Drupa 2016: All Eyes on Packaging

It became clear on day one of drupa 2016 that this edition of the world’s largest international print media trade fair would be different.

Previous drupas have all had their own themes and focal points, usually centered on a specific technology — not an industry segment. We’ve seen the “Inkjet drupa” and the “Digital drupa,” but for many attendees and exhibitors at this year’s show, 2016 will likely be considered the “Packaging drupa.” And perhaps more specifically — the “Digital Packaging drupa.”

As is tradition, Heidelberg hosted its opening presentation and press conference the night before the show officially began. While Hall 1 was packed with all kinds of offset Heidelberg presses for the commercial space, the company’s new digital packaging press was perched atop the stage, serving as the hall’s centerpiece.

Although Heidelberg is no stranger to the folding carton market, the Heidelberg Primefire 106 marked the company’s latest foray into digital packaging production. The press is the first industrial inkjet press to operate in a 70x100cm format and was developed through a partnership with Fujifilm, which provided its SAMBA inkjet head technology.

It didn’t take long for Heidelberg to record a sale of the new press in the North American market, as Denver-based Warneke Paper Box purchased a Primefire during drupa.

Corrugated on the Rise

While there are several digital presses available in the label market, and the technology is growing in the folding carton and flexible packaging segments, corrugated was the one remaining area where digital printing had yet to take off.

Drupa 2016 sought to change that. Several suppliers including EFI, HP, Durst, Xanté and Screen featured their latest innovations for the corrugated market, most of which boast single-pass direct-to-board capabilities.

During the EFI press conference, CEO Guy Gecht explained how with digital printing, corrugated converters can now leverage the personalization and customization elements that digital has provided to other sectors. For example, Gecht says that with the rise of e-commerce, digital printing could be used for customized boxes delivered right to a consumer’s door.

EFI’s Nozomi C18000 inkjet press, which the company plans to have available in 2017, features speeds of up to 246 linear fpm.

Durst featured its new corrugated press, the Rho 130 SPC, which will also provide single-pass, inkjet printing direct to board. This new press will feature Durst’s Water Technology, which incorporates water-based inks in digital solutions. The Rho 130 SPC will feature this technology as a sustainability element.

Though the press was not on the show floor, HP announced that it also plans to enter the single-pass direct to board world. HP previously released preprint digital solutions, but its new PageWide C500 will fill the direct to board gap.

Xanté and Screen also highlighted their digital corrugated solutions. Xanté collaborated with Memjet on the Excelagraphix 4800, which implements Memjet’s Waterfall Printhead Technology, providing a lower cost solution targeted to the short-run corrugated segment. Screen, during its press conference, announced its own collaboration with BHS Corrugated, to create the BHS Corrugated Inline Digital Printing Solution. This solution can be integrated into new BHS corrugators or installed onto existing systems to provide in-line digital printing in concert with the corrugator.

Digital Presses Onward

After the highly anticipated introduction of Nanography at drupa 2012, the Landa booth was a popular destination for those seeking an update on the latest brainchild of Benny Landa. Two Nanographic packaging presses were unveiled at the show. The B1-format Landa S10 Nanographic printing press was touted as a digital folding carton solution that can reach extremely high speeds of up to 13,000 sph.

The Landa W10 Nanographic printing press marks Landa’s entry into the digital flexible packaging market, supporting 41˝ web widths, reaching speeds of up to 656 fpm.

Beyond the hardware on display, it was Landa’s announcements of Nanography beta sites and early adopters that turned heads during the show. For the North American market, Imagine! Print Solutions will be a beta site for the S10, producing POP/POS displays, along with in-store signage.

Landa also announced Cimpress plans to acquire up to 20 customized Landa S10P Nanographic digital perfecting presses, subject to successful beta testing. Plans were also revealed for Quad/Graphics to bring Landa presses on board for short-run magazines and journals.

One of the several elements that differentiates packaging in the printing industry is that a job is rarely finished when it comes off the press. Cutting, varnishing, foiling, embossing and other converting processes often take place off-line to create a completed label or package.

Several drupa exhibitors with new packaging solutions demonstrated plans to turn the printing process into an end-to-end solution. Arguably the two biggest names in digital label printing, HP and Xeikon, shed light on their plans for single-pass solutions that incorporate digital printing and finishing.

During HP’s press conference, Alon Bar-Shany, VP and GM of the Indigo digital press division, introduced the HP Indigo Digital Combination Press, which he says is a “fully digital, single-pass solution.” The concept system was demonstrated in-line with an HP Indigo WS6800 digital press. According to a release from HP, it will provide in-line digital spot and tactile varnishes, and foils. It will also integrate with HP SmartStream Mosaic, which automatically generates unique designs.

Xeikon’s Fusion technology had been previously released at Labelexpo, but drupa provided further opportunity for the company to share more information. The key to Fusion technology is that it is managed by a digital front end, providing automated digital label printing and converting.

According to a release from Xeikon, Fusion will develop over time through a series of embellishment modules that will be placed in-line and integrate with the press and digital front end.

“The next step in print is what we add,” said Patrick Van Baelen, Xeikon’s VP of worldwide marketing. “Fusion is one pass, one line, all digital.”

Partnerships Combine Core Competencies

In an industry that was once heavily siloed with little supplier collaboration, it was certainly a change of pace to see the results of several recent industry partnerships.

Among the most intriguing for the label industry was the newly rebranded Gallus Labelfire 340, which was displayed in the Heidelberg hall. The press, which was originally released as the Gallus DCS 340 at Labelexpo 2015, was brought to fruition through Heidelberg’s acquisition of Gallus and subsequent partnership with Fujifilm.

The inkjet press features printheads from Fujifilm, along with flexo stations positioned both upstream and downstream from the digital unit. With in-line finishing and diecutting options, the press is a full production system.

Ferdinand Rüesch, VP of the Gallus board of directors, explained during drupa that the Labelfire 340 is truly a product of the three organizations that contributed to its creation. Specifically, he says, Gallus provided the web path knowledge, Fujifilm supplied the inkjet expertise and Heidelberg contributed its strong roots in the industry.

The release of the Labelfire 340, Rüesch says, is the embodiment of what he envisioned when he spearheaded the transition of Gallus to a Heidelberg company.

“With this, it’s all one family and all one goal,” he said.

KBA, another titan in the offset world, has also extended into the digital realm through industry partnerships. In late 2015, KBA helped bring the HP PageWide Web Press T1100S to fruition for the corrugated sector. But at drupa, it was KBA’s newly announced partnership with Xerox that drew attention.

The week prior to drupa, KBA announced the development of the KBA VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox, which provides B1 inkjet printing for the folding carton market. The press combines two familiar industry solutions into one unit, implementing Xerox Impika inkjet technology into the KBA Rapida 106 platform. Thinking along the same lines as others in the digital world, optional capabilities can be incorporated in-line, including coating, cold foiling, rotary diecutting, creasing and perforating, making the VariJET 106 an end-to-end digital solution.

“As a leader in package printing our customers are confirming that this is exactly the product they need for the market opportunity that exists,” Ralf Sammeck, CEO of KBA-Sheetfed Solutions, said in a press release. “Xerox’s inkjet technology coupled with our packaging expertise combines proven technologies to bring the right product to market at the right time.”

Packaging Perspective

While the printing industry has faced some challenges over the past few years, it’s encouraging to see the industry recognizing packaging as a growth market. The acceptance of digital printing as a complementary technology will allow printers and converters to properly balance digital and conventional printing, leveraging digital’s capabilities in short runs and versioning and freeing up space on conventional equipment to maximize its long-run, production printing competencies.

As printing and packaging becomes less segmented, it’s also highly likely that these high-powered partnerships will continue to form. Printers are requiring increased flexibility and versatility, and one supplier can’t provide everything. Sharing core competencies and collaborating on solutions tailor-made to fill customer needs is the best way to continue moving the industry forward and progressing technologically.