Major drupa exhibitors have made it clear that this year’s mega show will feature three main themes; cloud, inkjet and process digitisation.
The giant exhibition takes place May 31-June 10 and will likely mark the wholesale move of print from analogue to the digital world, with IT centre stage, and the focus on client solutions.
Speaking to the world’s print trade media at the Messe Centre in Dusseldorf and the picturesque city of Bruges the exhibitors were unanimous in their aim to get their software off individual printers’ servers and into the cloud. They say it will be less expensive to printers, will mean they will never need to upgrade, will be more secure, and will enable printers to access software previously out of reach, and on a job by job basis if required.
Inkjet printing for commercial print, for packaging, for labels, for wide format, and for an expanding range of media and applications will be centrestage. Already Heidelberg has said it will launch its B1 inkjet press, and duiring the pre-drupa media presentations Kodak, Fuji Xerox, Fujifilm, Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Xekon and even Bobst lined up to promote their upcoming inkjet launches. They will be joined by a host of other vendors at the show, not the least of which is Benny Landa. The Israeli innovator will have a trio of Nano presses on show, will be taking orders, but will not be shipping for at least a year.
Process digitisation underpinning print production is clearly going to be the route to the future for printers, as the drupa media weeks made clear. We know the more times a job is touched by humans the more it costs, visitors to drupa will see how many vendors have developed systems which keep people out of the equation as much as possible. Process digitisation also allows the automated integration of multiple software solutions.
Printers will be encouraged to offer far more to their clients than ink on paper and print product manufacturing, vendors will be providing plenty of means for printers to offer far more to their clients through software solutions.
Some of the highlights from the companies presenting at the Media Week:
Kodak
Kodak will send Prinergy to the cloud, and will launch a new version of Nexpress, the ZX3900. Kodak will also launch its next generation inkjet technology platform Kodak Ultrastream inkjet technology. Built on the company’s continuous inkjet Stream technology, Ultrastream will move production inkjet into the mainstream of commercial printing and packaging and will launch a new flexo technology, the Flexcel NX System 16. Kodak will announce a new process-free plate new process free plate. Kodak’s latest addition to the Sonora plate portfolio is designed to meet the rigorous demands of UV print applications.
Kolbus
Kolbus will launch a new end-to-end luxury packaging boxmaker, which it says will bring luxury boxmaking back to local markets from China. It will also launch new three knife trimmers and perfect binders. Kolbus is also going to put its workflow system XML on the internet for free download in the hope that other vendors will develop interfaces with it.
HP
HP is keeping mum about its hardware launches until nearer the show, but is launching a cloud based operating system for printers, named PrintOS. It is not an operating system in the Windows or Linux sense but rather a way that printers can integrate all their software. HP says it wants al other vendors to work with it and develop aps to go with PrintOS.
Ricoh
Ricoh which has come from nowhere eight years ago to be a major player today is launching a cloud based worlflow TotalFlow, while in hardware it has a new version of its high volume inkjet web, the 150 page per minute VC60000 which allows custom colour management.
Fujifilm
Fujifilm has had 28 per cent growth since the last drupa will focus on resource savings and inkjet. It is launching Superia consumables, its Jetpress 720S has been enhanced to give 20 per cent more uptime, it is launching a new 3.2m wide format press the Uvistar Hybrid 320which will pump out 195sqm per hour, and for the flexible packaging market it will launch a new UV LED inkjet press, which will run at 50 metres a minute in the four process colours plus white, and will print onto PET, OPP and nylon.
Hybrid Software
Hybrid Software, which has just opened an office in Australia, told a slightly incredulous audience that it would be the biggest software company in printing by 2019. It too was launching a cloud based workflow with the software as a service (SaaS) model: It said it would work with native PDFs and would be 100 per cent open.
Canon
Canon says it has the broadest portfolio in the digital printing industry with its toner and inkjet solutions. At drupa it will premier its latest high volume inkjet web, the 127metres a minute ColorStream 6000 Chroma, it will be the first showing for the ImageStream 2400 inkjet web which prints ointo standard offset coated stocks, and will be the worldwide launch of the Oce VarioPrint B3 i300 cutsheet inkjet press. It will also launch the C8000VP 80ppm cut sheet toner printer, which is based on the C10000VP 100ppm printer.
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes says it is spending $200m a year on R+D, it will also be heading into the cloud with the launch of its Clarity Solutions Suite which it says will provide real time production information, predictive analytics and prescriptive maintenance. It will also be launching a new Intellijet print and finish line with the HP engine, a new inserting line Pulse and a new sorting line for parcels, TrueSort.
Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta confirmed it will be launching the B2 sheetfed inkjet KM-1, which it has co-developed with Komori, although Komori will market its own version of it. Packaging is a key market for the KM-1, and the company is also making a play for digital labels with the launch of its L71cf, first shown in prototype form at Ipex two years ago.
Xerox
Xerox is currently splitting its business into two, production print will be part of the $11bn Document Technologies part. Visitors to drupe will see the company launch its first cutsheet inkjet press, the Brenva HD. The technology comes out of the Impika business that Xerox bought three years ago. It will print 197 A4 pages a minute or 6000 B3 sheets an hour. A B2 version is likely before drupa 2019. Xerox also launched the webfed Trivor 2400 inkjet printer which will run at 168 metres a minute, with a Fiery rip.
Epson
Epson is developing an in-house paper recycling system which it says will take printed A4 sheets and through a new dry recycling process produces clean sheets. Epson is launching new SureColor wide format printers and will also have robots on its stand.
EFI
Guy Gecht EFI CEO gave the most entertaining presentation, complete with a song to rival the official drupe version. EFI is taking to the cloud with all its software, and at drupa will launch a new inkjet printer for one pass packaging printing which will be based on the Creta Print, the Jetrion and the Vutek, which will use water based inks.
Global Graphics
Global Graphics said it would be launching software that would enable inkjet print systems manufacturers to up the quality to offset level, and would either sit behind a third party rip or as part of its own Harlequin 11 rip.
Datalase
DataLase is launching a new inline digital printer for packaging applications that can operate at speeds of 200 metres a minute. It pre coats the stock with a patch of reactive ink, then fires a laser onto that patch to print.
Bobst
Bobst announced a raft of new launches including what it claims is the world’s most productive die cutter ever, the MasterCut 106PER. It will also launch a new M6 Line press for food packaging, and a new CL750D 400 metres a minute duplex laminator.
Esko Graphics
To prove that some parts of the print industry are in rude health Esko Graphics say they have never had more innovation. They say it is a story of integration and communication. Esko has been focusing on the operator and what his/her experience is in using the technology. The theme that Eso has for drupa is Packaging Simplified – as the company aims to take the complexity out of the process. Its Esko Software Suite 14 has a major upgrade. Esko is also upgrading its Artois CAD to include 3D planograms, wihc will create visual images of shelves complete with packaged products for shops. IN hardware Eskko is adding to its digital flexo platemaking range with the XPS Crystal 5080 that comes with LED technology, and the CDi Cystal 5080 which it says is platemaking simplified.
Enfocus
Enfocus will launch an app store for its Switch solution, and is inviting printers to submit apps. So far there are 17 available and 12 more under review. With more than 100,000 licenses being used to its PitStop Pro the developments from Enfocus are closely followed, and those followers will be keen to know that Enfocus is anticipating around 250 apps being developed for Switch, which also gets a new PDF Review module. Enfocus will now also make all its software available through the cloud, which means that printers never need upgrade,. And will all be using the same version.
Chili Publish
It was only at the last drupa that Chili Publish launched as a business, in the time since it has won 250 customers around the world and is experiencing 30 per cent year on year growth. At this drupa Chili will launch its Chili Rendro, a new version of Chili Publish, Chili Rendro is a JavaScript SDK that enables the full relief rendering of PDF files. Rendering is delivered via an innovative object streaming technique on any device supporting the HTML5 canvas. The company says this means you can view PDFs online fast and efficiently. Chili Rendro can also come with a 3D module that displays the actual application of the PDF design.
CERM
Heidelberg subsidiary Cerm is focused on narrow web market, and at drupa will launch its Web4Labels digital shopfront. This is based on customer feedback. It is now responsive to mobile phone, tablet, portable or desktop. Cerm’s philosophy is end to end workflow solutions, and this is what it will be showing at drupa ‘from web ordering to delivery.’
Asahi
Asahi will launch new AWP-DEW with pinning technology for wide web flexo printing. It offers fatesr processing speed for large foptmats, higher plate throuput, water wash, and says Asahi offers the best fixedc colour palette for wide web packaging. The cpmpany will also launch its new AFP-DCZ plate for deep coloiur vbibrancym, which also comes with pinning technology. Ashai says this wioll be the first plate on the market wuith the balance of deep and vibrant colours and pinning technol;gy for clean tyransfers. It uises an exclusive polymer developed by Asahi, is designed for both solvent and water based inks.
Agfa Graphics
Under the tagline ‘we embody print’ Agfa has a raft of new releases in software, hardware and consumables. In prepress it is marketing under the ECO³ brand which is the new generation of eco-friendly, economical and extra convenient CTP solutions for commercial, newspaper and packaging printers. Cloud solutions for all Agfa software including Apogee, Arkitex and Asanti will be run in Agfa’s own data centers, for reliable and hassle-free prepress operations and communication. The Anapurna roll-to-roll and hybrid solutions will be driven by the Asanti workflow at the booth, as will the versatile Jeti Mira with its dockable roll-to-roll option.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter