Bringing Out the 'Big Guns'

What’s the real reason you go to a trade show? It’s definitely not the $5 water bottle and the $10 hot dog. And while it’s great to catch up with old industry contacts and acquaintances, the real reason you go is to look for ways to build your business. Of course, in many cases, growth comes through investments.

With nearly 700 exhibitors and one-million square feet of exhibit space in the North and Central halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, it might be hard to decide where to start at the PRINTING United Expo. If you want to make sure to see some of the industry’s “big guns,” be sure to check out the sampling of products that appear below.

Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 104 (Booth N1643)

The Speedmaster CX 104 boasts a new, ergonomic design with excellent accessibility and offers a completely new operating philosophy (Heidelberg UX), together with a whole host of assistance systems included as standard.

One highlight of the Speedmaster CX 104 is its new coating unit. It is based on XL technology, which places the focus on simplified operation, faster makeready, and a further improvement in coating quality.

The Speedmaster CX 104 is the first press to use as standard the new “pulse laser process” (PLP) screen rollers manufactured by Heidelberg. This process with targeted laser pulses enables particularly gentle engraving, which results in homogeneous coating surfaces and thus uniformly high gloss levels. These advantages come into their own with UV coatings, and when using a helical engraved anilox roller with the new pressurized chamber blade system. Consistent pressure in the chamber suppresses foaming by preventing air pockets in the coating. Even at maximum printing speeds, excellent gloss results and effects can be achieved under stable production conditions. All functions can be operated intuitively on the coating unit itself, and many functions can also be controlled and adjusted remotely from Press Center XL 3.

Hohner HHS Futura (Booth N121)

The modular design of the HHS-FUTURA (Hohner Hybrid Stitcher) allows the ability to assemble the components in a very individual way depending on the requirements. At least 17 different combinations of the saddle stitching system are available to the user, eight of them even in parallel operation mode. An automated stitching station with an intuitive and text-free 15” touch screen and a trimmer for a B4 end format with optimal cutting quality are the basis of the Futura. The user-friendliness and the robust machine construction are also properties that increase the guaranteed success in the market. 

HP Indigo 6K (C4246)

In labels, the HP Indigo 6K Digital Press is the new model of the HP Indigo 6000 series. The press can deliver more applications using higher opacity white for shrink sleeves; new inks including silver, fluorescents, invisible red, and green for brand protection applications; and new varnishes for higher durability. Users can also offer eye-catching inline and offline digital embellishment solutions with AB Graphics DS3 and KURZ DM-Jetliner.

HP Indigo 25K Press (C4246)

The HP Indigo 25K Digital Press is designed to help converters meet brand needs with an even more attractive total cost of ownership, a wider media range to deliver compostable and recyclable pouches, and more choices to create a digital pouch factory.

Optimized lamination solutions are available with the SuperSimplex e800 laminator by Nordmeccanica. The 800mm-wide solventless laminator offers low waste and reduced energy consumption for on-demand pouch production. The Karlville Pack Ready thermal laminator and Karlvile KS-DSUP-400 pouch maker are optimized for shorter runs.

HP Indigo 100K (Booth C4246)

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the introduction of the HP Indigo B2 portfolio. First introduced at drupa 2012, the HP Indigo 100K Digital Press prints up to 6,000 sheets per hour, allowing commercial printers to shift greater volumes from offset to digital to meet today’s needs. Producing a range of commercial applications with superb print quality, high productivity, the range is responsible for delivering 60 million B2 sheets per month and shows no sign of slowing.

HP PageWide Advantage 2200 Series Press (Booth C4246)

The HP PageWide Advantage 2200 is capable of speeds up to 500 fpm color and 800 fpm mono, and printing high coverage jobs at up to 90 million U.S. letter sized mono images per month, or 214,000 personalized A3 color duplex sheets per shift. It handles a wide range of media weights from 40gsm (27 pound) up to 300gsm/14-point stocks, giving printers the versatility they need.

Designed to offer configuration flexibility, this press features a modular design for customers to start with a lower capacity machine and enhance the machine as their business grows or their application mix shifts. Customers can select 1, 2, or 3 dryer modules along with passive or active web cooling modules to fit their needs. In addition, the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 features a compact single engine duplex design, providing high quality and productivity while saving floor space for customers.

Kurz DM-UniLiner 2D (Booth N2243)

The Kurz DM-UniLiner 2D digital embellishment unit, which is independent of printing systems and equipped with inkjet technology, was designed for the narrow-web sector. The special feature: Metallization can be applied in pre-print or post-print processes. The overprinting of the metallized designs or holographic structures creates a variety of iridescent color and light effects.

Depending on the substrate, the DM-UniLiner 2D 2D can process up to 75 roll mpm. Roll diameters up to 800mm enable long running times without roll changes. The designs to be finished can be metallized either before the overprinting process or afterwards. In addition, the KURZ Multi-Use function is also available in the DM-UNILINER 2D: Up to 3 transfer runs are possible depending on the design — for maximum usage of the metallization layer and increased sustainability of the product.

LSINC PeriQ360 Direct-to-Object Inkjet Press (Booth C6115)

Eliminate the need for paper labels and adhesives while creating an eco-friendly, seamless 360° label printed directly to your cylinder or taper. The PeriQ360 is the fastest production unit in its class with the ability to print four cylindrical or tapered items at a time on clear or colored media — perfect for light to medium production runs.

LSINC Perivallo360m Direct-to-Object Inkjet Presses (Booth C6115)

The Perivallo360m features a contour following inkjet technology perfect for media with curved surfaces like wine bottles, stemless wine glasses, vases, and candle holders.

It prints high-definition graphics directly to metal, glass, wood or plastic object — no paper or adhesive needed.

RMGT 970 LED-UV Press (Booth N801)

The new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 joins the 9 Series family of offset presses from RMGT that are the North American 8-up market leader in bridging the gap between a half size press and a 40” press. Since 2005, the RMGT 9 Series press has defined and developed the 8-UP market as a perfect bridge between small and expensive to run digital devices and 40” presses that seldom run a full-sized sheet in commercial applications like direct mail, 16-page signatures, and short-run packaging. The new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 will now produce jobs like 9x12” booklets, and many other applications, on the same size sheet that a 40” press would run.

Sakurai Maestro MS-102AX (Booth N635)

Features of the MS-102AX cylinder screen press include a motorized squeegee pressure control system, larger display, optional ink dispensing system, and more. The 29.25x41.5” ultra-high precision Maestro 102AX operates at speeds up to 4,000 iph, and accepts stock from .003” to .032” thick. The Maestro is capable of printing on a wide range of substrates such as plastic film for electronic applications, membrane switches, display panels, touch screens, etc., as well as paper, board, and foil. Accurate spot coating and special effects are handled easily for value-added features.

At PRINTING United Expo Sakurai will be printing NFC/RFID antennas and electronic circuits — among other applications from signs to pressure sensitive sheet labels.

Screen L350UV SAI Label Press Series (Booth N1625)

The Truepress Jet L350UV SAI series has been developed in response to the industry’s need for mixed, short-run printing for the high-price and luxury segments. Introduced in 2020, the Screen Truepress Jet L350UV SAI S builds on the success of the PLUS range, as a high-productivity, high-quality, and versatile UV inkjet label press. The machine prints on substrate widths of up to 350mm wide, with a print speed of up to 60 mpm. It is a 4-color CMYK device, but it can be upgraded to a 7-color configuration — including white, orange, and a unique blue. The additional colors extend the gamut, as well as reducing the amount of ink needed — it uses all the ink set available, even if the job contains just CMYK data, offering large ink savings.

Screen Truepress Jet520HD Press (Booth N1625)

The Truepress Jet520HD series of high-definition inkjet web presses deliver realistic images that expand the boundaries of inkjet printing. With its 1,200 dpi true resolution and precise droplet size control, the Truepress Jet520HD family of printers achieve the colors, textures, details, and solid ink areas expected for high-end publication and commercial work. For direct mail advertising, the enhanced design opportunities make the systems an appealing alternative to offset/digital hybrid and toner-based production.

Standard Finishing’s Integrated Book Production (Booth N1943)

Visitors to the Standard booth will see the Hunkeler Roll-to-Cut/Stack solution which will be run inline with the Horizon iCE StitchLiner Mark V Saddlestitcher to create a combination Roll-to-Stack/Roll-to-Booklet solution. This solution will feature the UW8 Unwinder which can run at up to 830 fpm, and handle rolls up to 1,980 lbs. The Hunkeler Roll-to-Stack solution will also be producing book blocks that will be perfect bound on the Horizon BQ-500 Perfect Binder and trimmed on the Horizon HT-300 Three-side Trimmer.

W+D BB1000 (Booth N1211)

The new W+D BB1000 is an all-in-one direct mail production finishing and inserting system for existing production inkjet press output. The single converting and inserting workflow speeds up the mailer time-to-mailbox, while reducing production touchpoints for a completely personalized 1:1 direct mail envelope letter package experience. The BB1000 produces real envelope mail packages which has been shown in studies to outperform postcards, wraps, and self-mailers in (RoAS) return on advertising spend. It is also a winner of the 2022 Pinnacle InterTech Award.

There’s still time to register to attend PRINTING United Expo. Visit printingunited.com for more information.