Durst and Omet Join Forces to Add Near-Line Finishing to Tau 330

Packaging Perspective: Among the several packaging takeaways from drupa 2016 was just how important it has become for digital presses to serve as end-to-end solutions that feature finishing and converting elements. As more traditionally conventional press manufacturers seek to enter the digital world, this is frequently being done through partnerships with experienced digital suppliers.

Coming out of drupa, it seemed that this trend was only beginning, and it appears the latest partnership in this realm is between Durst and OMET. The two companies announced that they have collaborated to integrate a near-line finishing system with the Durst Tau 330 inkjet label press. This partnership differs slightly from other recent releases like the Gallus Labelfire 340 and MPS EF Symjet, in that this is not a standalone product. But, we can certainly count the collaboration as further evidence that digital and conventional suppliers are starting to see each other more as partners as opposed to competitors, and as a result, digital technology in packaging will continue to extend beyond printing.

Read on for a press release that details Durst’s full plans for Labelexpo Americas.

—Cory Francer

At next month’s Labelexpo Americas 2016 trade show, Durst will introduce the increased capabilities of its label product portfolio by integrating its market-leading Tau 330 with near-line pre- and post-press finishing solutions in cooperation with OMET, the world’s leader in flexographic printing presses.

Also to be shown for the first time in the United States will be the new, economical single-pass Tau 330 E UV inkjet label press, featuring high-pigmented UV inks for reduced ink consumption. It is especially designed for small and medium-sized label converters. Durst also will be demonstrating its own production workflow software designed specifically for label print production providers.

Durst’s Tau 330 platform is a UV inkjet label press with more than 100 installations worldwide. It features a 330 mm (13˝) print width, up to seven colors (CMYKOVW), and printing speeds of up to 48 linear meters/min. (169 ft./min.) with up to 1,260-dpi print resolutions. The press features leading-edge production capacity and print quality. Thanks to its seven color stations, it achieves close to 90% Pantone color gamut coverage.

In cooperation with OMET, the Tau 330 series presents unlimited material flexibility for a vast range of applications. Its new near-line primer station provides increased material flexibility and cost-saving potential, and its flexible post-press finishing options complete near-line label production needs.

The Durst Tau 330 E will be on display at Labelexpo Americas.

The Tau 330 E is a UV inkjet label press featuring print widths of 200 mm or 330 mm, four or five colors, a printing speed of up to 48 linear meters/min. (157 ft./min.), and a printing resolution of up to 1,260 dpi. The system has been engineered with particular attention to equipment cost while maintaining the proven speed and printing quality of the flagship Tau 330 printing press. Its newly designed, high-pigment UV inkjet inks provide a noticeable cost reduction, thus resulting in a system with an unmatched total cost of ownership for the print provider.

Together with the Tau 330 platforms, Durst also will introduce its completely new Durst Workflow-Label — a modular, expandable prepress software for order entry, pre-press, RIP, color management, ink costing and production data management. It offers an optimized workflow with key functionality, such as automated knock-out of non-print areas resulting in lower ink consumption; high-access, browser-based interface for immediate job costing; and easy-to-use high-speed variable data functionality.

Labelexpo Americas 2016 takes place Sept. 13-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. All above products will be showcased at Labelexpo Americas 2016 in Hall F, Booth 5901.

Source: Durst.