The $24 million factory fills 10,000 square feet of previously unused space on the company’s campus outside of Portland, Ore., USA, and expands Xerox’s production of solid ink by 10 times. Over time, as the plant reaches full capacity, Xerox expects to add 20 employees; about 75 employees work at the factory now.
The new plant will produce Xerox’s latest generation of solid ink, which first became available in September when Xerox launched its Phaser 8860 colour printer and the Phaser 8860MFP colour multifunction printer. . These products feature a breakthrough in solid ink technology that for the first time makes colour printing as affordable as black and white. Nearly five years in development, the new crayon-like ink sticks have been developed to last longer than ever before. By increasing the total number of colour pages the ink sticks produce, Xerox has drastically reduced the price of colour printing. When comparing the cost of the device and the ink, printing on the Phaser 8860 is two times less expensive than using equivalent laser printers from other manufacturers.
The ink sticks also produce 90 percent less waste than comparable colour laser products and were designed to melt at a lower temperature, reducing energy consumption by 14 percent.
“Xerox has redefined colour printing with the advancements we’ve made in solid ink,” said Jim Rise, vice president and general manager of the Solid Ink Business Unit. “Known for its exceptional image quality and ability to print vibrant colours, solid ink was initially the preferred technology for graphic artists. Now, we’ve taken it to a level where solid ink is the affordable, easy to use colour printer for businesses of any sort and size. That’s why we’re investing in this new factory; our success in solid ink is really just getting started.”
The plant follows Xerox’s opening in September of a $60 million emulsion aggregation (EA) toner plant near Rochester, New York. EA toner produces sharper images than traditional laser printer toner, and uses less toner per page.
Xerox has 1,600 employees on its Wilsonville campus, which is the centre of development for solid ink technology. A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony was held today to mark the opening of the new factory.
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About Xerox Europe
Xerox Europe, the European operations of Xerox Corporation, markets a comprehensive range of Xerox products, solutions and services, as well as associated supplies and software. Its offerings are focused on three main areas: offices from small to large, production print and graphic arts environments, and services that include consulting, systems design and management, and document outsourcing.
Xerox Europe also has manufacturing and logistics operations in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands, and a research and development facility (Xerox Research Centre Europe) in Grenoble, France. For more information visit, www.xerox.com
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Media Contacts:
Kevin Perlmutter, Xerox Europe, tel: +44 (0) 1895 845 219, email: kevin.perlmutter@xerox.com