OEM ink prices rising as much as 30 percent

May 17, 2012

Lexmark and Kodak identified as the highest offenders as an on-going study reveals ink prices are escalated above the inflation rate.

An on-going study conducted by technology website PCWorld has revealed that OEM ink prices have risen by as much as 30 percent since 2009. Lexmark and Kodak prices have increased the most, although Epson and HP have begun following similar hikes with the release of newer models.

Staff writer Melissa Riofrio remarks on first noticing the change, approximately eight months ago, and on the selectiveness of the increase: “Some inks went up; others stayed the same; and one even dipped slightly”.

Lexmark are cited as the greatest offenders, with the basic Black Return Program Ink Cartridge rising from $16 (€12.57) in 2009 to $19 (€14.92) in 2012. However the page yield did not improve and the cost per page rose from an already absurd 9.4 cents (7.3 eurocents) in 2009 to 11.2 cents (8.8 eurocents).

Although Kodak inks are among the cheapest available among OEM brands, Riofrio states that Kodak’s ink also increased by the widest margin. While the 30XL high-yield colour cartridge’s cost per page increased by 4.8 percent, all others rose from 11.6 to 30 percent. In particular, the 10B and 30 black cartridges increased by 29 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

Epson inks maintained a steadier increase compared with most, with all black ink prices increasing from four to five percent, and cost per page for colour inks up by between 10 and 12.5 percent.

HP inks displayed more erratic pricing structure, with Riofrio identifying a trend: “The prices of its ink cartridges tend to remain steady over time. I noticed, however, that when a new printer model replaced an old one, the new one often used a different type of cartridge – and the new cartridges cost a little more.

“In other instances, the new printer model’s cartridge cost the same as the older one’s cartridges, but the yield changes – sometimes for the worse”.

Riofrio states that she lacked sufficient data for Brother and Dell, with Brother’s inks sold via third parties and Dell’s prices “seem to be stable” but “tend to be among the priciest in cost per page”.

The trend signifies a worrying pattern for consumers, with the vast majority of OEM ink prices increasing above the seven percent rise in inflation rate since 2009.

Riofrio closes: “Regardless of which printer you own, it never hurts to shop around for the lowest-cost source for replacement inks – which may not be the printer vendor’s own web store”, and recommends refilled and remanufactured inks as a possible alternative.

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Tags : Market Data OEM Retail

ARMOR Group to create environmental impact framework

May 16, 2012

OEMs to collaborate with French remanufacturer on environmental guidelines.

ARMOR has announced that it has been requested to create a “methodological” framework to calculate the environmental impact caused by the production and usage of printer cartridges. This follows the announcement of the French remanufacturing group as the sole representative of the printing consumables sector in a framework accord with the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing in late 2011,

The framework will cover the impact of laser, remanufactured inkjet and new compatible inkjet cartridges.

ARMOR will be collaborating with all OEMs based in France during the production of the framework, although is set to be working closely with HP, Brother, Lexmark and Sagem.

Régis Thébaud, Operation Director, ARMOR Group, spoke with The Recycler on the remanufacturer’s involvement: “ARMOR wants to be the leader in France for sustainable development. Therefore, we wanted to take part in the experimentation of environmental impacts. ARMOR has much experience in ecolabelling for laser cartridges and, moreover, we already made a life cycle analysis in 2010.

“One of our main objectives as remanufacturers is to defend the reuse of the cartridges, and show a low environmental impact for our products versus OEM. It is very important to propose to the consumer a new choice for its buying: on price, on quality, and on the environmental impact.”

ARMOR is set to launch a customer survey to gauge public opinion regarding its current environmental labelling. The results of the framework are planned for presentation in September 2012.

The framework is set to become the standard for the French printer consumables sector following presentation to AFNOR/ADEME (French Standards Agency, and French Agency for Environment and Energy Management).

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Tags : ARMOR France Remanufacturing

HP opens technology renewal centre in Scotland

May 15, 2012

The Erskine centre is the second global centre to be opened by HP for the processing and renewal of their customers IT equipment.  The facility has created jobs for former employees at the Erskine site that used to build enterprise servers in Scotland.  In the current format the facility is tackling  60,000 PC’s and up to 100,000 “Enterprise” components a month at the Erkine facility. 

The OEM’s announcement stated that the centre will enable its customers to “acquire certified legacy HP products and participate in equipment reuse programmes”, and even notes that this will apply to any equipment type or manufacturer.

The facility will be operated by the OEM’s Financial Services subsidiary, and with a size of 8,400 square metres, it will provide international and European customers with its reuse services. HP added that the centre will also “help reduce potential e-waste by renewing older IT equipment”.

The renewal process includes “reconditioning, testing and certifying” products to their original manufacturing standards, before they are then resold. The OEM notes that the renewal service is a “key component” of the facility, and adds that any technology that cannot be renewed will be dismantled for parts to be reused.

Jim O’ Grady, Director of Global Asset Management for HP Financial Services, stated: “HP Financial Services manages and remarkets more than 2.3 million legacy IT assets each year.

“Equipped to handle the strategic requirements of enterprises large and small, the Erskine facility will enable HP Financial Services to significantly expand the global capabilities, asset management and recycling services we provide our customers.”

HP customer Paul Sadler, Service Delivery Manager in the Education Department for the States of Guernsey Government, added: “HP has full responsibility for the equipment that we take out of service.

“Without HP’s help, we would have to pay to store our decommissioned equipment.”

The Recycler’s editor David Connett spent the day at the facility and you will be able to read his report in the next issue of the magazine.

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Tags : Environment HP Technology

UTec warns Inkpool is not an “authorized” Print-Rite distributor

May 11, 2012

The aftermarket company sent out an official announcement stating it is not affiliated with distributor Inkpool, which has claimed to be a distributor of UTec and Print-Rite products.

The announcement, sent on behalf of UTec by its General Manager Iris Ngo, states that the company has “recently become aware” of Inkpool’s “unauthorized” claim to be “a global distributor of Print-Rite brand compatible inkjet cartridges”.

UTec, the only authorized “master distributor” of Print-Rite products, informs that it has “never appointed, authorized or granted any license to a company named or affiliated with “Inkpool” to market or distribute Print-Rite” products.

The announcement continues by adding that UTec “disclaims, and shall not be liable for, any liabilities, claims, damages or demands of any kind” that arise from the sale of products by Inkpool that it claims are Print-Rite products. The company notes that in turn it is not responsible for “infringement of proprietary or intellectual property rights of any third parties by products sold or distributed by Inkpool”.

UTec stated that it welcomes information specifically relating to communication from Inkpool in which the distributor “represents itself to be an authorized distributor”, and added that it “reserve[s]” the “absolute right” to take legal action against companies that “misappropriate or infringe the Print-Rite trademark”.

If you have been privy to any communication from Inkpool, let UTec know by contacting them at info@utec.com.

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Tags : Legal Print-Rite UTec

Settlement, further developments in Canon patent case

May 11, 2012

SupplyBuy.com becomes the fourth company to agree a settlement with the OEM over the case of toner cartridge gear patent infringement, whilst other case developments emerge.

The OEM announced that SupplyBuy.com had agreed to a “Consent Judgement and Permanent Injunction” as per previous settlements, whereby the company is prohibited from “making, using, selling and offering for sale in the US, and from importing into the US, these photosensitive drums”.

SupplyBuy.com’s website states that it was “founded in 2009 with the goal of becoming an online supply superstore”, with stock of over 100,000 office supplies, along with furniture and other technology products.

Another company aiming to terminate its involvement, Virtual Imaging Products, saw opposition from the OEM earlier this month, with Canon stating that it believes the company’s stipulation “fails to comply with the commission’s rules […] includes impermissible qualifying statements [and] does not admit all jurisdictional facts”, whilst adding that the company’s consent order “is ambiguous, making entry thereof against the public interest”.

The commission in turn has denied Virtual Imaging Products’ motion, meaning that the company is still a defendant in the case. Meanwhile, deadlines have been set and released for the multiple facets of the case itself by the USITC, running from meetings of all parties in May and June 2012 all the way until the target date of completion on June 28 2013.

The latest settlement comes after OnlineTechStores.com settled with the OEM last week, and follows the earlier agreements with Do It Wiser and Imaging Resources earlier this year. The case, most notably involving industry company Clover, was started in January and soon after saw a rebuttal from Clover in relation to the allegations of patent infringement.

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Tags : Canon Legal North America

Cartridge retailer claims cartridges and contents “getting smaller”

May 10, 2012

HPinkcartridges.co.uk has found that HP’s inkjet sponges have halved in size in the past two years, and claims “all manufacturers are the same”.

The site warned that “if you own a printer you might want to take a moment and read” its report as their findings have shown that “over the last few years printer cartridges and their contents have been getting smaller”, with photographic evidence of their claims showing the sponges in HP inkjet cartridges halving in size over the past two years.

The site’s writer “started with an HP 350 ink cartridge” manufactured in January 2010, and stated for posterity that there is “nothing particular about HP as all manufacturers are doing the same thing”, as well as noting that the cartridges chosen were “low user cartridges”.

After removing the top of the cartridge with a saw, the writer found that the hydrophobic sponge “fills the cartridge totally”, but when looking at another 350 cartridge manufactured in 2012, stated that “to be totally honest I could not believe what I was looking at – the hydrophobic sponge inside the 2012 cartridge is only half the size!”

For further analysis the writer took another HP cartridge, this time a 301 model also manufactured in 2012, and found that the sponge was “almost 40 percent smaller” than the 350 manufactured this year. The writer’s view is that “we are actually getting less ink for our money now than ever before”, and notes that “the price isn’t shrinking” despite the sponges noticeably diminishing in size.

The story and analysis has already garnered interest across the world online, with BoingBoing.net and Business Insider reporting on the site’s findings. Business Insider commented that this appears to be “one crummy way for HP to save its printer business”.

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Tags : HP Inkjet

Cartridge World North America to sell printers

May 9, 2012

The franchise’s US and Canadian stores will now sell printers alongside its remanufactured and refilled cartridges, calling it a “natural addition” to its product lines.

A press release from the company noted that “to better serve business customers, Cartridge World has added printers” to its range of products. Models from HP and Canon will be sold through and displayed in Cartridge World franchises across the USA and Canada, in the franchise’s 600 stores.

The printers will be available either for sale or for loan from the company, in what it calls a “new printer loaner programme”. Cartridge World added that the decision was taken in order to “expand its offerings for its business customers” across North America.

The loan programme also features a new promotion, “Switch & Save”, in which business customers can qualify for a free loaned printer when they sign a 12 month agreement of service with Cartridge World, as well as ensuring that they purchase consumables only from the franchise. Business customers will also be able to receive a free printer if they buy 24 cartridges in store.

Frank Case, President of Cartridge World North America, stated: “Cartridge World is always looking for ways to expand service to our customers, and printers are a perfect complement to the printer cartridges we already offer.

“Our goal is to provide a one-stop shop for our customers’ printing needs. In addition to selling printers, many stores offer printer maintenance and recycling services, too.”

The US subsidiary of the global franchise recently awarded schools across the country with cash rewards to help buy new technology for classrooms.

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Tags : Cartridge World North America Retail

Silverbrook and Memjet reach agreement

May 8, 2012

The inventor of the Memjet technology, Kia Silverbrook, has settled a legal claim with the company manufacturing the technology.

Silverbrook’s company Silverbrook Research stated that the agreement was reached in order to “enable the continued commercialization of Memjet’s revolutionary colour printing technology”, with settlements made in legal battles taking place in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Oklahoma in the United States, and all legal claims withdrawn.

Another aspect of the agreement will see the Memjet company assume “direct ownership and control” of the intellectual property pertaining to the Memjet devices, which numbers around 4,000 issued and pending patents internationally. The patents were previously held by Silverbook, who Memjet notes is “one of the world’s most prolific inventors”.

Memjet will also take over the research, development and commercialisation pertaining to Memjet, which Silverbrook Research was responsible for. Silverbrook himself will also continue in a role with Memjet as a special advisor to the company’s board of directors, as well as remaining an ongoing consultant to Memjet. His aim will now be to focus on other technologies he has invented over the last 12 years.

Silverbrook stated of the settlement: “I am pleased that agreement has been reached  which clears the way for the ongoing  development of the ground-breaking Memjet technology.” 

The legal case came to light after investors in the Memjet technology brought a case against Silverbrook earlier this year, with Silverbrook’s witness statement to the British High Court sparking concerns over Memjet’s future. The company however announced a series of new deals with OEMs including Oce and Toshiba at this year’s drupa tradeshow.

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Tags : Kia Silverbrook Legal Memjet

New standards for remanufactured cartridges drafted in Germany

May 4, 2012

The German Institute for Standardization (DIN) has drafted standards for inkjet and toner cartridges, offering a new standard for remanufacturers in Europe.

The two standards, one each covering inkjet and toner cartridges respectively, are designed to cover quality, requirements, and processes of the remanufacturing or refilling of both types of cartridge.

Toner cartridges

The DIN 33870-1 standard covering toner cartridges specifies “quality requirements for refilled toner modules and gives the minimum requirements to maintain printing quality and ensure trouble-free functioning”.

This draft is officially named “Office machines – Requirements and tests for the preparation of refilled toner modules for electrophotographical printers, copiers and facsimile machines”, and is based on tests comparing original and remanufactured toner cartridges.

The first part of the standard is focused on monochrome, with a second part due later in the year as another draft. The standard is “aimed at companies that refill and sell toner modules” with the express notation that it “provides an approach that takes both quality and environmental considerations into account” as well as how “health-related properties” can affect this.

The DIN notes that this is a “complete revision” of a previous standard, and added information on the remanufacturing process as well as ISO standards. Testing was extended in scope and done with remanufacturers. The draft of this standard can already be ordered and comments can be suggested until the end of July 2012.

Inkjet cartridges

In terms of inkjet cartridges, the DIN 33871-1 standard is said to “ensure that refilled inkjet printer heads and cartridges provide a constantly high print quality”, with the draft published this month.

The DIN notes that the revised standard “describes the principles for preparing refilled inkjet printer heads and cartridges” as well as “testing their essential characteristics” including “colour rendition and yield”. The aim of the new standard is to “maintain constant print quality when refilled inkjet printer accessories are used”.

The revision of the standard, which originally came into effect in 2003, was influenced by the international standards for determination of inkjet cartridge yield, which have since become part of German standardisation. The new standard draft was created with the aid of “producers of refilled inkjet printer heads and cartridges and original manufacturers alike” as well as testing institutes, research organisations and other public bodies.

The DIN added that the standard is explicitly addressed to refillers and remanufacturers, who, “by marking their products in accordance with the standard […] can demonstrate the yield characteristics and printing quality they provide” which in turn will make it “easier for customers to choose the right accessory for their printing needs” as well as serve as “low-cost alternatives to original products, and of course help conserve natural resources”.

ETIRA Secretary General Vincent Van Dijk told The Recycler that a “series of members [of ETIRA] have actively contributed for years” to the redrafting, and added that he and they are “relatively happy with the outcome” of the two redrafts.

Van Dijk added that the new standards will “include the need for external auditing of the conformity with DIN”, which is a new addition to the standards that will “prevent a user [from] simply claiming that he complies with DIN, while in reality he does not, or [does] not 100 percent comply”.

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Tags : Environment Legal Remanufacturing

Focus on Europe gains more sponsors in lead-up to conference

May 3, 2012

Previously announced sponsors including OCP, Embatex, KMP, Baiksan and Delacamp have been joined by Static Control and In-Map for the event in June.

The Recycler is pleased to confirm that Static Control and In-Map have joined the roster of sponsors for the Focus on Europe conference, which will take place on 28 and 29 June 2012 at the Holiday Inn in Nice, France.

The event is both a meeting and discussion of industry issues and a celebration of ETIRA’s 10 years in existence as the European cartridge remanufacturers’ trade association. Steve Weedon, former CEO of Static Control, will be making the keynote speech at the conference, with other speakers to be confirmed on topics including clones, MPS and the market as a whole.

The sponsors are split into three groups – sponsors, associate sponsors and celebration dinner sponsors. Sponsors of the event include ink manufacturer OCP, remanufacturers Embatex and KMP, components manufacturer Baiksan and toner developer Delacamp, whilst components supplier and manufacturer Static Control will be sponsor of the celebration dinner, and print management software provider In-Map will be an associate sponsor of the event.

David Connett, Editor and Publisher of The Recycler, stated: “We are very pleased with the level of support for this event from our sponsors and our delegates, and it looks to be a very special conference with a lot to talk about and celebrate.

“Our sponsors present the variety and quality of the remanufacturing industry, and with their help we aim to bring delegates an informative and valuable experience.

On ETIRA’s 10 year celebrations, Connett added: “ETIRA has come a long way since we first started lobbying in Brussels back in 2001 and the support for this event is a reflection on the good work achieved.”

Attendees can also benefit from a 10 percent discount on cycle tours of Nice whilst attending the conference. For more information, visit the Focus on Europe website at www.therecycler.com/foe/cycletours.

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Tags : Events Focus on Europe France