Zunoma

Kyocera’s flagship production printer helps world leading security printing customer meet growing demand for high-volume colour, while meeting a key company goal to reduce environmental impact.

About the customer

Zunoma is a privately owned print security and direct mail firm based in Eastbourne, working across a wide range of sectors including local and national government, retail, education and finance. Zunoma offer secure print solutions to their partners in the UK, Africa, Middle East and South East Asia.

The company traces its origins back to 1845, building up a reputation over the years for using innovative print technologies to combat forgery and counterfeiting. Its services cover requirements such as exam board certificates, gift vouchers, secure financial documents and variable data personalisation for direct mail campaigns.

Today they are recognised specialists in the protection of data; their motto - ‘Safe in our Hands’.

The challenge.

Previously, Zunoma’s print requirements were carried out by a combination of laser monochrome and full-colour devices, requiring a closer balance of work loading.

An increasing demand for colour printing and high-volume direct mail was putting pressure on the company’s existing devices, limiting turn around times and leaving no room for further growth.

Zunoma’s incumbent machinery was approaching the end of its life, so the company was in need of new print hardware that could improve fast turn around times, lower running and power costs, and deliver better reliability, all without compromising on quality.

Crucially, Zunoma are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and have a clear strategic plan in place to minimise their environmental impact that extends to the adoption of new and replacement technologies.

Balancing improved performance with sustainability considerations is a major challenge for any print business, but Zunoma is an ambitious company with aspirational goals to fulfil. Following our initial conversations with the team, it was clear that their previous device didn’t offer the level of performance or green credentials that the company was looking for, so a change needed to be made.

The solution

To define the best solution, Zunoma contacted Kyocera to discuss its challenges and assess viable options. Printing some work on continuous feed inkjets was considered but this led to bottle necks in finishing, so a cut-sheet option was considered the most suitable.

The decision-making process was stringent and required accurate proof testing. This involved Zunoma staff visiting Kyocera’s offices in Reading to test devices with a range of stocks and files. All output and cost implications were discussed at board level before a unanimous decision was made, with the standout choice being Kyocera’s new inkjet cut-sheet production printer - the TASKalfa Pro 15000c.

Why Kyocera?

The TASKalfa Pro 15000c promised to meet Zunoma’s requirements in terms of productivity, ease of use, lowering business costs and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Kyocera explained the cost model and within ten minutes of the demonstration starting Zunoma were convinced.

Kyocera’s Inkjet technology delivers a major benefit which boosts Zunoma’s green credentials. Inkjet means none of the high temperatures associated with fusing are needed. Plus, it uses water based inks and draws just 3.5kW/hr running from three-pin plugs on a 13-amp circuit.

This results in considerable energy savings as the TASKalfa Pro is estimated to use 70% less power than comparable toner and legacy equipment.

Dinah Ouzman: "We chose the Kyocera because it ticked all the boxes. Output speed and reliability played a big part, but just as important was Kyocera's track record in terms of sustainability."

The results

The TASKalfa Pro has been instrumental in helping Zunoma cope with increased demand, by delivering greater capacity for full-colour print jobs and offering more output options from a single device. This has helped increase print efficiency and ensures Zunoma can better serve its existing customers, while opening up the possibility of expansion into new markets.

One year on from deployment Zunoma report that the Kyocera’s TASKalfa Pro 15000c is highly dependable. The investment makes Zunoma more efficient and able to tackle different types of work.

Dinah Ouzman: “The Kyocera is almost silent and can be left alone to run. It behaves impeccably, more so than its more mature neighbours. Operation is through a Fiery Rip which has made it simple for staff to adapt to the new device."

"We print certificates, election forms and financial payment letters and we’re already growing the areas of work that the TASKalfa supports, such as highlight colour direct mail applications."

Customer Testimonial

Dinah Ouzman, Director of Strategy & Product Development, Zunoma.

“The speed and reliability of the Kyocera has exceeded our expectations, and we now have a much more efficient workflow. This means we can provide better value for our customers, as well as offset some of our paper costs – which is a major challenge for us on a daily basis.

“The TASKalfa Pro 15000c is on its own in terms of its environmental credentials. We’re pleased to have a device on our production floor that is built and managed with green considerations at its heart, as it aligns well with our efforts to become a more sustainable organisation overall. This will be essential to our growth as a business in the coming years.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Kyocera on this project, and we look forward to making the most of the TASKalfa Pro as we expand our operations and customer base further.”