In response to significantly increased volumes of direct-to-board UV LED inkjet digital production on the award-winning EFI Nozomi C18000 corrugated printing platform, Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has significantly enhanced its Nozomi Digital Solutions Program of professional services for the Americas.
As a result, customers can more effectively and more profitably participate in the rapid analog-to-digital printing transformation occurring in the corrugated space.
EFI’s corrugated inkjet training and support capabilities for the Americas are now based out of the company’s Londonderry, New Hampshire, Customer Experience Center. The new capabilities are integrated in an enhanced program of professional services launching along with the company’s second-generation single-pass corrugated solution, the Nozomi C18000 Plus printer.
EFI has taken learnings from the past three years supporting customers in the field to strengthen its Digital Solutions Program, which will provide improved remote support, including the use of augmented reality, to deliver faster, effective service that can lead to maximum uptime and productivity. The company’s robust service offerings for single-pass inkjet corrugated digital printing also leverage EFI’s successful legacy and ingrained successes helping customers in the commercial printing, display graphics signage and other markets grow through the transition from analog to digital print.
“There is exciting momentum in the corrugated market as digital becomes a critical path for production. EFI customers have experienced truly remarkable growth with their Nozomi printers – print volumes on a per-machine basis are up 40% year over year for our customers across the globe,” said Scott Schinlever, chief operating officer, Inkjet, EFI. “Our continued focus on robust support will help further ensure our customers’ success in the analog-to-digital printing transition using their important single-pass printing investments.”
Increased remote support capabilities and an emphasis on enhancing support staff skills have taken EFI Nozomi service capabilities to a new, higher level. While these capabilities address many of the travel issues created by the pandemic, a reduction in service technician travel – combined with an even stronger, technology-assisted emphasis on clear communication – can also lead to faster resolutions for issues and reduced machine downtime. New remote solutions for EFI Nozomi users include innovative data and intelligence offerings centered around the EFI IQ cloud platform integrated with Nozomi printers’ EFI Fiery digital front ends (DFEs).
EFI’s technical leadership know-how in the corrugated space extends even further beyond printing platforms. In addition to EFI Fiery DFE technology, the company delivers leading, comprehensive, end-to-end workflows in corrugated business and production management with solutions such as EFI Escada corrugator control systems, EFI MarketDirect PackCentral for online 3D packaging visualizations and order procurement, and the EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite solution featuring world-class corrugated business system and manufacturing execution system technologies.
Stronger field expertise, more coaching and mentoring
Specifically designed to ensure maximum uptime for customers, the expanded Nozomi Digital Solutions Program also includes more resources for on-site application support and proactive, preventive maintenance. Customers are gaining around-the-clock technical support for Nozomi printers through factory-trained expert technicians – part of a service expansion across EFI that leverages and increases the industry-leading digital expertise of the company’s field service professionals in North and South America.
These enhancements deliver more personal attention, coaching and mentoring, as well as customized maintenance plans customers have requested to take their corrugated businesses into the future. Services provided by EFI customer success managers, along with valuable coaching and mentoring services for EFI Nozomi users, go well beyond a single training session, establishing a consultative relationship that not only reduces the learning curve to operate the printer, but also increases users’ ability to successfully adopt a successful digital production business model.
EFI is also adding more parts and technical resource capabilities for the Nozomi product line and for EFI’s extensive range of display graphics production printers. And, on top of the company’s robust parts operation, EFI is also committed to further maximizing Nozomi customers’ uptime through its world-class supplies operation for the Americas, with ready availability and fast delivery on primers and inks.
“Digital is creating a new paradigm for the future of corrugated manufacturing with its ability to support the faster turnaround times and package versioning that are essential in today’s consumer-oriented eCommerce market,” said Geoff Loftus, vice president of global inkjet service, EFI. “Our customers require superior image quality, lower waste, streamlined supply chains and robust reliability. To meet the demands of the day, our dedicated, and growing, service operations team is committed to delivering even faster, more-effective solutions and improved uptime and throughput. Our service enhancements – from even better in-person installation and support, to innovative cloud and remote support offerings – will help customers continue to build their digital output by leaps and bounds each month with their EFI Nozomi printers.”
New Nozomi printer at EFI’s Customer Experience Center
Along with its service investments for current corrugated packaging and display production customers, prospective Nozomi users will have the opportunity to evaluate this groundbreaking, ultra-high-speed print technology in person following a new Nozomi printer installation taking place at EFI’s Americas Customer Experience Center in Londonderry, N.H.
The printer installation is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2021. Following the installation, in-person visits to the Customer Experience Center will be held in accordance with local regulations and social distancing guidelines. Prospective Nozomi users will have the ability to run test files and see production capabilities firsthand in consultation with leading technical experts from EFI.
Prior to the Nozomi printer installation in New Hampshire, EFI is also unveiling an online digital viewing experience of the new EFI Nozomi C18000 Plus printer at the upcoming EFI Engage virtual event, scheduled for January 25 through February 5, 2021. The new online viewing capability for the recently launched solution follows EFI’s work creating the first-ever VR experience for a single-pass digital corrugated printer, an innovation the company has shown at numerous tradeshows worldwide.
Along with the market’s leading single-pass inkjet, direct-to-board production technology, EFI has a complete ecosystem for corrugated manufacturing, with leading edge inks, Fiery DFE solutions and a complete EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite business and production management workflow.
