridge is included.
Figure 2 shows an overview of the printer, cartridges, and how they relate
to each other.
Figure 3 is a close-up of the componentsused in the printing process.
Also shown are whichcomponents have voltages supplied by the power
supply.
1
2
34
APRIL 2009
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Remanufacturing
For the actual color toner cartridge printing process, it is best explained
as a series of stages or steps.
The first stage in the printing process is the primary charging stage. The
primary charge roller (PCR) places a uniform negative DC voltage on the
OPC belt surface. The amount of the negative DC voltage placed on the
belt is controlled by the printer’s intensity setting. See Figure 4.
In the second stage, the laser beam is fired onto a rotating mirror (called
the scanner). As the mirror rotates, the beam is reflected into a set of
focusing lenses. The beam then strikes the belt’s surface, reducing the
negative charge and leaving a latent electrostatic image on the drum. The
areas where the laser did not strike the drum will retain the full-negative
charge. Here the number 12 is being printed. See Figure 5.
The third or developing stage is where the toner is made ready to transfer
by the developing section (or supply chamber) of each color cartridge.
The toner stirring blades start the process by turning inside the hopper.
As they turn, the toner is moved to the feed roller and then to the
developer roller.
The developer roller has a charge placed on it, which attracts an even
layer of toner. The voltage that is placed on the developer roller is
controlled by the printer’s inten-sity setting, and causes either more or
less toner to be attracted by the developer roller. This in turn will either
increase or decrease the print density. The amount of toner on the
developer roller is also controlled by the doctor blade, which uses
pressure to keep the amount of toner on the roller constant. See Figures 6
and 7.
The fourth stage is the first transfer stage. As the laser exposed areas of
the OPC belt approach the developer roller, the toner particles are
attracted to the belt’s surface due to the opposite voltage potentials of the
toner, and laser exposed areas of the OPC belt. See Figures 8 and 9.
This is where there are some large differences from monochrome
printers. The different color latent images are then transferred from each
toner cartridge to the OPC belt in a specific sequence. The full complete
image is then transferred to the transfer belt. See Figure 10.
At this point, a series of six LED lamps light up and bathe the OPC belt
in light that neutralizes any remaining electrical charges and make the
physical cleaning of the belt easier. See also Figure 10.
5
6
7
8
9
ITONENOW IN INDIA
TM
c 2009 Itone, Inc. All rights reserved. ITONE is registered trademark of Itone, Inc. All other brand or product names are registered trademarks of their respective companies.
RHP PRINTER TONERS
FOR HP 1010 SERIES
RCANON COPIER TONERS
FOR IR 400 SERIESFOR IR 8500 SERIES
RRICOH COPIER TONERSFOR AF 1045 SERIES
TMITONE INC. www.itone-inc.com
USA WEST COAST2056 Calle BogotaRowland HeightsCA [email protected]
DISTRIBUTOR IN INDIAUnits 311/312, Jogani Industrial EstateTulsi Pipe Road, Dadar (West) Mumbai-28Phone : +91 22 24229166E-mail : [email protected]
RKYOCERA MITA COPIER TONERS
FOR KM 1620 SERIES
APRIL 2009
10
Remanufacturing
The fifth stage is the final transfer stage where the full image is
transferred from the transfer belt to the paper using the difference in
voltage potential as applied by the transfer roller. See Figure 11.
In the sixth stage, the image is then fused onto the paper by the fuser
assembly. The final stages are where the transfer belt is cleaned. The
transfer belt is cleaned after every complete image has been transferred to
the paper. Acleaning brush, which has a positive charge placed on it,
removes the waste toner from the belt. The waste toner is transferred to
the waste toner tank. See Figure 12.
Remanufacturing instructions
Tools required
Supplies required
1) Toner-approved vacuum
2) Phillips-head screwdriver
3) Small jewelers Phillips screwdriver
1) TN04 toner (310g black, 210g color)
2) Developer roller cover
3) Soft, lint-free wipes
Remove the two silver screws from the outer edge of
the doctor blade. See Figure 13.
Lift up on the doctor blade side and remove the developer
roller assembly. See Figure 14.
Dump out all remaining toner from the chamber. The fill plug in these
cartridges is not removable. Blow out any remaining toner from the
hopper, paying special attention to the feed roller. It can become clogged
(impacted) with toner and over time this will interfere with the amount
of toner fed to the developer roller. See Figure 15.
10
11
12
13
14
15
APRIL 2009
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Remanufacturing
Make sure the gears on both sides of the cartridge are clean and turn
freely. See Figures 16 and 17.
It is best not to take the doctor blade assembly apart, but if you do, use a
gapping gauge to measure the gap by each of the five screws before
removing any of them. Set the gap back to the proper distance when
reassembling the blade assy. See Figure 18.
Fill the hopper with the appropriate color toner. While the cartridges all
look the same, they are not interchangeable. Each color has a different set
of plastic tabs. See Figure 19.
Install the developer
roller assembly, small
gear to the fill plug side
of the cartridge. Install
the two outer screws.
See Figures 20 and 21.
Install the developer roller cover. See Figure 22.
Repetitive defect chart:
OPC drum 75.5mm
OPC belt 380mm
Transfer drum 379.94mm
Paper pick up roller 125.6mm
Fuser roller 125.6mm
Back up roller 100.48mm
Drum cleaning roller 2 78.50mm
Transfer roller 62.80mm
Cleaning roller 56.52mm
Developer roller 56.52mm
Paper exit roller 50.24mm
Registration roller 42.39mm
Mike Josiah is technical director at Summit Technologies, a
division of UniNet Imaging Inc., a global distributor of toner,
OPC drums, wiper blades and other supplies. Josiah has been
with the company since 1987. He and his technical support
team regularly contribute articles and teach seminars at
association meetings and trade shows. Contact him at 631-218-
8376 or [email protected].
16
20
21
22
17
18
19
APRIL 2009
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Cover Story
By Deepak M Jalihal
After China's Ninestar lost patent appeal in Washington, it is time to
take a hard look at the way various segments and particularly the
Judiciary looks at patent laws. Epson has established a Web site at
to provide importers and resellers with timely
information about the ITC decisions and their consequences.
On the other side Ninestar released a press release stating “Ninestar is
disappointed in the decision and order issued by United States
International Commission (ITC), The General Exclusion Order will
bring very adverse influence to the whole compatible manufacturers
throughout the world.
At the same time, we are extraordinarily pleased that Ninestar's newly
developed products do not fall into the scope of Exclusion Order, and
Ninestar will continue to provide related products and services for
customers in the United States.”
China suppliers have begun obtaining patents for their ink cartridges
and introducing more new models to increase global competitiveness. In
2008, many companies, including leading printer consumables makers
such as Print-Rite Unicorn Image Products Co. Ltd and Ninestar Image
Co. Ltd, released color ink cartridge models that carry their own patents.
Zhuhai Gree Magneto-Electric Co. Ltd, in fact, applied for five patents
for its color ink cartridges. The company has also set up a team
responsible for dealing with issues concerning patents to avoid legal
complications such as Section 337 investigations conducted by the US
International Trade Commission (ITC). It has 15 engineers assigned to
develop its color ink cartridge product.
Since these models have yet to breach mainstream supply, China makers
are planning to launch more products that bear their own patents to gain
recognition. Some suppliers are focused on releasing new models of
color ink cartridges, such as Zhuhai Mingjia Electronics Co. Ltd, whose
new color ink cartridge model can be packaged in such a way that the
chipset can be sold separately.
Through the Zhuhai Printer Consumables Industry Association
(ZPCIA), suppliers have also petitioned to invalidate some frivolous
patent claims to defend the rights of China makers to compete globally.
This plan is used by companies as they realign their export and product
development strategies in the aftermath of the ink cartridge
infringement case filed by Epson against manufacturers and resellers in
Asia, including China, Germany and the United States. After the ITC's
decision barring the importation of infringing products into the US and
a cease and desist order prohibiting named respondents from selling and
distributing the infringing cartridges in the US, more China color ink
cartridge manufacturers have been avoiding the US market altogether
http://itc.epson.com
and instead exploring other regions with less rigid IP laws. At present, the
main export markets for China's color ink cartridges are Europe, Asia,
the Middle East and Africa. Makers also plan to increase shipments to
Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and South America, which do not
impose strict regulations regarding patents.
A counterfeit is something that is intentionally made to look like an
original item. Counterfeits are designed and branded using someone
else's registered designs, marks and logos and are intended to deceive the
buyer into believing the product is an original, also referred to as an
"OEM". The word "counterfeit" is often played down by using softer less
intimidating terms such as "Copies" and "Knock Offs. In some parts of
Asia, the term "No 2" is commonly used to describe and order counterfeit
products.
OEM means Original Equipment Manufacture and is usually assigned to
the entity which legally owns, makes or authorizes to make a product. In
legal terms, the OEM owns what is called Intellectual Property in the
product they make. They are protected by law from unauthorized copying
and or distribution of counterfeit products.
Intellectual Property Rights or "IPR's" as it is commonly known, is a term
used to include issues of Patents, Copyright & Trademarks and other
legal methods of protection for products of creativity, discovery and
invention. All countries have their own Intellectual Property Laws (IP
law) however for the purpose of this article IP Law can be best described
as a set of rules & regulations protecting the legal rights (IP rights) of
people who create or invent something. These rights relate to a Patent,
Copyright or Trademark, depending on how the product is made, how it
works or how it is identified. If any of these rights are violated (IP
infringement), the person(s) or organization responsible is guilty of an
offence.
It is important to know that in the case of some inkjet & toner cartridges,
IP rights can be violated at various levels and may involve one or more
legal actions involving a Patent, Copyright & or Trademark.
A Patent is granted for any original product being a device, substance,
method or process. The owner of a Patent is legally entitled to
Before we move any further let's look at some of the definitions:
What is a counterfeit?
What is an OEM?
What is Intellectual Property?
What is a Patent?
New Mould Cartridges and Other Patent Issues
APRIL 2009
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Cover Story
commercially exploit the product for the life of the Patent. In the case of
some inkjet and toner cartridges with inbuilt print head functions & or
specialized design, Patents may apply.
Copyright is often thought of as protection against copying written
works, computer programs and artistic works such as music CD's and
movies. However, copyright can also apply in the case of print & toner
cartridges if they are programmed to deliver or receive instructions to or
from a printer, copier or fax machine.
Also known as a brand or brand name, a trademark is a word, name,
symbol, logo, device, or any combination, used to identify goods of one
manufacturer or seller from goods manufactured or sold by others. HP,
Canon, Epson, Lexmark, Xerox and so on are all Trademarks as are their
respective symbols and other well known marks that we identify with
them.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) have developed what is called the "TRIPS"
agreement to which many countries are signatories (India being one of
them). Therefore, whilst IP laws may differ in various countries around
the world, the TRIPS and related agreements govern the way IP laws are
designed, including IP infringements.
An infringement occurs when a Patent, Copyright or Trademark is
copied or used without authorization from the Intellectual Property
Owner. An infringement is a criminal offence, is punishable by law and
almost always allows for a jail sentence or heavy fines. This applies to
individuals and companies.
Depending on the offence, infringements can be investigated by various
statutory bodies including Police, Customs, Trade & Standards
Departments and other bodies specifically setup to take action against
counterfeiting operations. In additional to criminal actions, Intellectual
Property owners can also instigate civil proceedings against the
offender(s) for any damages and related costs.
Compatibles are new ink cartridges manufactured to exactly match the
cartridge sold by your printer manufacturer.
Remanufactured ink cartridges are previously used ink cartridges (one
time use only, referred as "virgin") that have been collected from
consumers and businesses and brought back to OEM specifications. This
is done by disassembling, cleaning, and replacing any parts showing even
minimal wear-and-tear. Once these ink cartridges have been restored to
the original OEM specifications, they are then filled with high-quality
ink, tested prior to shipment to the customer to ensure print quality and
ink cartridge performance.
What is Copyright?
What is a Trademark?
What is an Infringement?
What is the difference in a compatible ink cartridge and
remanufactured cartridges?
?"New Compatible" cartridges are newly manufactured cartridges
that use all new plastic molds and parts.
?"Remanufactured" cartridges use the original plastic mold "core"
from the manufacturer (HP for example) but the core is
remanufactured back to OEM specs using new parts like the drum,
MAG roller, PCR roller, doctor blades, etc.
?Some manufacturers like HP and Epson have patents on the design
of their plastic molds and it is illegal for manufacturers to create a
"new compatible" for these products.
?Other manufacturers like Brother and Canon do not have these
patents so it is ok to develop a new compatible product.
?So it is important to procure cartridges manufactured by a
reputable ISO 9002 certified factory that adheres to all SMTC
standards as well as respects all patents by respective manufacturers.
A very interesting judgment was offered by the Supreme Court in Case
No. 96 Ma. 365 - Samsung Electronics, Inc. v. Sung-Kyu Cho, The
Supreme Court says:
“Repair and Component Replacement by the Purchaser”
“A lawful purchaser of a patented product can repair or replace damaged
or worn-out components of the product without infringing upon the
patent. In principle, the patentee has the exclusive right to any
exploitation of the patented product, such as its production, use, or
transfer, but the “exhaustion of rights” doctrine prohibits the patentee
from exercising patent rights over subsequent transfers of a patented
product transferred originally by the patentee. Therefore, while the
commercial assembly or production of a patented invention by a
purchaser of a patented product can be a patent infringement, replacing
or repairing damaged components during the life-span of the patented
product does not come within the scope of patent rights. From this
viewpoint, the purchasers of a patented invention possess a “right to
repair.”
The difficulty is in setting a standard to distinguish component
replacement coming within the right to repair and component
replacement constituting an infringing reconstruction of the patented
product or production of a new patented product. The purpose of the
Patent Act is to foster the development of science and technology by
giving substantial incentives to inventors, which is achieved by
guaranteeing market demand for patented inventions and protecting the
economic interests of patentees against infringement. Thus, if the
purchaser of a patented product, the useful life of which has come to an
end or the economic value of which depleted, effectively reconstructs the
product or produces another by replacing all important components,
this must be considered a patent infringement. In contrast, excessive
protection or expansion of patent rights beyond the scope of the patent
claims actually hinders the development of science and technology by
unjustly limiting competition, and component replacement not coming
within such reconstruction must be permitted. The distinction between
legal repair or replacement and reconstruction or production with regard
to patent infringement must be upon a comparison of the life-span of the
patented invention, the life-span of the replaceable component, and the
APRIL 2009
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Cover Story
economic value of the patented invention at the time of component
replacement.”
So there seems a general agreement that a printer cartridge refilling
including change of parts is permitted (under the right to repair act), sale
of a remanufactured cartridge is a gray area.
Companies like GTTMC in Zhuhai, work within the purview of Patent
Laws to manufacture items which do not violate the patent laws.
The company's Hop-On technology allows factories to leverage on three
key areas: patent freedom, easy sourcing and warehouse easing. Since
Hop-On is a product that connects to existing OEM cartridges, it is
legally viewed as a repair. At a recent industry conference in Zhuhai, legal
advisors pointed out that repairs do not infringe patent rights.
Moreover, the fact that one cartridge can be converted into a variety of
different other models not only makes sourcing for empties a lot easier
but also eases the risk of storing the wrong types of cartridges. Now
recyclers only need to store one type of cartridge, which then can be used
in a variety of printers.
“Considering the industry's recent concerns about patent issues, we are
confident that our Hop-On technology will be greatly received by
recyclers,” said Gregor Hans Schoener, CEO of GTTMC. “We will
continue to develop our products with respect to international patents in
order to support our customer's needs.”
There is a general lack of awareness in the Indian market about the
infringement of patent laws. Most traders and resellers hunt China
sources and bring in low cost products (most of the time they get it
branded in their own name). The new mould cartridges are definitely
cheaper but one needs to check on the patent infringements.
Some traders are offering new mould empties which are coming cheaper
than the once used empties. So this is a definite temptation for the
remanufacturers, in a already a very cost sensitive market.
The Indian Remanufacturer's Associations need to work on this area to
clearly define what Indian patents are registered by the OEM's and guide
the remanufacturers so that they are not caught unawares.
Some company's like Afex in China and Softree in India choose the safe
path of declaring themselves as a “no-new mould company”
"New moulds are not remanufactured or recycling. We've taken a strong
position not to make or sell any new moulds. We feel it's not good for the
industry. We're into recycling. Our main objective is to recycle and not
sell any new moulds,” Mark Duva, vice president, sales and marketing,
AFEX International.
As the aftermarket share grows, the OEMs are hurting and will definitely
use all their might to protect their share. The Indian remanufacturing
industry is still at an infant stage and has a long way to go. Unlike China,
it has a huge domestic market and of course the export potential is very
large. We are just beginning to see the starting of remanufacturing units
and we will see many more in years to come. It is therefore very important
that these units start off on a right footing, so that more and more people
will be inspired to invest and have manufacturing plants in India.
APRIL 2009
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Indian Toners & Developers ltd - Technical Conferences
NEW DELHI - has
recently started organizing
technical conferences all
over India. Targeting 1-2
states a month, ITDL has
already held successful
conferences in Mysore,
Delhi and Kanpur. In
April, conferences will be
held in Chandigarh and
Jaipur for a select
audience.
The main reason of
holding these region wise
technical meets is to
increase awareness among engineers about the various scientific and
technical aspects of toner, and its use. An in depth presentation on
various toner related topics, such as the basic definition of toners, the
kinds of toner, manufacturing process, process and quality control,
quality assurance etc are covered. Along with this the presentation also
speaks about common challenges faced by engineers on all types of
machines (laser printers, analogue copiers, mfp's etc), and how to tackle
such issues.
Message from the board: "we hope to further create awareness of quality
among our users and enlarge our family at ITDL by including newer
members into it. Quality is our mantra and is the long term trick for
success. Supremo, TONER KA SHAHENSHA, assures long term
success."
Industry News
Conference at Delhi
Conference at Mysore.
Cameron Hill Joins Uninet As Chief Operating Officer
LOS ANGELES – UniNet welcomes Cameron Hill as Chief Operating
Officer. In this role, Mr. Hill will be in charge
of leading and supporting Sales Operations,
Logistics and Distribution, Purchasing, R&D,
and Finance as well as managing the U.S.
offices.
Mr. Hill brings with him more than 20 years of
significant experience in restructuring all
aspects of organizations including sales and
operations. His previous employment has
included top tier companies such as Makita,
W.W. Grainger, IBM and Boeing among
others. Mr. Hill holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and a
BA degree in Business Management.
“We are thrilled to have Cameron join the UniNet family; he brings a
great wealth of experience and expertise to our team. His background
comprises a unique fit for the needs of UniNet at this point in its
growth,” added UniNet President Nestor Saporiti.
Mr. Hill is part of UniNet's worldwide commitment to provide new and
existing clients with Best-in-Class customer care support ensuring that
UniNet is meeting and exceeding the business needs of each and every
client.
Contact:
Web: www.uninetimaging.com.
UniNet
Static Control Components' Webinar Sessions Now
Online
SANFORD, N.C. — Static Control is offering a webinar training series.
Each webinar session is an interactive online training event that requires
Internet access only. This direct training, without the cost of attending
road shows and without all the usual traveling expenses, is convenient
and keeps customers up-to-date with the latest remanufacturing
information.
Webinars are free and another value add from Static Control.
The first series covers the very successful HP printer family
P1005/P1006, 1505 (CB 435A/CB436A). Webinar session topics
include: how to overcome technical challenges, business opportunities,
Static Control product range and remanufacturing by using live hands-
on techniques.
Static Control's webinar sessions are filled with valuable technical detail,
industry marketing knowledge and new product releases.
During the webinar, a live question-and-answer session gives attendees
the ability to ask questions and receive an immediate answer.
The webinars are presented by Static Control's different experts from
technical support, sales and marketing departments.Contact: Indian Toners & Developers Limited
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www. indiantoners.com
Conference at Kanpur
APRIL 2009
17
R&G Capital is First Sri Lankan Company to Receive
STMC Certification
WATTAL, SRI LANKA - R&G Capital, pioneers in re-engineering
computer printer toners has been qualified with Standardized Test
Methods Committee (STMC) certification, the first time a Sri Lankan
company has received such certification. John Marshall, chief technical
officer and general manager technical services, Static Control formally
presented the STMC certificate to S.M.Godwin, chairman/managing
director, R&G Capital.
R&G is also the third company in all of South Asia to receive this
certification. Only a small fraction of companies in this industry have
earned the right to display the STMC logo on their product, packaging
and marketing materials.
STMC was established to encourage and train companies to use
standardized test methods in the production of remanufactured
cartridges. The certification of the companies proves that those
companies were properly and consistently using the test methods and
thereby produce products of a higher standard.
Godwin, an entrepreneur and pioneer has been in the imaging solutions
industry since 1988. In 1992, he revolutionized Sri Lankan printing
solutions industry by forming the first company in Sri Lanka to offer
alternate printing solutions to the original printing consumables.
Through the years the company grew and 16 years on R&G Capital now
stands with more than 70 employees, a high tech factory, fully equipped
workshop, a substantial portfolio of customers internationally
certifications for the locally re-engineered printing solution.
Godwin said, “There are only 158 companies in the world that are
STMC approved. Sri Lanka imports 50 to 60 thousand cartridges every
month spending a huge amount of money.”
Contact : R&G International
E-mail: Web: [email protected]
AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station in Hubli
HUBLI, AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station, India's only retail chain for
imaging industry is on a constant up word growth. The company is ndinaugurating its 2 retail store in Karnataka at Mooresh Math area of
Hubli on 23.03.2009.
Mr. Rajesh Pauskar, Proprietor of M/s. Uma Shiv Infotech, who is
appointed as Franchisee for Hubli, told reporters that, “AbbeeFill”,
would market imaging products like remanufactured Laser & Inkjet
Cartridges, refilling the same along with Dot Matrix Ribbons & its refill
packs. It will also sale OEM Cartridges & other allied products required
for the IT industry.
Talking to reporters on the eve of inauguration of store, Mr. B. B.
Somani, CEO of AbbeeFill told that apart from Hubli, AbbeeFill is
already operational in Bangalore at Marathalli, & is on the verge of
opening 6 more stores in Karnataka. Company is at an advance stage of
negotiations with 3 other stores in Karnataka. By the end of March 2009
this will take our total number of stores in Karnataka to 11. Out of these
6 are in Bangalore & one each in Hubli, Hospet, Bellary, Davangere &
Mysore.
Apart from Karnataka, Mr. Somani said that, we have a plan of opening
1500 retail stores across India in the next 5 years. Presently 85 stores are
already in various phase of completion, out of these 21 in Maharashtra,
11 in Karnataka, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 7 in Gujarat, 6 in Chattisgarh, 5
each in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh, 3 in Zharkhand, 2 each in Goa,
Tamilnadu, Orisa, Uttarakhand, Delhi & Punjab, and 1 each in Andhra
Pradesh, West Bengal, Shilong, Tripura, Hariyana, Himachal Pradesh &
Jammu.
In the present recessionary scenario when all the corporate & computer
users are cutting the cost, refilling of the Cartridges is the most important
cost cutting tool. The new Inkjet black cartridge which is sold by OEM at
Rs. 1200/- is refilled by AbbeeFill , without compromising the quality
and page yield, at Rs. 150/-. The same way OEM laser cartridge which is
sold at around Rs. 3000/- is refilled by AbbeeFill as Rs. 400/-. This
exorbitant difference between the OEM and refilled cartridge are
tempting the users to refill their Cartridges.
Contact:
Mr. B. B. Somani: Cell No. 09764447141
AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station
Industry News
Visit Static Control's Web site to find a webinar guide with all the details
for the training session and how to log in. It is simple; just follow the
prompts as directed.
Easy-user instructions are available to walk attendees through the entire
session; previous webinar experience is not necessary.
Contact: Static Control
Web: , www.scc-inc.comwww.scceurope.co.uk
Future Graphics Imaging Corporation Awarded Patent
for Color Sealing Mechanism
LOS ANGELES, CA – Future Graphics Imaging Corporation (FGIC),
the world's leading value-add distributor of aftermarket imaging supplies,
has been awarded a patent (US 7,509,090 B2) for a seal-spooling
mechanism that greatly facilitates the remanufacture of cartridges for the
HP 4700/4730/4005 color printers.
The FGIC design enables remanufacturers to easily utilize OEM-type
technology, particularly the internal winding of the seal once the user
presses the 'print' button.
Developing innovative remanufacturing solutions is a key part of FGIC's
commitment to 'Comprehensive System Solutions,' a
customer-oriented strategy that provides
remanufacturers the tools and market information
necessary to remain prepared and profitable. FGIC has
many easy-to-use, cost-effective tools and fixtures
currently awaiting patents and even more in development.
Contact : Future Graphics Imaging Corporation
Web: www.futuregraphicsllc.com, www.delacamp.com
Key Aftermarket Event ReIndia Expo Promotes, Educates
MUMBAI - Recharger Magazine's second annual ReIndia Expo was held
March 5-7 in Mumbai. Mumbai is an international hub for IT and the
business capital of India. ReIndia Expo serves the trade show
component of the growing Indian market within the remanufacturing
industry, a much-needed area where products, people and promotion are
key. With this influential city as the backdrop, ReIndia's sophomore
effort brought together international attendees and a host of noted
industry speakers for the Expo's informative classroom sessions.
Education is a hallmark of every Recharger event and ReIndia Expo 2009
was no exception. ReIndia's schedule of heavy-hitting industry speakers
included Future Graphics Imaging Corporation's Senior VP Luke
Goldberg. Goldberg spoke to a packed room on global-market trends.
The industry veteran wrapped up his presentation with a Q&A session
with an eager crowd. Crowds also flocked to UniNet Imaging's sessions,
headed by Javier Gonzalez. Gonzalez provided two days of sought-after
technical expertise with his hands-on remanufacturing labs, featuring
HP and Brother products.
Prasanto K. Roy of Cybermedia provided relevant analysis and insights
surrounding how businesses view green business practices, especially in
tough economic times.
Indian legal expert Poorvi Chothani offered valuable insights and
relevant case studies that businesses need to know about patents and IP
issues.
Imaging Resources executive Vinay Chhabra compared the U.S. and
Indian markets and speculated to where the Indian aftermarket is
headed, based on the market patterns in the United States. Dhruv
Mahajan of Purnima Enterprises presented on color in the Indian
market.
“Education is key, especially in a burgeoning market like India,” said
Recharger Publisher Patricia Ames. “With speakers from top global
companies like UniNet and Future Graphics as well as important Indian
experts, the classroom seminars are a solid foundation to meet the needs
of the Indian aftermarket.”
UniNet's Javier Gonzalez leads a hands-on remanufacturing lab at
ReIndia Expo 2009.
UniNet Imaging, exhibiting for the second time at the show, was one of
the companies that had a productive time in Mumbai. Marcela Gasanz,
public relations manager for UniNet, said, “ReIndia 2009 was a very
good show for UniNet. We really enjoyed it and attendees were glad to see
us there. Our booth received a steady stream of traffic that kept us
continuously busy; in addition, attendees were very receptive to our
booth classes and they also enjoyed our networking reception offered
during the second day of the show.”
Local media and industry analysts were also present at the show,
including Gartner India Principal Research Analyst Vishal Tripathi.
Tripathi, a repeat visitor to Recharger ReIndia, said, “[ReIndia] was a
well-organized show and provided good insights about the Indian and
world markets. The classroom presentations were very helpful.”
With expert speakers, an international audience and outstanding
networking opportunities, ReIndia proved to be an incredible
opportunity for those who attended.
Attendees network at Bhakti Enterprises booth.
Luke Goldberg of Future Graphics answers questions following his class on
global market trends.
APRIL 2009
18
Industry News
ReIndia Expo is recognized as one of the most important imaging
supplies aftermarket industry and business-to-business technology events
in the region. The show, which is free to attendees, also represents an
enormous learning platform in the area of technical, sales and marketing
at no additional cost. Exhibitors, attendees and instructional offerings
range from the roots of the industry in cartridge remanufacturing to
cutting-edge strategic offerings, such as content management software
and managed print. Even in the face of change, key industry companies
and business leaders remain unified in their commitment to meeting the
challenges by creating opportunity.
Recharger Magazine, an 1105 Media publication, is the leading monthly
trade journal for the document printing industry aftermarket. Recharger
Magazine's complement of global events includes ReciclaMais, South
America's longest running and most successful industry event; ReChina
Asia Expo, the largest industry event showcasing the Asia Pacific regions;
and Recharger World Expo, the most important gathering for the
aftermarket document printing industry.
UniNet experts lead one of several informational in-booth seminars during
ReIndia Expo 2009.
Contact: Recharger Magazine
E-mail:
Web: www.rechargermag.com
APRIL 2009
19
Industry News
Faroudja Offers Bulk Toner for the Okidata C 7300
SAN CARLOS, Calif - Faroudja Toner now carries toner in 10 kilogram
bags for the Okidata C 7300, it was announced. "The bulk bags are a
good option in these economically difficult times" explained marketing
director Tim Farrell. "With 10 kg bags, it is about 40% cheaper than the
bottles." The C 7300 is a glossy toner, and works across the whole line of
the Oki 7000 printers, including the C 7000, C
7400 & C 7500. "This cartridge is easy to recycle
and there are no smartchips" explained Farrell.
Faroudja also sells a drum and drum fuse.
Faroudja Toner, in San Carlos, California,
additionally stocks color toner for Hewlett-
Packard, Tektronix, Minolta QMS and supplies a
wide range of parts and recharging tools.
Contact : Faroudja Toner
Phone: 650-593-3862,
Fax: 650-593-3817, or
Web: . www.faroudjatoner.com
Faroudja Offers Xante Ilumina Chips
SAN CARLOS, Calif -
Xante Ilumina, it was announced. "Many customers have been inquiring
about this for months, as none existed anywhere." explained marketing
director Timothy Farrell. "Again, we are first-to-market, and Faroudja
has become an industry leader in chip development." The chips are
available for all four colors, and are sold individually or in multiple
quantities. They are dedicated to work specifically, and only, for the
Xante Ilumina. "We sell Xante
Ilumina toner in 10 kilogram bags and
these chips are a nice complement to
that" added Farrell.
Faroudja Toner, a major
manufacturer of toner and recycling
parts, also carries a complete range of
smartchips from HP to Okidata to
Xerox.
Contact : Faroudja Toner
Phone: 650-593-3862,
Fax: 650-593-3817, or
Web: .
Faroudja Toner now carries smartchips for the
www.faroudjatoner.comToner and Chip for Samsung SCX-4200Future Graphics
Samsung is the World’s # 2
Engine Manufacture!
LOS ANGELES - FGIC’s toner
and chip for the Samsung SCX -
4200 represent fantastic profit
opportunities for the
remanufacturer!
The sub-s200 SCX - 4200 replaces the
extremely popular SCX - 4200. It has
higher print and copying speeds (19ppm)
than its predecessor and its color scanner
allows enhanced resolution.
Please contact Future Graphics Imaging
Corporation for detailed product
information and comparisons to OEM
products.
UniNet Smartchips For Hp And Xerox Phaser
LOS ANGELES – UniNet
is proud to announce the
release of Unichip
Smartchips for some of the
newest, in-demand printers
in the market. Product
releases include the HP CP-
1215/1518 and P-
2035/2055 series, as well as
the Xerox Phaser 3250,
3300, 3600, 3635 and
7400. The latest UniNet Smartchip releases cover well over 100 different
printer models.
UniNet is a leading key supplier to the remanufacturing industry,
offering the widest selection of laser printer Smartchips available.
UniNet conducts Intellectual Property due diligence on all replacement
chips, and it is committed to Smartchip design, development and
procurement activities. UniNet also offers custom chip development
upon request. All UniNet Smartchips are RoHs-compliant.
Contact :
Web: www.uninetimaging.com.
UniNet
Contact :
Web: www.delacamp.com
Future Graphics Imaging Corporation
www.futuregraphicsllc.com,
APRIL 2009
20
Industry News
UniNet X-generation Black Toner For Hp P-1500, 1505
LOS ANGELES – UniNet announces the release of its new X-
Generation black toner
for the use in HP P-
1500, 1505 series
printers. The new
toner, combined with
UniNet's OPC drum,
has been developed to
provide high yield,
grayscales and best
fusing properties over
conventional products
offered in the market. The P-1505 engine, known for being one of the
best selling small printers in HP history, is a must-have product for
remanufacturers.
UniNet's X-Generation Black toner is offered in 100-gram bottles and it
is rated at 2,000 pages. The toner is also available for use in the HP
P1005, P1006 series, using an 80-gram fill, rated at 1,500 pages. In
addition, UniNet offers a complete line of replacement Smartchips,
drums, blades and other components for both of these engines.
Contact :
Web: www.uninetimaging.com.
UniNet
The Deadline for receiving
Advertisements &
Press releases
is 20th of preceding month.
Future Graphics Releases Reset Gears for Brother
Printers
LOS ANGELES — Future Graphics Imaging Corporation has released
compatible reset gears for the Brother HL-2140/HL-2170 monochrome
printers. Starter cartridges for this engine do not come with a reset gear
and cannot be remanufactured without one. The HL-2140/HL-2170
replaced the HL-2040, a best-selling, low-end monochrome printer
available in big box retail stores. The FGIC reset gears come in packs of
10.
Contact : Future Graphics Imaging Corporation
Web: , www.futuregraphicsllc.com www.delacamp.com
Static Control Releases HP Component System Solution
SANFORD, N.C. — Static Control has released the new HP
CP2025/CM2320MFP component system for remanufacturing the
CC530A–CC533A.
Static Control has researched, developed and manufactured all the
components that are needed for these cartridges: OPC, toner, wiper
blade, chip, seal, component parts, shipping protector and tools.
Static Control engineers co-developed this system with our toner and
OPC suppliers to create a system with the best print quality available.
Included are OEM-like page yield and quality print performance.
Contact : Static Control
Web: , www.scceurope.co.uk www.scc-inc.com
Future Graphics Imaging Corporation Releases Chip for
Samsung SCX-4200
Los Angeles, CA – Future Graphics Imaging Corporation (FGIC) has
released a compatible replacement chip for remanufactured Samsung
SCX-4200 cartridges.
Samsung, the world's second largest engine manufacturer, released the
sub-$200 SCX-4200 to replace the extremely popular SCX-4100.
The SCX-4200 is representative of a product introduced to a new area of
the market that shows great growth potential: entry-level laser-based
MFPs which are ideally suited for the SOHO market.
Along with OEM-like
compatible toner
from FGIC (test
results reveal virtually
identical results in
density and
background with
slightly greater FGIC yield), the FGIC compatible replacement chip for
Samsung SCX-4200 can result in a quality aftermarket cartridge and
great profits for the remanufacturer.
The FGIC compatible chip and toner for Samsung SCX-4200 is in stock
now and ready to ship from convenient locations all over the globe.
Static Control has researched, developed and manufactured all the
components that are needed for these cartridges: OPC, toner, wiper
blade, chip, seal, component parts, shipping protector and tools.
Static Control engineers co-developed this system with our toner and
OPC suppliers to create a system with the best print quality available.
Included are OEM-like page yield and quality print performance.
Contact : Static Control
Web: , www.scceurope.co.uk www.scc-inc.com
APRIL 2009
21
Industry News
Densigraphix Introduces Konica/Minolta New
Compatible Cartridge
Montreal, Quebec (Canada) – Densigraphix, announced the release of
new compatible C, M, Y, K cartridges for use in the Konica/Minolta
BizHub C250/C252 series copiers.
“These new compatible toner cartridges are very significant product
releases for Densigraphix because of the high population of these devices
in North America. The Konica/Minolta BizHub C250 series
equipment has been out for several years”, says Dana J. Valley, Vice-
President of Sales. “More importantly, demand for these toners will
continue to remain strong because they are also compatible in the C252
models.”
The Konica Minolta BizHub C250, a Segment 2, full multi function
machine when all options are installed, entered production September,
2005. The Konica Minolta BizHub C252, which is also a Segment 2
copier, full multi function when all options are installed, entered
production January, 2007.
Mitch Schwartz, Director R&D and Quality Assurance states, “All our
cartridges are 100% new-build, non-patent infringing products that carry
the Densigraphix Product Warranty. Our tests results indicated great
color reproduction, print yield in excess of OEM and Image Density
equal to or better than OEM with Zero background density.”
As with all Densigraphix products, the Konica/Minolta BizHub
C250/C252 new compatible cartridges are backed with a 100 percent
customer satisfaction guarantee. Each cartridge is meticulously analyzed
and tested, ensuring that every Densigraphix product meets or exceeds
OEM equivalent
density, yield and
consistency from batch
to batch. For more
information on our
products, contact your
l o c a l s a l e s
representative or order
through the Densigraphix on-line catalog at .www.densi.com
About Densigraphix
Founded in 1979, Densigraphix is a privately-held distribution company
serving the copier dealer and the laser cartridge remanufacturer markets.
The Company has five international facilities in Canada and the United
States and conducts business in over 35 countries. Its 30-year success is
driven by its mission to deliver customer satisfaction and a total
commitment to offering high quality products at competitive prices.
With a large inventory of replacement parts and supplies for the
remanufacturing, service and supply sectors, Densigraphix is truly
"Dedicated to Your Image."
Contact: Densigraphix
E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.densi.com
APRIL 2009
22
Industry News
Company Profile
APRIL 2009
23
No Borders;
No Problem at UniNetWith an international
infrastructure of
customer support and
custom solutions, the
supplies-side leader is a
true global partner.
By Recharger Magazine Staff
Nestor Saporiti has one overriding message for remanufacturers
worldwide: his company is listening.
The affable president of UniNet Imaging Inc. has molded every aspect of
the company — from the individual sales representative to the technical
support team to a global web of branch offices — with clients in mind.
UniNet does business in 120 countries, so listening to clients can
sometimes resemble a United Nations conference. Saporiti guesses
UniNet’s employees speak about 20 languages. Regardless of location or
dialect, he sees more similarities than differences with clients around the
world.
“We listen to our clients. What all clients have in common is that they
want you to listen to them,” said Saporiti, who speaks Spanish,
Portuguese and a little Italian and French.
“If you listen to them they will explain what they want and if you can
speak their language it makes it a lot easier. We have salespeople that will
speak their language whether they are in Japan or Brazil or Hungary. In
the end, we all want the same things: good product, good quality, good
service at a competitive price.”
The company’s flagship products are its Absolute Black and Absolute
Color, X-Generation, Blended toners and chips. The catalog is thick,
totaling some 12,000 products. Of UniNet’s 400 employees,
approximately 100 serve in a sales capacity. With its growth (Saporiti says
sales grew around 30 percent the last several years), keeping business on a
personal level remains a high priority.
“The close relationship is the key point,” said Randall Lane, U.S. West
Coast sales manager. “That relationship allows for prompt and
immediate answers to questions and issues clients may have. It might be
quote requests, special product information, pricing, order tracking and
back orders.. Special packaging comes into play with drop ships as we
have resellers that resell toner on a Web site, for example, so they need
generic labeling and special invoicing. These are all services that help us
understand a client’s needs; and understanding the specific needs of the
client is really important.”
Of course listening is one thing. Having the capability to provide the
appropriate solution — oftentimes a custom or niche solution — is
another. It is this combination of client service and technological know-
how that has built UniNet into a multi-million dollar company. UniNet’s
combined 110, 000 Square foot complex is comprised of UniNet Head
quarters operations, west coast and international sales departments,
R&D department and laboratories; along with storage capacity for more
than 500 printers, copiers and MFPs; a well- equipped customer training
center to provide seminars, training and education, an area suited for an
environmental chamber and more.
“We are ready for growth,” Saporiti said. “We consider ourselves a
worldwide quality manufacturer and solutions provider to OEMs and
remanufacturers. UniNet became the fastest growing company in the
industry because we guide our clients to grow their business and market
share. We constantly receive clients’ inquiries on how to become a
UniNet business partner; we are recognized as their leading source to
increase their profits and market share.”
One of the strengths at UniNet, says Saporiti, is innovative product
development, whether at its chip development facility in Las Vegas or
toner blending location in New York. Products developed in-house
include wiper blades, PCRs, mag rollers and doctor blades. The company
also prides itself on its ability to develop specialty solutions, which might
include special color chips, darker toner, matching components, MICR
toner, and pigmented and dye-based inks.
In the past four months alone UniNet has released its branded Unichip
Smartchips for the Samsung SCX 4725 and ML3050, Dell 1815, and
Okidata C5700/5600 and C5800/5500. Chip production is projected
to reach 1 million units a month in the near future.
“We think of ourselves more like HP. We are very good at developing
products and subcontracting to manufacturers,” said Saporiti, who said
OEMs or OEM subcontractors do the majority of UniNet’s contract
manufacturing. “At the same time, where the aftermarket couldn’t get up
to speed, we decided to take the flag and develop it ourselves, like with
chips. There are so many OPC makers, that we decided to partner and
invest in a production line with one of them.” UniNet’s capacity to
develop new product was greatly enhanced with the acquisition of
Summit Technologies in March 2007. Saporiti calls the merger the
“perfect match.” Although based in the United States, UniNet has
Above: UniNet corporate staff: (clockwise from top left) Advertising Manager
Erick Jones, Purchasing Agent Ximena Kelleyian, Sales Manager Randall Lane,
Technical Director Neil Robinson, Controller Ingrid Johnson, Purchasing
Manager Pam Santiago, Logistics Manager Mark Miyatani, VP Accounting
Claudia Saporiti, President Nestor Saporiti, Sales Director Diego Gesualdi and
PR Manager Marcela Gasanz.
Left: UniNet maintains a worldwide presence, with its sales teams in several
countries including (from left) Europe, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico.
Company Profile
APRIL 2009
24
historically concentrated sales growth outside the U.S. The acquisition
provided a stronger presence in the U.S. backed by the proven brand of
Summit Technologies, which specializes in the development of chips and
components for remanufacturing. The partnership also added East
Coast distribution (from Summit’s location in New York), and seasoned
sales and technical support teams. In fact, Summit’s reputation as a
quality leader is so strong in the U.S. market the company decided to
retain the brand and last month introduced Summit Technologies OPC
drums for several HP models specially designed to work with Summit
and UniNet toners.
“We have found that the Summit brand is very well respected. Now we
are giving a second option to our clients,” Saporiti said.
Much of UniNet’s product development efforts over the years have
focused on OEMs other than Hewlett-Packard and Lexmark machines or
non-mainline products, as Technical Director Neil Robinson says, like
Kyocera, Minolta, Xerox and Dell. Robinson and his 30 years of industry
experience joined the company this year with the immediate task of
organizing quality control for all distributors.
UniNet’s 2007 acquisition of New York-based Summit Technologies was the
“perfect merger” according to Saporiti, bringing with it the expertise of
Technical Director Mike Josiah and VP Chip Manufacturing Joe Cachia (above
left) and the East Coast distribution center and sales staff.
“We want to be known for delivering these solutions and that means
working with our clients on these non-mainline products. We specialize
in these hard-to-find products. Our clients might have a specific
application where nobody else is doing that and they can go in and grab
some key business if they had a certain part, so we want to work with
these guys and help them develop these products going forward,” said
Robinson, who gives the example of specially developed high-yield toner
for cost-per-page applications.
“What happens is that clients (who enter niche market sectors) enjoy a
better profit margin than HP monochrome clients,” Saporiti said.
“Unfortunately, they are all focusing on the HP market and we try to
open their minds and say, ‘Hey, get a bigger mix of cartridges and you will
profit from it.’ ”
UniNet has greatly expanded its quality control with the addition of Technical
Director Neil Robinson, who is charged with organizing quality control for all
distributors.
Pictured: Robinson (left) with UniNet R&D Manager Javier Gonzalez.
Company Profile
APRIL 2009
25
Joe Dovi, East Coast sales director, added, “The smart remanufacturers
have figured out that it’s all about color these days. We realized this years
ago and planned for the exponential growth we have experienced in the
color market through extensive R&D. Clients who choose to evolve with
us know we are here to help them every step of the way.”
The challenge of product development for a supplier of imaging
solutions such as UniNet is complicated further when dealing with an
international client base. Technical Director Mike Josiah is charged with
assuring product compatibility worldwide.
“There are regionalized versions of the same cartridge,” Josiah said.
“Sometimes it’s strictly that the coding on the chip is different,
sometimes it’s the chip and a piece of plastic that changes things, in rare
cases even the toner is slightly different, and there are different power
requirements in different machines in different areas of the world that
affect it, so there’s a lot you need to keep in mind.”
Another of Josiah’s responsibilities is ensuring a company-wide
awareness of the technical advancements of the industry. The company
uses online technology to support all staff members who may come in
contact with clients, including an internal Web site with technical info
and tips, bulletin board postings and commonly asked questions.
“Especially with the worldwide presence that we have and everybody in
dramatically different time zones, it equalizes everything for us and we
can get answers to everybody worldwide very quickly,” Josiah said.
One unique training initiative at the company is that all UniNet sales
reps get their hands dirty and participate in the remanufacture of
cartridges.
“Every salesperson spends a week building cartridges,” said Josiah, who is
well known for teaching remanufacturing classes at industry events as
well as authoring technical articles in trade publications. “They also
spend some time helping pick orders in the warehouse and watching the
bottle-filling operations. That way they all start off with a decent
knowledge of all the operations in the company and have a good idea of
what our clients do every day.”
The end result is a sales staff that has answers and solutions that can
generate business for UniNet’s clients. In many cases UniNet reps are
uncovering markets that may otherwise go underdeveloped or altogether
neglected.
“We train our salespeople to develop diverse markets,” said International
Sales Director Diego Gesualdi. “Back in 1998 when I started developing
the South American market, I used to tell my clients to get into the color
market, and took a lot of effort to encourage them but now they can see
positive results. At UniNet we deeply believe in increasing
internationally diverse markets.
” UniNet’s 12 owned subsidiaries and 10 distributors on five continents
surely aid in assisting clients with developing local markets. While the
imaging supplies industry has become a global marketplace for many, it’s
hard to imagine any company that has been more ambitious than UniNet
in establishing a worldwide presence. The company currently has East
and West Coast offices in the U.S., three European locations in Spain,
Hungary and the United Kingdom and offices in South Africa, China,
Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina.
A local presence is advantageous on several fronts. First, it gives the
company creditability and insight into local markets.
“After many years of working internationally, I can say that all the
markets are almost the same,” Gesualdi said. “But to enter into certain
markets you need to understand their culture, but the markets
themselves are very similar.”
From the perspective of a value proposition, local offices allow for more
competitive prices due to lower delivery costs while allowing clients to
carry less inventory. UniNet’s distribution goal is to provide the delivery
of product to the major cities of the world within three days using ground
rates at less than 3 percent freight cost.
“When price is an issue we came up with a freight solution that allows
clients to not have to carry a lot of inventory because they can get it from
us locally. In the end it saves time and money,” Saporiti said.
As with most every initiative at the company, UniNet provides
educational tools and resources to anyone in the spirit of promoting
product quality industry-wide. The company’s Web site, which Saporiti
emphasizes is not password protected, includes written and video
remanufacturing instructions and other technical articles, many in
English and Spanish, for hundreds of models. UniNet staff member are
some of the most active speakers at industry events around the world.
These types of commitments highlight the UniNet culture and
philosophy that the president has tried to ingrain into every aspect of the
company.
“We see a very, very bright future. Something that we do here at UniNet is
reinvest our money because we believe in the industry,” Saporiti said.
“Our mission is to develop our clients’ businesses through profits,
marketing plan, product development and instructions. At UniNet our
vendors, clients, and employees are all considered as partners.”
UniNet’s West Coast sales team is part of a global network that
includes 12 owned subsidiaries and 10 distributors on five continents.
Contact UniNet at www.uninetimaging.com.
Company Profile
APRIL 2009
27
APRIL 2009
28
Information & Analysis
Color toner production is up again this year, with a record 48 percent of
respondents to the 2009 Color Survey saying that they remanufacture
color toner cartridges in-house. Respondents have also been producing
color toner cartridges for longer, with 60 percent producing cartridges for
three or more years, also a new record. Color production runs also set a
record, with those respondents whose companies produce color toner
cartridges in-house reporting an average of 5,417 per month, up from
only 804 per month in the last survey.
The inkjet side is down slightly this year, with 34 percent of respondents
saying they produce color inkjets in-house (down from 36 percent last
time). But for the first time, we have 8 percent of respondents who report
they have been producing color inkjets for more than 10 years. We also
have 5 percent of respondents who are producing 100 percent color
inkjets, also a record.
Finding quality aftermarket components is the biggest challenge for color
producers, along with finding quality aftermarket ink/toner. For those
who don’t actually produce color cartridges, technical knowledge and
profits are their biggest reasons to not do color.
This survey was offered at World Expo in August 2008 in Las Vegas. But
since the results are being printed in early 2009, we will refer to this as the
2009 survey. The previous survey was taken one year earlier, at World
Expo 2007. But those results were printed in late 2007, and so are
officially the 2007 data. But for ease of comparison, we will refer to that
set as the results from “last time” to keep things clear. Other comparisons
may be made to the 2006 survey (offered online) and the 2005 survey (the
first year of the color survey, when it was offered online and through
mail/fax).
We had 252 people take the survey this year, as compared to 173 people
last time. Respondents report that their businesses have been around for
an average of 13 years, up from 12 years last time, and that they have an
average of 177 employees, down from 206 employees last time. The
companies are 55 percent from the United States, and 45 percent from
outside the U.S. (the split was 61 percent U.S. and 39 percent non- U.S.
last time).
Survey Finds
Cartridges More Popular Than EverColor Toner by Megan Hubble • Recharger Magazine
The most popular business model for respondents is remanufacturer,
selected by 56 percent of survey takers (52 percent last time). But we have
far fewer cartridge resellers this year (39 percent this year versus 52
percent last time). Printer repair is the next most popular model, picked
by 27 percent this year and last time, while ink/toner suppliers make up
25 percent of respondents (30 percent last time). Another 15 percent
each picked printer parts supplier (also 15 percent last time) and empties
collection (20 percent last time). The “other” category got a big jump this
year, to 12 percent from the 3 percent seen last time. The “other” results
include mostly suppliers, distributors or producers of industry supplies.
Respondents could pick more than one business model, so results do not
add up to 100 percent.
1) Does your company remanufacture color toner cartridges in-house?
How many years has your company produced color toner cartridges?
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year, we find that almost half of respondents, 48 percent, say they
produce color toner cartridges inhouse. (See Figue 1.) This is up from 38
percent last time (also 38 percent in 2006, and 33 percent in 2005).
Color has been growing pretty steadily, so we can likely assume that this
represents an actual increase in color production. The increasing
popularity of cheaper color toner printers, from a variety of OEMs, has
lead to an increase in color placement for many businesses. In fact a Lyra
Research article last May indicated that the total color toner cartridge
market was “expected to more than double (from 2006) to 2011.”
In 2006, 66 million color toner cartridges were shipped (this includes
cyan, magenta, yellow and black for color machines), the article said.
Another Lyra Research article (March 2008) indicated that “Shipments
of color toner cartridges worldwide surged by more than 27 percent in
2007, growing from 86.8 million in 2006 to 110.5 million last year
(2007).” In the May article, Lyra predicted that more than 160 million
color toner cartridges will ship in 2011. Even if current economic
conditions put a slight crimp in those expansion plans, there is still high
demand for color toner cartridges. In the March article, Lyra predicted
that “worldwide revenue from the sales of color toner cartridges will
surpass monochrome for the first time by the end of the decade.”
The May Lyra Research article said that this expansion included a
“rapidly growing installed base” of personal color laser printers and
“printer-based color laser MFPs.” Lyra predicted that these machines
would “continue gaining ground, replacing monochrome machines.”
Many of these machines are ripe for aftermarket cartridges, but according
to Lyra’s March 2008 article, in 2007, “shipments of OEM color toner
cartridges outpaced third-party cartridge shipments by about 10 to 1.”
That means no more than 10 percent of the market (other articles
estimate 7 to 9 percent), as compared to the 32 percent enjoyed in the
monochrome toner market.
Perhaps the increase in color toner cartridge production indicates that
some of this year’s survey respondents seem to be taking advantage of this
opportunity. (For more information, see “Color Toner Cartridge Market
to Double in Five Years” by Cortney Kasuba of Lyra Research in the May
2008 issue and “Lyra Research’s Year in Review” by Charles Brewer of
Lyra Research in the March 2008 issue of Recharger Magazine.)
So while it is very likely that the increase we see this year is due to
increased color production, it would be nice to rule out having more
toner-heavy survey groups (perhaps all of the inkjet producers sat this one
out). But this year’s survey did not ask respondents about their cartridge
production habits, so we don’t know what percentage of respondents
produce any toner cartridges — monochrome or color — or indeed, if they
produce cartridges in-house at all.
But considering the growth in the color market recently and the increases
in this area seen in other surveys (including the Cartridge Production
Survey in the January 2009 issue), this is likely to reflect a real trend of
increased color toner cartridge production.
In fact, respondents to the Cartridge Production Survey indicated that
color toner cartridges make up 30 percent of the average production run,
up from 16 percent last year. In fact, 85 percent of that survey’s toner
cartridge producers said they produced at least some color toner
cartridges in-house.
Back to looking at the Color Survey, we see that — not surprisingly —
those respondents who identify their business model as
“remanufacturer” are much more likely to produce color toner cartridges
in-house than their “reseller” brethren. In fact, 74 percent of
remanufacturers produce color toner cartridges in-house (60 percent last
time), as compared to 40 percent of resellers (not calculated last time).
Note that some respondents identified themselves as falling into both
groups. Since the percent of respondents who said they were
remanufacturers held fairly steady between the two surveys (56 percent
this year versus 52 percent last time), we may assume that the numbers
reflect real increases in color toner cartridge production.
Not surprisingly, it appears that remanufacturers have been producing
color cartridges for longer amounts of time than we have seen in previous
surveys. More than half of respondents (60 percent) have produced color
toner cartridges for three or more years. (See Figure 2.) Last time, only 40
percent of respondents had three or more years under their belts.
The breakdown shows that there were definitely fewer newbies joining
the color scene, with only 15 percent of respondents saying they had
produced color cartridges for less than one year, down from 29 percent
last time. The next category, one to two years, drew 25 percent this year,
as compared to 31 percent last time. The category of three to four years
held fairly steady, though, with 28 percent this year versus 29 percent last
time. The real growth was in the upper groups: The “five to nine year”
category drew 26 percent this year as opposed to 11 percent last time, and
the “more than 10 years” category grabbed 6 percent, which is not a lot,
but no one fell into that category last time. So clearly, most of our
respondents joined in the color scene a few years ago, while a few have
been involved for more than a decade.
Information & Analysis
APRIL 2009
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2) What percentage of the total toner cartridges you produce is color?
Approximately how many color toner cartridges does your company
produce in-house each month?
For those respondents who do produce color toner cartridges inhouse,
we asked them to tell us what percentage of their production run is color.
This year, 43 percent of respondents say that color makes up 21 percent
or more of their production run, as compared to 30 percent who fell in
the same category last time. This represents a fairly steady increase over
past years, since only 10 percent said it was 21 percent or more of
production in 2006.
Looking at the breakdown more fully, we see that 57 percent of
respondents this year say color makes up 1 to 20 percent of their
production runs, as compared to 70 percent last time. (See Figure 3.) The
next category is 21 to 40 percent, which draws 17 percent of respondents
this year, down from 24 percent last time. Color falls into the middle
category (41 to 60 percent) of production for 12 percent of respondents
this year, as compared to only 3 percent last time. Strangely, the 61 to 80
percent grouping stayed steady at 3 percent, but the 81 to 99 percent
category jumped to 5 percent this year from zero last time. The top
category — those whose production runs are 100 percent color — also got
some takers this year: 6 percent chose this, up from 0 percent last time.
The average number of color toner cartridges produced in-house per
month is definitely up this year — to 5,417 from only 804 cartridges last
time. This includes some respondents with pretty high production
volumes, including one with 100,000 cartridges and several with 50,000
or more. The lowest production number is two color cartridges per
month, and the median is 100 (last time the median was 50). So while
color production may be growing, many are still small producers. Half of
respondents are producing 100 or fewer color toner cartridges per
month, and approximately 85 percent of respondents produce 1,000 or
fewer color toner cartridges per month.
3) How has your in-house color toner cartridge production changed in
the last two years?
Most respondents say that their color production runs have increased in
the last two years. In fact, 74 percent of respondents — the same as last
time — indicated that production had increased, with an average increase
of 39 percent (down from an average of 57 percent last time). So while
respondents are still seeing increases in production, those increases are
more modest, but still quite healthy.
Color production stayed the same for 24 percent of respondents, as
compared to 26 percent last time, and only 2 percent said they had seen a
decline (up from 0 percent last time).
Information & Analysis
APRIL 2009
34
The average decline reported this year was 63 percent.
It should be noted that the percentage of respondents who have seen
increased production has been on the rise since the survey’s inception -—
in 2005, it was 59 percent, up to 70 percent in 2006, then 74 percent the
last two surveys. Also, remember that this survey was taken in August
2008 (and the previous one in August 2007), so the current economic
decline might not have affected production numbers as much at that
point. We will have to keep an eye on this in future surveys to see if
respondents continue to turn to color cartridges in a tight market, or if
they reduce color production to fall back on their old standby —
monochrome.
Color inkjet production has never been as popular as color toner
cartridge production, usually because fewer people produce inkjets
overall. Although we didn’t specifically ask this year about production
habits (toner versus inkjet), other surveys have shown an ongoing
preference for toner. The Cartridge Production Survey (January 2009
issue) found that of in-house producers (that is, those who gave
production percentages), 57 percent do inkjet cartridges, versus 90
percent who produce toner cartridges (and 46 percent of the respondents
do both).
So, as seen in Figure 4, we are not surprised that the Color Survey finds
only 34 percent of respondents produce color inkjets in-house, down
from last time’s record of 36 percent (still up from 2006’s 25 percent,
though). As compared to the 48 percent of respondents who produce
color toner cartridges, color inkjets definitely are less popular.
According to Lyra Research’s March 2008 article, worldwide inkjet
shipments are still growing by a rate of approximately four percent, with
more than 1.5 billion inkjet cartridges shipped worldwide in 2007 (they
don’t separate out color and monochrome inkjet cartridges). This may be
a slightly lower growth rate than what is forecast for color toner
cartridges, but still represents a lot of cartridges out there, and the
aftermarket grabs a healthy percentage of that market. The report
continued, “In 2007, Lyra estimates that the aftermarket received about
$6.5 billion of the total revenue from inkjet cartridges sold worldwide
last year, or about 20.5 percent.”
(For more information, see “Lyra Research’s Year in Review” by Charles
Brewer of Lyra Research in the March 2008 issue of Recharger
Magazine.)
While color toner cartridges are more popular, companies are more
likely to have been producing color inkjets for longer periods of time.
(See Figure 5.) In fact, almost half (49 percent) of respondents say they
have produced color inkjet cartridges for five or more years, up from 24
percent for the same categories last time. This isn’t too surprising, as
color inkjet printers have been available at moderate or even low prices
for much longer than color laser printers have been commonly available.
4) Does your company remanufacture color inkjet cartridges in-house?
How many years has your company produced color inkjet cartridges?
Overall, 10 percent of respondents have been producing color inkjets for
less than a year (29 percent last time), 19 percent have produced color
inkjets for one to two years (26 percent last time) and 22 percent have
done color inkjets for three to four years (21 percent last time). Splitting
the top two categories, we see that 41 percent have produced color inkjets
for five to nine years (24 percent last time), while 8 percent have done so
for more than 10 years (0 percent last time).
5) What percentage of the total inkjet cartridges you produce is color?
Approximately how many color inkjet cartridges does your company
produce in-house each month?
Most companies (72 percent) find that their color inkjet production is
between 21 and 60 percent of total production, the same percentage as
last time. But more producers report higher color productions, including
some with 100 percent color for the first time. (See Figure 6.)
Looking more closely, we have 6 percent of respondents who say color
inkjets are 1 to 20 percent of their total inkjet production (14 percent last
time), while 37 percent chose the 21 to 40 percent category (down from
40 percent last time). We had 35 percent choose the 41 to 60 percent
category (32 percent last time) and 12 percent picked 61 to 80 percent (14
percent last time). But 5 percent each picked 81 to 99 percent and 100
percent, both of which drew 0 percent last time.
So we see that production is shifting slightly to the higher end of the scale
with more companies reporting that color inkjets make up the majority
of their inkjet production.
As for actual numbers, the average this year is 18,535 color inkjets
produced in-house per month. This is down significantly from last time’s
average of 57,298 color inkjets per month, although the average in 2006
was only 406 and it was 15,528 in 2005.
Information & Analysis
APRIL 2009
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This year’s production covers a wide range — from two companies that are
producing only four color inkjets per month to three large producers
with 300,000, 350,000 and 500,000 respectively. The median for this
year is 1,000 color inkjets, based on the 76 color inkjet producers in the
survey.
Last time (when we had fewer survey takers, so only 43 color inkjet
producers), the smallest producer did 50 color inkjets per month, the
largest producer reported 1.5 million, and the median was actually only
250 color inkjets per month. Without that top producer, the average was
22,948, much closer to this year’s average.
So while the average seems to have declined, the median is higher this
year, meaning that the majority of respondents are producing more
cartridges this year. Last time, 72 percent of color inkjets producers did
fewer than 1,000 color inkjet cartridges a month. This year, only 49
percent fall into that category.
6) How has your in-house color inkjet cartridge production changed in
the last two years?
7) What are the challenges with producing (or reasons you don’t
produce) color cartridges in-house?
So if there are more companies with higher production runs this year, we
would expect the majority of respondents to say their production has
increased in the last two years. This is, in fact, the case, with 65 percent
saying production is up in the past two years ago, with an average increase
of 33 percent. Last time, 73 percent of respondents picked this category,
with an average increase of 47 percent. In 2006, 64 percent had seen an
average increase of 39 percent.
This year, 22 percent said production stayed the same (27 percent last
time), while 13 percent experienced a decline (0 percent last time). The
average decrease in color inkjet production this year was 22 percent.
Once again, the most-cited challenge with color production is finding
quality aftermarket components, selected by 39 percent of respondents
to the question, up from 34 percent last time. (See Figure 7.) There is a tie
for second place again this year, with 31 percent each choosing
expenses/profit margins and technical knowledge (also 31 percent each
last time). The challenge of finding quality aftermarket ink/toner affects
29 percent (same as last time), while 28 percent say they have a tough time
sourcing empties (22 percent last time).
There is often a fairly wide divide between the challenges cited by those
who actually produce color cartridges and those who do not. This year is
no exception. For color producers, 54 percent say finding quality
aftermarket components is a challenge, followed by finding quality
aftermarket ink/toner (40 percent). Sourcing empties is next (37
percent), followed by expenses/profit margins (35 percent), technical
knowledge (34 percent) and other (3 percent). The “other” responses
include “economy,” “finding new customers” and “convincing
(customers) that my remanufactured (cartridges) are better than
compatibles.”
For those who don’t produce color cartridges, the most popular reason
not to do so is technical knowledge, cited by 32 percent. We find that 31
percent say that expenses/profit margins would be a problem, while 27
percent said quality aftermarket components would be an issue. A
quarter (25 percent) say they have some “other” issue, while 23 percent
think sourcing empties is a challenge and 18 percent think finding
quality aftermarket ink and toner would be tough.
It should be noted that the “other” responses in this category indicated
that many respondents think color production is outside their
company’s role. Responses include several “not interested” answers, as
well as multiple replies that the company is a “supplier” or
“manufacturer,” plus more specific responses of “toner manufacturer,”
“only supplies,” “not our business,” etc. One respondent says he “prefers
to outsource,” another says
Information & Analysis
APRIL 2009
37
he just “doesn’t produce,” while “volume” is a challenge for someone
else.
It appears that many of the respondents don’t produce color cartridges
because they don’t produce any cartridges at all, due to being a supplier
or outsourcer.
But still, there does seem to be a disconnect between the actual
challenges faced by color producers and by the perceived difficulties that
nonproducers expect. Non-producers seem to be hung up on technical
knowledge and profits, while finding aftermarket components or
ink/toner is really the toughest thing for color producers.
We find that 56 percent of respondents sell outsourced aftermarket color
toner cartridges, down slightly from 58 percent last time, but down more
from the 72 percent seen in 2006. (See Figure 8.) We have fewer
respondents who say they are primarily resellers this year, which may
account for some of the difference.
But many of these respondents produce their own color cartridges
inhouse, while others are not cartridge sellers at all. In fact, fewer than
half of the people who said “No” to this question indicate that they are
remanufacturers, with “other,” “ink/toner supplier” and “printer repair”
as the other business models cited. The “other” category includes
responses of “copier sales/service/supplies,” “processing,” “containers,”
“office products reseller,” “toner manufacturer,” “raw materials,” “trade
show,” “consulting/ research,” “compatible printer ribbons,”
“parts/consumables database,” “distributor” and “factory.”
More popular this year is reselling OEM color toner cartridges, done by
62 percent of respondents (the same as last time, but down from 67
percent in 2006). (See Figure 9.)
8) Do you resell aftermarket or OEM color toner cartridges?
9) Do you resell aftermarket or OEM color inkjet cartridges?
Now we look at the same question on the inkjet side. Selling outsourced
aftermarket color inkjet cartridges is done by 54 percent, down from 57
percent last time.
Similar to what we saw on the toner side, fewer than half of those who
said “No” are remanufacturers. Most identify with other business
models, including “cartridge reseller” (a business model that we might
expect to be involved in reselling aftermarket inkjets), as well as “other,”
“ink/toner supplier,” and “empties collection,” all of which might not
sell cartridges at all.
Selling OEM color inkjet cartridges is also less popular this year, with 58
percent saying they do this, down from 62 percent last time.
So now we have asked respondents a little more about their cartridge
selling habits, we can try to identify those who don’t appear to sell any
color cartridges at all. This group includes those who said they do not
produce color toner or inkjet cartridges in-house, and they do not
sell aftermarket or OEM color inkjet or toner cartridges. This year, this
group is made up of 31 respondents (12 percent out of 252 total survey
takers) who answered all the relevant questions (there are probably others
who don’t sell cartridges but left some of the six questions blank). Of
these, three say they are remanufacturers, so it is likely that they do
monochrome cartridges only. No one in this group is primarily a
cartridge reseller. This leaves 11 percent who are not cartridge sellers, but
must be involved in some other area of the industry.
Last time, the similar group was 19 percent of respondents, including 2
percent who were likely monochrome remanufacturers, leaving 17
percent who were probably not cartridge sellers or producers. In 2006,
when the survey was offered online instead of at World Expo, the survey
only drew 1 percent of respondents who did not produce or sell
cartridges. Clearly World Expo attendees represent a diverse cross-
section of the industry.
Information & Analysis
APRIL 2009
40
10) Which best describes the color market for your company?
Respondents say that the most popular description of the color market
for their company is that color is a small part of their business, but
growing. (See Figure 10.) This was selected by 30 percent of respondents.
The second most popular statement (picked by 28 percent) was that color
is an important part of their business, but not their main offering. Next
was the response that color is a small part of their business and it will
probably stay that way, picked by 17 percent of survey takers.
Another 13 percent say that color is a small part of their business, but that
it will be their biggest in the future. To this point, the results are ranked in
the same order as last time, although the numbers can’t be directly
compared because the method for calculating the results was slightly
modified.
But this year, also tied at 13 percent we find the statement that color is the
biggest sector of their business, which makes it more popular than it was
last time. This isn’t that surprising since, for the first time this year, we
have a number of respondents who say they produce 100 percent color
cartridges.
Least popular are the “we don’t sell or remanufacture color cartridges”
category with 3 percent and the “other” category with 0 percent.
In general, we see that most respondents see color continuing to grow,
and many see it becoming a major offering (or it is their biggest sector
already). Only 17 percent predict color will stay a small part of their
business.
Note that for this question, respondents could choose more than one
answer, so percentages do not add up to 100.
In addition, more than 100 respondents also wrote in an answer to
describe how the color market is going for their company. These will help
you get an idea what your fellow industry members think about the color
market and its outlook.
The results include the following responses about color:
“50 to 60 percent of business and growing.”
“Slowly moving.”
“Growing.”
“Epson,” “HP,” “Epson, HP,” “HP and Canon” — likely describing which
color cartridges they sell.
“Growing every year.”
“It’s a big challenge. We need more information (technical) and better
components.”
“We sell OEM color toners and ink.”
“Growing.”
“Tiny.”
“Business use, local corporations, must use monochrome.”
“The main (part) is the OEM.”
“Good.”
“It’s growing, but there are a lot of printers. It’s a great investment.”
“Increasing.”
“Up 70 percent in two years.”
“We don’t sell it.”
“Is increasing.”
“Want to grow bigger and sell more.”
“Health care/education,” “government and commercial,” “end-user” —
likely the markets where color sales are higher.
“Inks big, toner small.”
“Business to business — mixed monochrome and color.”
“Room for growth.”
“Not pushing.”
“Getting big.”
“It’s growing fast — Toners.”
“Key item.”
“We sell OEM.”
“Challenging.”
“Necessary.”
“Growing.”
“Large-format inkjet.”
“Our customers prefer the OEM color toner.”
“We manufacture pigment inkjet. It’s growing in this field significantly.”
“Sell raw materials into the color market.”
“Stable and growing.”
“Good.”
“(Color is) our strategy mainly.”
“Important.”
“1X increase in color cartridges each year.”
“Volume is growing monthly.”
“Still exploring.”
“Rechargers need to crack it.”
“We sell and refill all ink cartridges.”
Information & Analysis
When Memjet wasfirst displayed in March of 2007, it was accepted that
the super-fast color printing technology would eventually gain a sizable
share of the market.
As the technology is still waiting to be brought to market in 2009, what
portion the aftermarket might eventually gain was still very much
unclear.
One question concerned the refilling of the Memjet cartridges and what
impact that would have on the aftermarket.
Memjet has posted on its Web site that, “Ink cartridges sold by Memjet’s
OEM customers will be able to be refilled via an authorized refill process.
While we have not disclosed the details of this process, our intent is to
allow third parties to refill our home and office customer’s ink cartridges
through a common authorized process and business model that assures
great print quality and performance from our customers printer
devices.”
“This could be very significant,” said Robert Palmer, director of printer
research for InfoTrends’ office document technologies group. “Vendors
in the inkjet market today fight a continuous battle with aftermarket
cartridge suppliers and cartridge refillers. By designing its products so
that authorized refilling is possible, Memjet could effectively eliminate
Steve Hoffenberg, director,
consumer imaging research for
Lyra Research Inc. said,
“Memjet’s refilling process will
likely have a significant impact
on the aftermarket, roughly in
proportion to Memjet's market
share. That is given Memjet’s
plan for readily available low-
cost authorized refills, there will
be little or no aftermarket for
these printers.”
At press time, Memjet's host brands — Memjet Labels, Memjet Home and
Office, Memjet Photo Retail and Memjet Wide Format — were expecting
to make announcements separately this year about release dates with a
number of brand customers on the launch of products.
Memjet technology has promised to deliver letter-sized pages at 60 pages
per minute, way above the inkjet industry standard.
Kim Beswick, vice president of marketing for Memjet Home and Office,
has said that printers that could deliver 60 ppm would likely sell for $300
to $500.
Memjet will sell its components (including print heads, driver chips and
ink) to OEMs to install in their own printers.
Memjet Refills: What it Means for the AftermarketBy Recharger Staff
“Memjet's technology is indeed revolutionary in its design and potential
impact on the market,” Palmer said. “For some time, InfoTrends has
predicted a much broader expansion of ink-based technology into
general office applications. Our premise is based on some basic
principles: ink costs less than toner, the print quality that can
bedelivered is excellent, and the inkjet imaging requires fewer moving
parts compared with laser. We believe that ink-based technology offers
many variables to address the number-one barrier to increased color
penetration in the office: high-operating costs for color.”
The page-wide Memjet print head doesn’t move, unlike typical scanning
inkjet print heads, cutting down on noise. “One of its most significant
and underestimated aspects is that printers using it are extremely quiet,
which is likely to be especially attractive in small office and home
environments,” Hoffenberg said.
With its low-cost and high-speed capabilities, could Memjet technology
reshape the printing world landscape?
Bob Bloom, co-founder and vice president of INK & TONER USA, said,
“While Memjet may provide a powerful technology, OEMs offering
Memjet-based solutions should be aware of the increasing frustration
among users, both businesses and consumers, with the rapidly increasing
cost per page of printing — with decreasing cartridge ink levels coupled
with big price increases. Spurred by a strong desire to find cost-savings
along with a renewed environmental awareness, users willbe reluctant to
embrace yet another new technology that forces them to buy only ‘OEM-
approved’ supplies, unless they find the value proposition — from their
perspective, not the OEMs — to be extremely compelling.”
The Deadline for receiving
Advertisements &
Press releases
is 20th of preceding month.
Industry Briefing
APRIL 2009
41
Industry Briefing
APRIL 2009
44
Standardized Test Methods Committee (STMC) certification quietly
passed its 10th birthday recently, but was celebrated nonetheless as
remanufacturers in Argentina, the U.S., Japan, Mexico and even the
Ukraine achieved the distinction of becoming STMC certified in the
month of January alone.
And also in January, in Atlanta, the ASTM International F05
Committee on Business Imaging Products met to establish more of the
standardized test methods in use by the STMC, the aftermarket and
OEMs alike. For more than two decades, this committee has done the
heavy lifting when it comes to drafting, reviewing and passing test
methods.
ASTM International is an objective test method development
organization, and ASTM’s F05 Committee is chiefly responsible for
developing the test methods that are employed in the STMC guides.
Although just about every major remanufacturer on the planet is STMC
certified, new industry members are unfamiliar with STMC and the
ASTM and other test methods that make up the certification program.
STMC was established in 1999 to encourage and train companies to use
standardized test methods in the production of remanufactured
cartridges. The STMC developed and adopted the standards, and
compiled those tests to a guide that is used by monochrome toner
cartridge remanufacturers. STMC’s secondary mission is to educate end-
users or buyers as to what such testing means when purchasing
remanufactured cartridges. The committee has created a program that
Marking a MilestoneSTMC Certification: A Decade of Providing Proof of Superior Productsby Tricia Judge • International Imaging Technology Council
led to the certification of the companies that proved that they were
properly and consistently using the test methods.
STMC certification indicates that the company’s products — and the
company that produces them — are elite. The certification also generates
income, because premium products command premium prices; it says its
producers put quality first. Cheap products can’t compete.
It is fairly inexpensive to secure the certification. An investment of less
than $3,500, comprised of $2,500 in equipment and the traveling
expenses of a trainer, get a company started. After the company is trained
and its tests have been approved, the company pays an additional $1,000
to receive its certification and license to use the STMC logo on its
products for four years.
Securing the certification is a relatively easy process. There are four steps
each company must take to become an STMC Compliant Company:
Contact a certified trainer to set up the training. (The list of
trainers, equipment and standards are available at www.i-itc.org).
Get trained.
Worldwide Manufacturing E.D. celebrates achieving certification with its
STMC instructor Matthias Henze (left) at its Ukraine headquarters in January.
Be equipped.
Get certified.
Receive the STMC logo.
Before the trainer arrives, acquire the test methods and
read them, and make sure that the necessary training documents and
equipment are already on site. The required documents and equipment,
as well as sources for purchasing them, can be found at www.iitc.
org/stmequipment.htm.
The trainer will demonstrate and instruct the company’s
technicians on the proper use of the equipment and test methods. This
can take as little as a few hours to complete, depending on the
preparedness of those being trained. The company gets trained and
demonstrates it owns the correct test equipment.
The trainee submits a report to the trainer. If the trainer approves it, it is
sent on to the reviewers, Lester Cornelius and Dr. John Wyhof. If the
trainer or reviewer does not approve the report, additional explanation is
given to the company to correct the mistakes. The company remedies the
errors and the corrected report is approved by the reviewers. They send
an e-mail to the International Imaging Technology Council, notifying it
that the company has successfully achieved STMC compliance and
should receive its certification.
The company will also receive instructions on
how to use its logo and unique registration number. It must agree that it
will use the test methods routinely and to use the logo appropriately.
The company must also pay the $1,000 certification and license fee.
Certification is good for a four-year period, after which the company
must again submit a test and prove it has retained proficiency in STMC
testing and renew its certification and license.
Between 1997 and 1999, industry advocates pushed through new
legislation in several states that gave a preference to remanufactured
printer cartridges.
Although this was a great victory, it carried with it an unforeseen
consequence. Generally, government purchasing processes rely on a
“lowest bid” requirement. So the cheapest cartridge would be purchased,
and the buyers could be dissatisfied. All of the purchasing agencies in the
affected states had previous bad experiences with remanufactured
cartridges.
The legislators understood why remanufacturing was good, but the
purchasers’ experiences were all bad.
Like the test methods it employs, the STMC was developed carefully and
thoughtfully.
The idea for STMC started on a pier in Seattle at an ASTM meeting in
1998, when the participants asked that age old question, “what if…”
What if the industry had a battery of ASTM or other tests that allowed
remanufacturers of all sizes to compare their cartridges to those of any
other producer, including those of the OEMs.
Industry participants convened at the Rochester Institute of
Technology’s National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource
Recovery (RIT). It was fitting for the printer cartridge remanufacturing
industry to have its first effort at establishing quality assurance standards
at RIT. The Center’s director Dr. Nabil Nasr lent the facility’s resources
and expertise in helping form the STMC and the testing criteria it sought
to define.
Representatives from more than 40 companies attended that meeting.
The companies represented a balanced cross-section of the industry that
faced the challenge of what to do to elevate the industry’s quality and
image. At the culmination of the day’s events, a vote was taken to
establish a committee to find technically legitimate test methods for all to
use. The newly established Standardized Test Methods Committee was
formed, with Cornelius elected to chair the committee.
Joining Cornelius in test method leadership was Dr. Wyhof, who was the
chairman of the ASTM International F05 Committee on Business
Imaging Products. Dr. Wyhof and Cornelius created the draft that
subsequently became the STMC guide that is the blueprint for achieving
certification. These methods measure image density, background,
cartridge yield and package integrity.
The members of the STMC debated the guide and its test methods, but
The Genesis of Standardized Testing: It started with the law
swiftly and unanimously endorsed it for use by the industry. The STMC
Guide is available on the Int’l ITC Web site at www.i-itc.org.
In the beginning, only Dr. Wyhof and Cornelius trained companies. But
the demand for training quickly overwhelmed the two men. There are
now about a dozen authorized trainers, in addition to Dr. Wyhof and
Cornelius, who can train and certify companies. These trainers have to
prove their proficiency by regular training sessions.
In 2003, the members of the STMC voted to become affiliated with the
Int’l ITC. The move paved the way for the joint certification program for
standardized testing.
STMC in Color
At the Int’l ITC meeting in
2003, it was clear that the
STMC was meeting its
mandate in monochrome
laser products, but inkjet
business was exploding, and
there was no committee in
place to meet that demand.
When confronted with the
problem, Recharge
Technologies International’s
Marcel Kunz quickly rose to
the occasion and volunteered
to serve as the committee
chairman. Within six
months, the STMC
committee for inkjet had
been formed and its 20- plus
members were busy trying to
determine which tests were
needed to implement an
inkjet version of the STMC
guide.
Color imaging products — both ink and toner-based — offer a host of
problems that are not present with monochrome products, so the testing
protocol will be far more complicated to develop. ASTM Chairman Ray
Kifer of Ink Technology continues to labor to produce the needed inkjet
standardized tests.
Dr. Wyhof and Cornelius remain the only STMC program auditors.
They receive tests from recentlytrained companies to determine if they
understand how to properly implement STMC tests without the trainer
present. They also audit tests from companies whose certification has
expired.
As of today more than 120 companies have been STMC certified in
dozens of countries around the globe.
STMC testing occurs daily
at recognized industry companies
like InkCycle in Lenexa, Kan.
Industry Briefing
APRIL 2009
45
More than 10 more have been trained in the process of becoming
certified.
STMC testing was the first initiative to be accepted by the general public,
particularly by educated buyers from large institutions and the
government.
It would be five years before the OEMs started catching up with ISO test
methods that they endorsed.
The ISO test methods have largely been criticized for their complexity
and expense.
The OEMs have also released a number of so-called independent reports
assailing the quality of remanufactured cartridges. But STMC testing
and reports are being used to contradict those findings.
The STMC inkjet committee is grappling with the special problems inkjet testing presents.
The Outcome: States start buying cartridges based on quality
Texas became the first state to require any remanufacturing company that
wanted to enter a bid for government business to prove it was STMC
certified. The Texas Department of Transportation’s Recycling Services
Coordinator Sam Reyes wanted to get his state to use remanufactured
cartridges, but was aware of the negative reputation the products had
acquired.
Reyes started working with certified remanufacturers in the state of.
Texas to slowly reintroduce the cartridges to his offices. In 2000, TxDOT
awarded its first remanufactured cartridge contract (10 products) for
Austin area offices. City by city and agency by agency, Texas started
buying an increasing number of STMC certified remanufactured
cartridges.
And as the program — and purchases — grew, so did the popularity of the
program. Reyes and his associates annually review the specifications for
technology updates and departmental needs.
TxDOT’s specifications now require “cartridge quality criteria to meet or
exceed the cartridge industry standards adopted by the Standardized Test
Methods Committee (STMC), or the latest guidelines adopted by the
ASTM International for remanufactured toner cartridges,” and that
each “vendor shall employ a minimum of one individual who has
completed the current STMC certification training.”
TxDOT may be a pioneer, but it has lots of company now. Purchasing
agencies in many federal agencies, states, cities and municipalities have
incorporated STMC certification into their bid requirements.
The Int’l ITC averages 10 calls per week by customers, institutional and
government buyers regarding STMC certification. Most of these are
from first-time buyers looking to buy STMC certified cartridges.
For more information, call the Int'l ITC at 702-838-
4279 or visit www.i-itc.org.
Tricia Judge is the executive director of the
International Imaging Technology Council. She may
be reached at [email protected].
The Deadline for receiving
Advertisements &
Press releases
is 20th of preceding month.
Industry Briefing
APRIL 2009
48
Classified Advertising
This space could be yours for
Rs. 999/- only
This space could be yours for
Rs. 1998/- only
Buy & Sell Empty Cartridges
Buy & Sell Old Printers
Register for World Expo
Contact : 98807 18834Contact : 011-2688 5522
Contact : 080-23312014
Contact : 080-23312014Contact : 99009 56802
Classified Advertising
This space could be yours for
Rs. 1998/- only
Contact : 080-23312014
Register for World Expo
Buy & Sell Empty Cartridges
Finished Toners
Available
New Cartridges
Available
Contact : 98807 18836
Contact : 080-6450 9704
Contact : 080-6453 2241 Contact : 011-2688 5522
APRIL 2009
51
Advertiser Index
Company Name Page
Atta 33Ph: +86 27 87876887E-mail: [email protected]: www.atta.com.cn
Future Graphics 1,38,39Tel: 0 22-28245629Fax:0 22-28244590
Indian Toners & Developers Ltd. 12Ph: +91 5960 228148Fax: +91 5960 228175 E-mail: [email protected]: www. indiantoners.com
ITONE Inc. 9Phone : +91 22 24229166E-mail : [email protected]
Indrayani Sales Pvt. Ltd. 29,30Tel : +91-22 4040 4040Fax : +91- 22 4040 4242E-mail: [email protected]:
OPC Technology Japan Pvt. Ltd. 26Ph: +91 120 2341892 Fax: +91 120 2341887E-mail:[email protected]: www.opcdrumsindia.com
UniNet Imaging Inc. 3,5,46,47Ph: +1 310 280 9620Fax: +1 310 838 7294
World Expo 15,19,23,36Ph: 800 280 6218Fax: 541 346 3545Web: http://worldexpo.rechargermag.com
E-Mail:[email protected]
www.printindia.com
www.uninetimaging.com
Static Control Components 42,43Tel: +44 118 923 8800Fax: +44 118 923 8811Email: [email protected]: scceurope.co.uk
Web:
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