This article appeared in the March issue of Australian Printer, authored by Durst Oceania’s Matt Ashman
In 2024, the industry experienced drupa for the first time in a long time, with everyone returning to Düsseldorf for the largest print event on the planet with high expectations.
It was great to experience the largest exhibition booth that Durst has constructed anywhere in the world, that was expanded even further with the impressive products featured on the adjacent from the joint venture with Koenig & Bauer.
The products showcased at drupa in 2024 represented the latest digital platforms that now provide solutions for businesses who previously would not have considered Durst as their primary partner of choice.
But as Durst CEO Christoph Gamper said at the inaugural ProPack Packaging Forum in Sydney in October 2024 – “Digital is no longer wearing its baby shoes”.
Durst now has a broad range of digital platforms that offer versatility, speed and quality that are now attracting businesses not only from the wide format sector, but also more traditional print categories including lithographic, flexographic and packaging.
Coming into 2025, this momentum has continued with Durst’s client base expanding beyond its traditional sectors with new customers who have embraced the opportunities from digital technology die to the changes in market demands, order sizes, turnaround times and versioning.
We have continued to see the packaging sector growing exponentially and we will further strengthen our cooperation with market leading manufacturers such as Omet and Koenig & Bauer that follow the same philosophy and outlook when it comes to doing business.
We are looking forward to the 2025 FESPA Global Print Expo as the newly appointed Digital Excellence Partner.
Once again we will be welcoming more Aussies and Kiwis to our annual Open House event that we have been running for five consecutive years prior to major European trade shows.
We know how much customers benefit from understanding the Durst story and seeing where the magic is created – Made In Durst.
My key message is that the Durst brand now offers a full suite of solutions for potential print customers following the launch last year of two key machines from the entry level P5X true flatbed through to the groundbreaking premium P5 Super Multi Pass (SMP) with projected speeds of up to 4000 square metres an hour.
Both machines are not prototypes. They are now available for purchase, and moreover, Durst Oceania expects both of these machines in our region before the end of the year.
We cannot underestimate the power of the right software solutions to take a business to the next level of efficiency and automation. In 2024, Durst Oceania set a new record for software sales across its Smart Factory portfolio of solutions including LIFT ERP and Workflow Plus and we have seen this growth outpace other regions globally.
Durst Oceania’s rollout of LIFT ERP and Workflow Plus at Cactus Imaging in Sydney represents one of the largest implementations of its kind to date.
Durst LIFT ERP is a cloud-based ERP/ MIS software which provides a single integrated platform to run every aspect of a print business.
The process is automated and streamlined, from taking a customer’s order online, into pre-flight and manufacturing, and all the way through to customer delivery.
Durst Workflow Plus is a fully featured RIP and pre-press software production suite.
Durst continues to invest heavily in software development providing modern and dynamic print businesses with a suite of ever-expanding solutions that we have identified must be machine agnostic.
So far in Australia and New Zealand, the number of Durst software installations continues to grow and we see no signs of this part of the business slowing down.
It is essential for progressive print businesses to have the ability to manage operations with an effective workflow and back office management solution.
As a result, I feel that in the medium- to long-term, we will not only be known for our best in class digital equipment, but also the industry’s best in class software solutions – all Made In Durst.
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