The open house included demonstrations of the Alprinta V and VSOP printing presses, numerous talks on industry topics, presentations by suppliers and partners. The live demonstration of the new VSOP machine, with its focus on UV inertization and electron-beam hardening, attracted particular interest, according to organisers.
Visitors had much to say on the event including Greg Petzer, general director of Afripack Consumer Flexibles (ACF) in Pinetown, who made the trip from South Africa to Maulburg in order to see the new VSOP machine technology for himself.
He said, “I had read about the VSOP, which I think heralds a new era in printing technology, on the Internet and in brochures, but I can get a much better understanding of these things if I actually see them in action. So after watching the live demonstration, I really understand what the VSOP machine can do. That definitely made coming to the open house event worthwhile.”
Meanwhile, Arnella Nechita Rotta, general director of Sunimprof Rottaprint in Apahida, Romania, also wanted to see the new possibilities opened up by the VSOP printing technology. Rotta said, “Today’s labelling and packaging market demands smaller print runs, shorter lead times, good flexibility and a competitive price.
“So it’s very useful if jobs can be set up quickly, particularly if they are repeat jobs, as when it comes to food packaging, it’s often the case that there are only a few minor text changes. The colour settings generally stay the same.”
The demonstrations of the VSOP and Alprinta V were accompanied by talks given in German and English on various topics from the fields of labelling and package printing. At most of these talks, there was not a single spare seat left in the house, proving how well they went down with the visitors, according to Muller Martini.
Commenting on the industry talks, Hart Swisher, director and chief of research & innovation at Hammer Packaging in Rochester, NY, USA, which uses two VSOP machines said, “It was particularly important that I was able to familiarize myself with the mindset of European printers, as there are certain differences between Europe and the USA. At events such as these, there is always something new to learn.”
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