Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd. Announces the “M2COA” series, an automated package system for printing custom goods and industrial products that reduces operator work time by 90% with the introduction of Arm Robo

https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/it_policy/investment/dgc/dgc2.pdf) By promoting DX, it is essential for the sustainability of each company to solve problems such as labor shortages, rising labor costs, and production efficiency, and gain an advantage over competitors. As a manufacturer of industrial printers, by commercializing our automated packaging system, we will provide the following benefits to customers who are promoting DX in their industrial printing processes. 1. Improving the efficiency of cooperative operations among printers, RIP (output image data conversion processing software), and robots 2. Providing prompt after-sales service by unifying these maintenance support points.
3. Reduce implementation costs by selling standard packaged products The “M2COA” announced this time is a printing process automation system that uses a “collaborative robot”*1 that works in conjunction with up to three printers to automatically place, print, and collect media. By automating simple media placement work, the operator’s work time in the printing process can be reduced by approximately 90%*2, and it can also handle post-processing and quality inspection tasks that are difficult to automate, resolving labor shortages.
Additionally, unmanned operation is possible, increasing daily production by approximately 20%*3.
Furthermore, in preparation for the shortage of IT personnel, which tends to become a bottleneck in DX conversion, “M2COA” is a packaged product that can be installed and relocated without the need for a specialist such as a system integrator (SIer). Our service network provides consistent support regardless of location, from installation to operator training, periodic inspections, and post-installation relocation. System operations are instructed using the dedicated control software “M2COA PROCESS,” and the printer, robot, and RIP work together, so it can be operated without advanced software knowledge. *1 Collaborative robot: A robot that is designed to work together with people while sharing the same space, and does not need to be isolated with a safety fence because it can ensure safety even if it comes into contact with people.
*2 Compared to the previous model, where media placement and collection for three printers was done manually for 8 hours a day, M2COA now only requires manual work to set media in the supply stocker (30 minutes per session, 1 hour per day). required, and the work time is reduced to one-eighth.
*3 In the printing process of 2 A3 sheets with 3 printers, manual production can produce 268 sheets/day in 8 hours of operation, whereas M2COA can produce 320 sheets/day in 11 hours of continuous operation (supply stocker The media must be set by the worker during working hours)
The price of “M2COA” is 9.35 million yen (tax included. Printer sold separately) per unit, and we expect to sell 30 units per year in Japan.
At Mimaki Engineering, our management vision is “Newness and Difference,” and we will always aim for new technological innovations and continue to pursue the “beauty and speed” that our customers desire.
◎Summary of this press release
1. Sales of “M2COA”, an automated packaging system for printing custom goods and industrial products that automates the media setting of up to three of our UV printers, will begin in late December 2023. 2. By adopting a “collaborative robot,” the operator’s work time during the printing process has been reduced by approximately 90% (1/8th compared to conventional methods). Additionally, unmanned operation increases daily production by approximately 20%.
3. Can be installed without a specialist. Our network provides consistent support from installation, periodic inspections, and relocation.
◎Features of M2COA
1. Eliminate labor shortages and improve productivity by reducing labor and making the printing process unmanned.
-By linking with up to 3 printers and automatically placing and collecting media, it is possible to increase the number of printers each worker is responsible for (labor saving) and to enable automatic production through unmanned operation (unmanned).
2. Automatic robot that does not require isolation with safety fences 　　　　-An automated system that uses “collaborative robots” to ensure safety even when they come into contact with workers.
3. Flexible support for various installation environments
　　　1) No need for SIer (system integrator). System package that can be delivered and installed only by service personnel
2) The installation location can be changed within the robot’s movable range. 4. Easy operation with one control software
5. Our print quality stabilization function provides stable quality even during automatic production.
-Achieve stable automatic production quality with the automatic nozzle check function and nozzle recovery function installed in our printers ◎Main specifications
[Image 3