Inkjet Insight recently published an article about sheet-fed inkjet printers. Some were surprised to find that our analysis included product information about Delphax’s elan500 press. Information about the inkjet offerings from Delphax has not been updated since a bankruptcy filing in 2017. Most considered this technology “off market.” However, Inkjet Insight reached out to Richard Lee, CEO of Delphax Solutions, Inc. to talk about the future for Delphax’s intellectual property and the elan product line. There does appear to be a future.

The Delphax brand and product has a long history in the production market with a strong focus on check printing applications with its Electron Beam Imaging (EBI) toner-based products. Delphax Systems was purchased by Xerox in 1997 and later sold to Check Technologies Corporation four years later in 2001. Check Technology rebranded the new company Delphax Technologies Inc. (DTI) in April, 2002. At the time, the combined company had 225 employees worldwide and $42.8 million in revenue. The new Delphax diversified its portfolio with the launch of the Memjet-based sheet-fed inkjet press named elan 500. It was launched at drupa 2012 and the first customer install was at 2014 at CompuMail Inc. in Concord, CA. By August 2017, Delphax Technologies Canada Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of DTI, declared bankruptcy and later that month Air T Inc. completed a foreclosure of all personal property and rights to undertakings of Delphax Technologies Canada Limited. 

We learned from Richard Lee that a new entity, Delphax Solutions Inc. (DSI), was created in August, 2017 by Air T to design, manufacture, and sell printing equipment starting with the elan product line. The new company is based in Mississauga, Canada with employees in both Canada and the US. The new company has no involvement with the legacy EBI technology. Adding some confusion to the mix, there is still a legal entity called Delphax Technologies Inc., but the only relationship between the two companies is one of intellectual property licensing, with Delphax Technologies Inc. no longer active in the sale and support of products. Mr. Lee indicated that the new Delphax Solutions Inc. is backed by a financially stable company that is committed to invest in their company and technology.