Reliability of Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c Drives New Approach to Service

“This new offering reduces the cost per thousand on the machine.”

Nearly everyone who has invested in inkjet technology for a commercial, in-plant, or direct mail printing business, when asked about the technology's transformative benefits, singles out the same key benefit: reliability. From that core word come other benefits—consistent color, astounding uptime, and a significantly minimized need for service or repair. It does what it is designed to do.

When the team at Kyocera Document Solutions released the TASKalfa Pro 15000c in 2020, they believed the unit could produce a million impressions before it needed periodic service—a strong claim and a strong expectation. However, according to Fred Morrone, senior manager of production inkjet with Kyocera, feedback from users and data gleaned from the machines being used led them to conclude that that number should be “upped” to three million. “I’ve been working in this space for 30 years,” he adds, “and I’ve never seen a machine this reliable before.”

A New Service Approach

In response to the reliability of the TASKalfa Pro 15000c in the field, Kyocera has announced a new approach to equipment service because the models for needed service have been transformed. Morrone says the new service plan they will offer is in response to two things customers kept telling them about their experience—the 15000C is more reliable than any digital press they’ve ever owned. They only need to occasionally access service to ensure the machine stays in peak operating condition. Customers who still desire the security of full service will have that, as not everyone is prepared to take on the added responsibilities for first-level troubleshooting and fixes. In the more flexible service model, the print operation will be fully trained to provide nearly all the on-site service on the machine. “We want to be able to make sure we offer service that fits with how our customers work,” Morrone shares. “With the TASKalfa Pro 15000c, we are able to offer service differently.”

About his experience using the TASKalfa Pro 15000c, Jon Dalton, lead printer at My Father’s World, says, “The Kyocera has a lot less parts that wear out or can break or have issues … There’s not so much to wear out. It has saved a lot of downtime.”

For PSPs accustomed to working in a toner-based printing environment, this new service structure may seem like a leap of faith—an exceptional belief in the reliability of inkjet. That said, Morrone clarifies that it is based on actual production experience. He shares that one TASKalfa Pro 15000c user has reported 17 million impressions on the machine without needing a service call and is achieving 96% uptime—that’s reliability. Morrone adds that the unit in the Kyocera demo center was last calibrated 15 months ago and continues to produce exceptional quality. “The machine is rock-solid,” Morrone says. “If you’re in an environment where the substrate is stable, the print quality never shifts.”

How It Works

For users who wish to receive the type of “white glove” equipment service Kyocera customers are accustomed to, it is still available but at a higher price. For those customers who wish to take stronger control, Kyocera will provide training that enables them to service their TASKalfa Pro 15000c themselves. This approach minimizes the “spend” of a service plan and ensures the machine is quickly back up and running when routine service is performed—no need to schedule a needed service visit. In automotive terms, this is like having a Ferrari and the knowledge and skills to keep its performance on point. “Not all systems can be serviced this way,” Morrone says, “it is largely driven by the technology.”

Simpler document flow leads directly to more reliable operation. | Credit: Kyocera Document Solutions

To start, service training will be provided directly by Kyocera engineers who have spent years on the device. The advanced service training, which gives PSPs the skills to perform almost all service activities, takes place over three to five days. To augment the expertise that is instilled through the training, the customer will select a plan with a pre-determined number of visits throughout the year—often timed just before peak production periods or possibly during planned slowdowns.

While self-service has many benefits, Morrone highlights its quick cost savings. “It lessens downtime, and intervention is done much more quickly. Nothing frustrates digital press operators more than waiting for a service technician to come fix something that they know they could do themselves. To be able to let them handle it themselves is invaluable!”

Based On Inspiration

Asked what inspired this new approach to equipment service, Morrone said it was what customers wanted. Before committing to it, however, Kyocera tasked its service team to evaluate the levels of parts replacements and service calls, “we realized this was something we could easily enable and that it would be a winning choice for them.” This new move, he adds, is rooted in user experience and inspired by the simplicity and reliability of inkjet printing. “We were able to track what was going on in service and saw this this new approach can work. This is not a service model you even consider with toner-based devices. Often, this is because the cost of the replacement parts can be extraordinary, and the OEM doesn’t want to put this decision in the hands of the operator. But for the 15000C, this is something based firmly on the reliability of inkjet.”

It seems that the reliability of the TASKalfa Pro 15000c is contagious. Morrone shares that PSPs that purchase one machine often purchase more once they realize what a robust production machine it is and what a profound change it can bring.

TASKalfa Pro 15000c user Michael Willis, vice president of Brio Direct, spoke of the reliability of his systems, “We were told that once we put it on the floor, we would see a substantial shift from toner to inkjet … We have shifted so much work from toner to inkjet … 80% has shifted to inkjet. [We now] have three of them.”

For more information on the money-saving, production-based benefits of the Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c and Kyocera’s new approach to its service, visit kyoceradocumentsolutions.us