A Look At Some of the New Product Highlights on Display at drupa 2016

With 1,800+ exhibitors from 54 countries, it’s impossible to present all of the product innovations that were on display during drupa 2016. Here’s a sampling of just some of the new products that were featured.

The HP PageWide C500 press.

The largest exhibitor at drupa, HP debuted the HP PageWide C500 press, a versatile, offset-quality option for corrugated direct-to-board printing. The press incorporates HP Corrugated Grip technology and new water-based HP inks designed for printing on the non-food-contact surface of paperboard packaging. In addition, HP featured the new HP Indigo Digital Combination Press for label and packaging production, which enables HP Indigo printing and digital embellishments in one pass; and the 1,600 dpi HP Indigo 12000 that allows more substrate options with on-press priming technology. Also showcased was the HP Jet Fusion 3D printing solution for rapid prototyping and production up to 10 times faster than — and at half the cost of — current 3D printing systems.

The Primefire 106 industrial inkjet packaging press.

Heidelberg premiered the B1-format (approximately 28x40˝), seven-color (CMYK, orange green and violet) Primefire 106 industrial inkjet packaging press. Designed in partnership with Fujifilm, it incorporates the flagship Speedmaster 106 feeder and delivery design with 1,200x1,200 dpi Samba MEMS inkjet printheads from Fujifilm Dimatix. Also shown was a highly automated, eight-color Speedmaster XL 106 perfector designed for autonomous printing. The press was controlled by new Prinect Press Center XL 2 control station; Intellistart 2 software, which has been integrated into the new Wallscreen XL; and “Hycolor Multidrive,” which controls the inking and dampening units independently to greatly reduce makeready times. Jobs are listed in a “Job Queue” and can be moved using drag and drop. Intellistart 2 automatically works through these jobs in the defined order. “Quality Assist” recognizes when the sheet has reached the defined quality parameters and automatically commences good sheet production.

KBA VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox press.

To be manufactured as a result of in-depth talks with folding carton printers, KBA revealed plans for the new KBA VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox press. The modular KBA VariJET will permit the combination of conventional printing and finishing technologies with digital inkjet printing in a hybrid press. It can be configured with up to seven colors, and it offers print speeds of up to 4,500 sph in B1 format at 1,400 dpi. In addition, KBA showed the largest sheetfed offset press (98-ft. long) at drupa: a six-color, 57˝ Rapida 145 equipped with coater, triple-delivery extension, double-pile delivery and automated logistics. A redesigned RotaJET L series, with modular design and new 1,200 dpi piezo inkjet technology was also unveiled.

The Canon Océ VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press.

Canon has greatly increased the number of substrates that its Océ VarioPrint i300 sheetfed inkjet press can handle with the new ColorGrip in-line paper conditioning option. It now includes standard uncoated and offset coated media. In addition, two new finishing options have been added. The BLM600 booklet-making system combines stitching, folding, spine forming and trimming in a single machine. The Tecnau TC 1530 dynamic cut-sheet perforator creates horizontal and vertical micro-perforations, allowing the pattern to be turned on and off on a page-by-page basis.

The first web offset LED technology was announced by Air Motion Systems. It provides speeds of up to 42,000 impressions/hr. In addition, the company now offers MultiWave LED-UV, the first technology to perfectly blend LED wavelengths for broader spectrum — meaning many traditional UV inks can now cure under LED, in addition to LED optimized inks and coatings.

Pitney Bowes demonstrated High Definition Nozzle Architecture (HDNA) technology on its IntelliJet 20 HD and IntelliJet 42 HD printing systems. The HDNA upgrade provides double the print resolution of these machines to 2,400 nozzles/in. It also allows for faster print speeds of up to 1,000 fpm.

The MBO webfed K8 RS Digi-Folder.

The MBO Group introduced the high-speed, webfed K8 RS Digi-Folder, which is ideal for running short-, medium- or long-run signature applications from any web up to 30˝ wide. In line with MBO’s overall modularity and flexible engineering concept, the folder can be configured in-line or near-line with a wide range of MBO modules and deliveries. In addition, high-speed LeMans and Monza signature processing lines for running high-volume signature applications were on diplay. The new A10 log stacker enables banded signature bundles for faster speeds.

A 12-unit Roland 700 Evolution sheetfed offset press with LED curing was exhibited by manroland sheetfed. A newly designed PressPilot delivers production efficiency and user-friendly operation. Moreover, automation options include the InlineInspector 2.0 quality control system; InlineNumbering system; InlineColorPilot color measurement and regulation system; and integrated InlineRegister for optimum production efficiency, particularly for packaging applications. A full set of plate changing solutions is available: PowerPlateLoading (PPL), AutomaticPlateLoading (APL), SimultaneousPlateLoading (SPL) and DirectDrive technology.

The EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED inkjet press.

The new 1.8m-wide EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED inkjet press is designed to help corrugated manufacturers and brands access a wide color gamut and broader design options in corrugated board and display work with fast turnaround times. The sheetfed press has run speeds up to 8,100 m2/hr. and can print on boards up to 1.8x3m in size. A double-lane printing feature enables full utilization of the press’ speed and width and increases throughput up to 9,000 80x60cm boards per hour. EFI also launched Fiery Navigator, a cloud-based print management platform for Fiery driven digital presses; and the Fiery XB digital front end, a scalable, high-volume blade server technology for the new generation of ultra-high-speed inkjet presses.

The Brenva HD cut-sheet production inkjet press from Xerox.

The new Brenva HD cut-sheet production inkjet press was on display from Xerox, along with the continuous-feed Trivor 2400 inkjet press. Key features of the Brenva HD include an in-line spectrophotometer to assist with calibration and profiling; object-oriented color management to distinguish text, graphics and images and to optimize image quality; and K-only mode so it will run as a cost-effective monochrome press. The Trivor 2400 runs at 551 fpm in color; 656 fpm in monochrome and boasts a small footprint. Xerox also demonstrated its High Fusion ink, which enables inkjet printing on traditional offset coated stocks without the need for pre- or post-paper treatment.

The Kodak Nexpress MAX Platform.

Kodak rolled out the “Max Platform,” a next-generation NexPress color platform built with Kodak NexPress dynamic imaging technology. Featuring a new multi-bit LED writing system, this press produces the widest range of applications, including transactional, direct mail, packaging, commercial print and photobooks. It features a high-resolution, multi-bit LED writing system, computed at 12 bits and delivering eight bits of data to each of the imaging cylinders. It has a speed range flexibility of 70 to 152 ppm and accommodates expanded sheet sizes from 10x7.9˝ up to 48x14˝, weighing from 59-530 gsm, up to 610 microns (24 pts.) in caliper.

The Fujifilm J Press 720S cut-sheet inkjet press.

Fujifilm highlighted how the improved J Press 720S cut-sheet inkjet press can deliver competitive benefits in a true production environment. The latest generation of SAMBA printheads form the heart of the single-pass inkjet printing system used for high-performance and stable jetting. Wide-gamut VIVIDIA water-based pigment ink is applied with RAPIC anti-coagulation technologies to achieve ultra-sharp printed results on a wide range of printing papers. Other features include extended FM screening optimized for inkjet and an automatic, on-the-fly image compensation function that controls ink deposition inconsistencies.

The Landa S10 Nanographic printing press.

The Landa S10 Nanographic printing press is engineered for the packaging and converting industries. With a single-sided B1 format, the press prints 13,000 sph on a range of substrates up to 32-pt. thickness. It offers plate-free digital printing and is said to generate up to five times the throughput of other digital presses. Landa also unveiled the Landa S10P Nanographic perfector designed for two-sided general commercial printing applications.

Ricoh demonstrated a fully configured Ricoh Pro VC60000 running a variety of media roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet. The press is able to handle multiple data streams at rated speeds with the TotalFlow Print Server R600A. In addition, drop-on-demand stainless steel printheads adjust ink drop size dynamically for every pixel, so ink is not wasted. The Pro VC60000 has climate controls, allowing users to turn on the heat with an optional extended dryer. Ricoh also showed digital color cut-sheet presses, including the Ricoh Pro C9110 and the Ricoh Pro C7100x with its fifth toner station.

The Komori Impremia IS29 cut-sheet UV inkjet press.

Komori highlighted its 23x29˝ Impremia IS29 cut-sheet UV inkjet press, which is capable of printing on a wide range of stocks for both commercial and package printing applications. Also demonstrated was the B1-size Impremia NS40 digital printing system, which incorporates new nanotechnology under license from Landa Corp. The press performs high-speed printing at 6,500 sph and is heralded as the world’s first B1 inkjet printing system.

In a major rebranding, Konica Minolta announced that its commercial printing solutions will be known as AccurioPro. The KM-1, a B2+ sheetfed UV inkjet press that officially launched at the show, will become AccurioJet KM-1. Shown as a prototype, the KM-C is a B1-format UV inkjet digital press targeted at the commercial print and packaging sectors, including corrugated. It utilizes technology from the AccurioJet KM-1, enabling 1,200x1,200 dpi resolution, as well as excellent color stability, in-line sensor and image correction, and the ability to print on a wide range of paper substrates without pre-coating.

Flint Group showcased a variety of new sheetfed consumable products, including new fast bio series, K+E Novavit F 1000 Win Bio and K+E Novaboard C1090 Race Bio; four LED and low-energy curing inks, including Xcura Max, Xcura King, Xcura Sens and Xcura Plas; and the new family of UltraCURA products, UltraCURA Sens and UltraCURA Sens Plas. Moreover, Flint Group also introduced several new specialty water-based coatings, the IPA-free fount Varn AF 4000 and a next-generation EPDM-face rubber compound blanket, the dayGraphica 4200 UV blanket.

The ECO-UV integrated curing system for DI presses was showcased in Presstek’s stand. ECO-UV is said to be approximately 70% more efficient than standard UV and generates less heat, which results in superior sheet control and less stock deformation. This quality and speed is not limited to non-porous substrates, such as plastic and vinyl, but extends to traditional paper and board, as well. It offers printers an affordable way to get into the UV printing market.

The AlphaJet B1+ sheetfed UV inkjet digital press from MGI.

The AlphaJet B1+ sheetfed UV inkjet digital press was introduced by MGI. With a sheet size capability of up to 29.5x47˝, it uses the very latest MGI inkjet engineering technology to produce output management with four to eight UV colors. Available in a variety of optional configurations, the AlphaJet can also apply 2D/3D spot UV coating and embossed hot foiling special effects. Also shown was the the JETvarnish 3DW, the first digital label enhancement press capable of applying 2D spot coats, 3D dimensional textures and personalized embossed hot foiling for roll-to-roll applications.

The focus of IST METZ’s presence was the “Hot Swap” product concept for sheetfed, webfed and narrow web printing. It combines the benefits of both UV lamps and UV LED. IST METZ equips the UV units in such a way that they can operate either with UV lamps or UV LEDs. The housing, cooling and electrical supply are identical for both systems; the cassette with the correct light source just has to be inserted in the printing press. The Hot Swap concept was shown at drupa using a water-cooled LEDcure unit for sheetfed offset printing.

Screen's high-speed Truepress Jet520NX roll-fed inkjet press.

Screen debuted the high-speed Truepress Jet520NX roll-fed inkjet press, which is scheduled for market release in February 2017. The press is equipped with a newly developed, 5˝ printhead module and supports a maximum resolution of 600x1,200 dpi. In addition to the standard printheads for four ink colors, the Truepress Jet520NX can be fitted with an extra printhead for a fifth color that enables the use of MICR black, invisible UV fluorescent and other special inks.

The Insignia 7 sheetfed rotary diecutter from Rollem International handles up to 30˝-wide sheetfed jobs ranging from thin paper up to thick laminated membership cards. It accommodates pharmaceutical or cosmetics packaging, pocket folders, table tents, hang tags or garment tags. Featuring multiple delivery options; quick changeovers; solid, heavy-duty side frames; and mechanical functionality, the Insignia 7 is made in the United States and is built to last.

The Excelagraphix 4800 was on display from Xanté. Powered by Memjet’s exclusive Waterfall Printhead Technology, this ultra-fast inkjet press employs a stationary printhead bar system that allows for single-pass print speeds up to 416 48x24˝ corrugated flat sph. It prints folded and glued RSCs and diecut sheets, and offers variable data and personalized printing within the same job.

SAKATA INX, in tandem with with INX International Ink, featured all-digital print technologies powered by the JetINX printhead drive electronics and reticulation system, including direct-to-object printing solutions. The four inkjet printers on display included the InkCups Helix rotary inkjet printer; the Bergstein DIGI 5 modular, single-pass automated printer; the JetSet T-Series conveyor belt scanning system; and the NW210-E narrow web UV digital press.

The Horizon (Standard Finishing) Smart Binding System.

In a technology demonstration, Horizon (Standard Finishing) presented a hybrid folder/StitchLiner system that allows for the production of 16-page booklets from a single press sheet at speeds up to 6,000 booklets/hr. The Horizon AFC-746F folder creates the first and second fold of the 16-page signature and the last cross-fold is created by the Horizon StitchLiner 6000 saddle stitcher before stitching and three-side trimming into a completed self-cover booklet. Additionally, Horizon’s folding zone included large-format, outsert and pharmaceutical applications, as well as enhanced presser/stacker systems with new anti-static roller design and increased pressing power.

The Epson SureColor P20000 wide-format printer.

Epson debuted the 64˝ SureColor P20000 wide-format printer that employs PrecisionCore MicroTFP printheads for 2,400x1,200 dpi output, even at the highest print speeds. Designed for photographic fine art and indoor display graphics printing, this press is a successor to one of Epson’s Stylus Pro 11880.

Among the show highlights by RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) was the DP7 series digital press. The RMGT DP7, a true six-up liquid toner digital offset press, offers a 23.5x31˝ sheet size and up to 8,000 sph production speed. It adopts the well-established paper handling, liquid toner imaging process and industrial stacked fusing unit to meet the need for custom, offset-quality print production in very small lots.

Muller Martini demonstrated efficient finishing of variable printed products with its Presto II Digital saddle stitcher, which enables combined stitching of digital and offset printed signatures on the basis of pure barcode control. Faulty products are automatically ejected to guarantee with 100% accuracy that all magazines conveyed to the three-knife trimmer are complete and have the right signature sequence.

Embedded Color Bar Control technology from Goss International.

Embedded Color Bar Control technology debuted from Goss International. This new innovation enables packaging converters to embed the color bar — used for controlling color, registration and ink on the printed substrate — into the image on a label or packaging design. To make the Embedded Color Bar possible, Goss has developed the smallest color bar available for both color and register control. Between each section of color bar, an image is printed, filling in the space between each bar and therefore minimizing its impact on the finished product design.

The Highcon Shape 3D machine.

Highcon previewed its Highcon Shape 3D machine. It implements Rapid Layer Manufacturing Technology aimed at transforming the 3D print world from rapid production to rapid manufacturing. The Highcon Shape, which is slated for release at drupa 2020, will deliver real-life, large-scale products from a file to reality, within minutes, using any type of paper.

The Trillium One digital press from Xeikon.

The Trillium One digital press debuted at Xeikon’s booth. A joint development project between Xeikon and Miyakoshi, Trillium One harnesses Xeikon’s breakthrough liquid toner printing process. Capable of running at 200 fpm at 1,200 dpi, with a print width of 19.7˝, the four-color Trillium One incorporates Xeikon’s Tonnik, a liquid toner combining all the advantages of dry toner in a liquid format.

manroland web systems shared its latest innovations, including demonstrations of a complete digital printing workflow with variable in-line finishing using its FoldLine and digital printing on a Kodak Prosper 6000S high-speed inkjet press. The team also demonstrated a new generation in its newspaper printing portfolio, the Geoman e:line.

The Anapurna H2500i LED wide-format printer from Agfa.

Agfa Graphics introduced the 2.5m Anapurna H2500i LED wide-format printer, a hybrid solution for printing rigid and flexible media. Its white ink function includes pre-, post-, spot and even sandwich white. Productivity can be further increased with the optional automatic board feeder. The Anapurna i-series inkjet systems are equipped with powerful, air-cooled UV LED lamps. Thanks to reduced heat emissions, the Anapurna H2500i LED can print on a wider media mix, including more heat-sensitive substrates such as thin-layer styrene.

Eagle Systems showcased the Eagle Cold Foil system and Eagle consumables that enable the application of cold foil finishing to uncoated paper on a sheetfed press. Due to characteristics of uncoated stocks (being porous and variables in the surface from coated stocks), previous iterations were never capable of 100% coverage until now.

Memjet demonstrated how its high-speed, page-wide color inkjet printhead technology is enabling solutions that deliver speed, ease of use and low cost of ownership. Attendees saw the power of this technology at work in solutions from a range of Memjet OEM providers, including Xanté, Colordyne, Delphax, Digikett and Astro Machine. Other Memjet OEM providers such as Canon Océ, Trojan, Afinia, New Solution and Xerox also showcased solutions from their own stands throughout the 11-day drupa exhibition.

A wide range of saddle stitchers and bookletmakers were on display by Hohner.

A wide range of saddle stitchers and bookletmakers were highlighted by Hohner, including the HSB 9.000. Based off of its “big brother,” the HSB 13.000, this saddle stitcher offers user-friendly options such as a fully graphic 7˝ touchscreen in color and a simplified menu that uses symbols rather than text. Other popular features are the radio remote control and new horizontal feeders.

Hunkeler (Standard Finishing) introduced proprietary Dyna-cut technology as part of a book-on-demand solution.

Hunkeler (Standard Finishing) introduced proprietary Dyna-cut technology as part of a book-on-demand solution for variable-format, in-line book production, converting pre-printed rolls to pre-glued book blocks. Fully automatic variability of book block spine length between stacks is possible using the new Dyna-cut function in the CS6-HS cutter and SD7-II stacker, which enables dynamic, barcode-driven changes in sheet length. Rolls are processed into four-, six- or eight-page signatures in the PF7 double plow folder, with sheet count and page number alternating rapidly from one book to the next. The SD7-II double star wheel delivery unit provides integrated book block gluing.

Foster displayed its new On-a-Roll Lifters for maneuvering large-size substrate and fabric rolls. The variety shown included the Foster Low-Profile On-a-Roll Lifter; the Foster Universal On-a-Roll Lifter; and the Foster Jumbo On-a-Roll Lifter. These ergonomically designed lifters allow a single employee to safely handle oversized and heavy media.

VITS International produced a 12-page retail flyer on two web near-line, intermixing preprinted rolls from both inkjet web and traditional offset web. The marriage of these two print technologies allows printers to leverage the best of both applications: the personalization of inkjet with the economies offered by web offset.

The OmniFold 3000 was launched by Brandtjen & Kluge. This completely modular folding and gluing system features synchronized touchscreen controls, interchangeable feeding units, modular alignment system, modular pre-break device, interchangeable bearing bed transports and interchangeable vacuum transports. In addition, Kluge and its partner LasX premiered CartonsInMinutes, an on-demand laser processing and converting solution that is suited for folding cartons and other similar products.

The Scodix S Series Digital Enhancement Press.

Scodix presented the S Series Digital Enhancement Press, which consists of the Scodix S52, Scodix S74, Scodix S75 and Scodix S75 Pro. The presses produce the Scodix SENSE printing experience to deliver myriad applications, including folders, brochures, labels, calendars, photo albums and more.

RISO previewed two digital printers newly developed for transactional printing: the RISO T1 full-color, continuous-feed inkjet printer and the RISO T2 full-color, cut-sheet inkjet printer. The T1 runs at speeds equivalent to 565 A4 ppm and can handle generic sizes of roll paper, enabling users to use post-processing devices that they already own. By linking two printing units for the front and back sides, the RISO T2 cut-sheet press offers fast, high-volume duplex printing of small lots for multiple jobs at speeds up to 300 A4 ppm.