Koenig & Bauer Durst VariJET 106 heads to beta

A new packaging press created through the joint venture of two of the world’s leading press manufacturers, Koenig & Bauer and Durst, is set for its first installation at the beginning of next year prior to a formal unveiling at drupa 2021 in Germany in April.

The VariJET 106 B1 single-pass press is neatly targeted at the folding carton industry and integrates Durst’s inkjet strength with Koenig & Bauer’s Rapida 106 offset press.

The 6,000 sheets per hour hybrid press also comes with inline finishing, bringing unique flexibility to digital package printing. It can produce personalised and individualised print products and can easily alternate between short and medium runs.

Robert Stabler, Managing Director, Koenig & Bauer Durst, said: “We’re really excited by the opportunities and progress with our much-anticipated VariJET 106. We have a number of existing customers that would like to be beta sites, and we plan to show them the press after the summer.

Koenig & Bauer Durst managing director Robert Stabler

“The customer we choose will have a vision for mass customisation and be a good partner for a beta site. Feedback from our customers is that shorter run lengths, mass customisation and the need to be more agile are the compelling reasons for moving to digital production.”

Stabler said for companies to remain successful they will need to embrace new trends with the right solution.

“Brand owners continually want their products to stand out, require shorter lead times, while at the same time eliminate waste and conform to sustainability and track-and-trace requirements. Brand owners are also looking to ensure the new production methods are reliable, compliant and cost effective while converters need to have the capabilities and competencies to mass customise without any compromise on quality. We deliver on this.”

Koenig & Bauer Durst says the VariJET 106 offers:

  • Modular integration of upstream and downstream processes
  • Combination of digital print with proven modules of the Rapida platform
  • Perfect register accuracy thanks to inline production
  • Highly competitive TCO, efficient production of ultra-short to medium runs
  • Reduced resource consumption, storage costs and waste
  • Absolute flexibility for test packaging and new campaigns
  • Fastest possible response to market demands.

Other announcements from the joint venture company include updates on its single-pass corrugated presses – the Delta SPC 130 and the CorruJET 170 – which focus on delivering for the stringent requirements of the packaging sector.

A digital priming unit for uncoated media will broaden the applications customers can address on the Delta SPC 130, as well as extend the range of media that can be used for printing. Special colours are also being introduced for the fifth and sixth colour stations.

Koenig & Bauer Durst said the Delta SPC 130 FlexLine Automatic combines a well-engineered mechanical design with easily accessible sub-assemblies and selected components to guarantee durable quality, high performance and reliability. It can manage small formats from 500 x 600mm through to very large formats with maximum dimensions of 1,300 x 2,100 (optionally 1,300 x 2,800 mm) and print a maximum thickness of 12 mm with water-based, food safe inks. The Delta SPC130 FlexLine machine includes feeder, six-colour single-pass printing, cooling section and stacker.

For the CorruJET 170, successful beta testing has been completed at the Kolb Group in Bavaria, Germany, a company that develops and produces packaging, packaging materials and specialist products made in corrugated cardboard. Based on Koenig & Bauer’s RotaJET inkjet web press for commercial printing, The CorruJET 170 post-prints sheets of corrugated up to 1.7m wide at up to 137m/min on water based, food safe inks.

All three presses meet food safe requirements for primary packaging utilising proprietary water-based ink technology.

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