With the ability to precisely process large formats measuring up to 239 x 420mm, it is able to process multiple substrate types and materials up to 50 micrometers (microns). With the AG-4220, users can look forward to maximum precision, reliability and the consistently high performance that characterise Blumer machines.

All work steps such as buffering, cutting, die cutting with counterpressure, separating and banding run fully automatically. It is suitable for medium production volumes as well as for small batches and is the only counter pressure die cutting machine in the world that can process large formats labels up to such dimensions.

Exclusively available through Friedheim in the UK, appointments are now available to test this machine in the Switzerland showroom or visit their stand E30-5 in hall at drupa in May – where Blumer will host more ‘world first’ developments.

The post Blumer launches the AG-4220 appeared first on Digital Printer.

The high-speed UV inkjet press, AccurioJet 60000, is explained to be capable of producing 6000 sheets per hour along with duplex printing capabilities. The press produces high image quality and reproduction stability across a range of media, taking advantage of Konica Minolta’s inline sensors and a spectrophotometer to automatically monitor printing conditions.

Visitors to Konica Minolta at drupa will also be the first to see the AccurioPress C84hc, which uses high chroma toner. Free from the restrictions imposed by the colour gamut of ordinary toner, prints are said to be more consistent across bright and vivid colours.

The company will also introduce Myiro colour management tools for graphics arts applications. Developed by Konica Minolta’s Sensing Business Unit, these tools include spectrophotometers for colour management and high-speed auto scanning.

Konica will be joined on the stand by MGI (MGI Digital Printing Systems) showing its new JetSeal and inline die cutter, as well as launching an advanced version of its AccurioPro Colour Manager software suite.

Also joining Konica Minolta will be Industrial Inkjet (IIJ), a specialist in bespoke inkjet customisation, which exclusively uses Konica Minolta print heads in its products; and Plockmatic, a supplier of finishing options, as well as Acco and Fiery.

Konica Minolta will also be running fully automated production lines driven by artificial intelligence, and will show the use of robotics that includes the premiere of a Cobot arm.

Jon Hiscock, head of production and industrial print at Konica Minolta (UK), stated, ‘As a major player in digital production printing it is our mission to promote and support the shift from analogue to digital print. In doing so, we will build a world where high-value-added printed materials are created efficiently with minimal environmental impact.’

The post Konica to premiere new technology at drupa 2024 appeared first on Digital Printer.

drupa had been scheduled to take place in June 2020 but was postponed and rescheduled to April 2021. A host of big-name vendors – including almost all of the digital press manufacturers – then pulled out of the rearranged event, citing ongoing public health concerns as well as revised new product development and marketing activities brought about by the pandemic. Messe Düsseldorf responded by shortening the show to nine days and sought to reassure the industry about its health and safety protocols.

Erhard Wienkamp, COO at Messe Düsseldorf, commented, ‘The pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors in terms of their attendance at drupa 2021. Travel restrictions and budget constraints have further exacerbated the situation in the printing industry. We have taken this decision in consultation with our partners, who are entirely supportive of it. It was preceded by a detailed process of considering the current conditions and the needs of the industry.’

Mr Wienkamp continued, ‘Today’s decision to cancel drupa 2021 and present it in a different format has been an event- and industry-specific one. Messe Düsseldorf remains in close contact with the authorities and its partners of all other events, and we will evaluate the circumstances in a timely manner to take the responsible decision.’

In place of an in-person event, Messe Düsseldorf will now host a four-day ‘Virtual drupa’. This follows on from the online drupa Preview that was introduced in October of this year.

Sabine Geldermann, drupa director and project director, print technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, said, ‘Our primary goal remains to support the industry in any way we can to keep in contact at a national and international level, further develop their network and generate leads. To this end, we will be holding an interim event from 20–23 April, providing our exhibitors and visitors with an additional sales channel and allowing them to make reliable plans.’

Having previously confirmed his company’s intent to participate at a drupa in 2021, Claus Bolza-Schünemann, chairman at Koenig & Bauer, and also the current drupa president, commented, ‘A virtual event is exactly the right format in the current time. Attending drupa under the usual parameters was just too great a risk for many exhibitors, given declining export and turnover figures, as well as significant travel restrictions, which would also affect visitors. The new digital forum is a virtual platform, providing a reliable pillar and an opportunity to maintain valuable communications within the industry until 2024.’

drupa 2024 is scheduled for 28 May to 7 June 2024.

The post drupa drops Düsseldorf for virtual 2021 show appeared first on Digital Printer.

The news follows close on the heels of cancellations by Ricoh, Canon, EFI, and perhaps most critically for the beleaguered show, HP, which was to have been the largest exhibitor. Konica Minolta says that it has already begun running tailored digital or hybrid physical/digital events with its target groups and will ‘pursue these new rules of engagement’ further.

Olaf Lorenz, general manager of the international marketing division within Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe, said, ‘We very much still believe in the power of personal relationships and of course the power of seeing our portfolio and touching the print products from our presses and are evaluating the potential combinations of virtual and real-life concepts.

‘However, exhibiting at drupa or any other trade fair at the moment makes no sense to us during the current world uncertainty. Things are too unpredictable. Our highest priority is always to make sure that our colleagues, customers and all their families stay safe and healthy. And while the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt on a global basis, we have taken a decision to withdraw our physical presence from drupa, as well as other shows for the foreseeable future.’

Konica Minolta has already launched a virtual showroom, while in the Konica Minolta Inkjet Centre of Competence in Bratislava, Slovakia, the company offers virtual live demonstrations where people can experience products with a two-way camera set-up and interact with Konica Minolta experts. The company is additionally reviewing opportunities for bespoke local events that would allow customers to see products and technologies, while remaining in their own country and so avoiding international travel restrictions.

With Fujifilm, Screen, Xerox and Kodak also having withdrawn from the 2021 event, very few digital press vendors serving the mainstream commercial print sector are still expecting to participate. In an online Q&A event in mid-September, Benny Landa expressed strong support for drupa and said that his eponymous company was planning to attend but added a caveat about ‘public health’. Xeikon does not currently appear in the exhibitor list online but has not made a public announcement as far as we are aware.

The post Konica Minolta eschews drupa for tailored customer engagement appeared first on Digital Printer.

Recent weeks have seen EFI, HP, Fujiilm and Kodak also withdraw from the exhibition. HP had expected to be the biggest single exhibitor in Dusseldorf.

Ricoh

Ricoh’s vice president, commercial and industrial printing, Eef De Ridder, explainined his company’s thinking, ‘During the pandemic, we have been building a successful virtual approach to engaging with new and existing clients.

‘We are going to continue to grow this element of our interactivity in tandem with the more traditional ways of launching, promoting and demonstrating our continually expanding portfolio of solutions and services in commercial and industrial printing.’

Canon

Meanwhile Canon’s decision was announced by Mark Lawn, its director of professional print solutions digital, over LinkedIn. Mr Lawn explained, ‘The decision was made considering the concerns and risks involved in travelling and gathering large groups of people at this point in time.

‘Our business plans have been challenged a lot in 2020. We’ve adjusted projects, refocussed business priorities, and we’ve had to address how we can connect with the print community when face to face meetings have been compromised.

Others

Other major players to withdraw from drupa include Bobst, Heidelberg, Komori, Screen and Siegwerk, all of whom made their own announcements earlier in the summer.

Those who have reaffirmed their commitment to drupa 2021 include Koenig & Bauer and Landa, albeit the latter with an explicit caveat about ensuring the health of employees and customers.

The rearranged event is scheduled for 20-28 April, 2021, although starting in October, drupa will be making an online portal available to exhibitors and visitors.

The post Canon and Ricoh join drupa exodus appeared first on Digital Printer.

The four-yearly beat from Düsseldorf has dictated the pace and timing of key industry announcements for decades, with the run-up measured in years and the pressure to have something to show – even if was an empty box with a logo on it and a vague brochure – utterly compelling. The effect is visible: 2018, with no major European shows, was a busy year for product introductions, while 2019 was quieter, with the shadow of the next drupa causing vendors to save up their big announcements.

As we started 2020 we thought this year would follow the established model, with pre-drupa briefings giving some insights and perhaps some pre-launches for those who wanted to steal the limelight (or spoil competitors’ timing) then the main event in June, a two-week jamboree of launches, demonstrations and briefings, plus the opportunity to find some new and previously unknown players and products.

It wasn’t to be, as Covid-19 forced venues to close and events to postpone. Pushing drupa back to April 2021 probably looked like plenty of time for the pandemic to be sorted out when that decision was taken in early March of this year, with more than 12 months to go. But since then we’ve seen a growing list of high profile cancellations, covering both leading offset and digital press manufacturers, with the latest being HP, which had planned to take an entire hall.

While this must call into question the viability of the 2021 event itself, there is perhaps also a more subtle effect playing out that might further undermine the position of the show. Deprived of the expected launch platform in 2020, many manufacturers who had clearly been working towards important product introductions at the Messe Düsseldorf went ahead and held virtual launches anyway, rather than hold back for nearly a year.

Not everyone made their announcements during the drupa fortnight; some went early, others delayed, perhaps to be more certain about what they could say or just further along with their product development or marketing plans. But the net effect was a smearing-out of the drupa product introduction period over several months.

It seems likely that without the deadline of a major trade show in a specific place at a scheduled time, the pressure to be seen to be there with something new reduces. If drupa 2021 doesn’t go ahead and a decision is made to just wait until 2024, when the next one would have been due, will the show’s power over the vendors’ development cycle have been broken? Will we see a more steady stream of product launches, held online, complemented by smaller scale, more local events? People still want to buy from people and if you’re looking at some serious investment, you’ll want to see what you’re getting, and know who’s behind it, but much of that can be done at supplier’s premises and we’re now seeing a spate of events like this, often in tandem with online events with wider reach. Will this hybrid mode do away with the need for big trade shows?

There’s no substitute for the buzz of a busy show and that sense of important and exciting things happening all around. As well as the things you had down on your list to see, there’s the serendipity of those that you stumble across while wandering the halls, or pick up on in conversations that were ostensibly about something else. It’s hard to see how online events can replicate that, but while the in-person shows aren’t happening we have to do what we can. And perhaps this will break the four-yearly cycle, for better or for worse. 

Michael Walker is the editor of Digital Printer

The post Will the drupa drum still beat? appeared first on Digital Printer.

A statement from HP read, ‘In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, health and safety of our employees and customers remains our highest priority and therefore HP will not have a physical presence at Interpack and drupa 2021.’

The company was expected to be the biggest exhibitor at the rescheduled event, occupying the entirety of the 8300sqm Hall 17 at Messe Düsseldorf. 

Regarding Kodak’s decision not to participate, executive chairman Jim Continenza commented, ‘Kodak’s commitment to the safety of our employees and customers during the Covid-19 pandemic is paramount. The continued concerns and impacts of the pandemic make it difficult for us to commit resources for such an event in these uncertain times.’

A statement from Fujifilm added, ‘Under the circumstances where Covid-19 has become a global epidemic and the spread of infection has not yet come to an end, Fujifilm has made this decision of withdrawal from these exhibitions as a result of giving top priority to ensuring the health and safety of all visitors and employees.’ 

The three companies are the latest big names to withdraw from the event, following in the footsteps of Bobst, Heidelberg, Komori, Screen and Siegwerk. It remains to be seen what effect these decisions will have on the event, and the wider industry, though you can read Michael Walker’s speculation here.

Those who have reaffirmed their commitment to drupa 2021 include Koenig & Bauer and Landa, albeit the latter with an explicit caveat about ensuring the health of employees and customers.

The rearranged event is scheduled for 20-28 April, 2021, although starting in October, drupa will be making an online portal available to exhibitors and visitors.

The post HP joins Kodak and Fujifilm in pulling out of drupa 2021 appeared first on Digital Printer.

The portal will consist of different sections, referred to as content formats, called ‘Conference,’ ‘Exhibition,’ and ‘Networking,’ intended to allow a ‘continuous exchange of information until the hybrid trade fair in April 2021.’

In the Conference section users will find lectures, videos and interviews, providing a preview of drupa 2021. On fixed days and times interested parties can take part in the web sessions free of charge and chat with the speakers. Afterwards the videos will be available on demand.

Exhibition will bring together what visitors can expect to normally see in the exhibition areas, including new products and expert input, while people will be able to arrange meetings in the Networking section. Various options will allow companies and individuals to establish live online contact in advance and ‘intensify this contact at the event.’

‘We have already been working long and hard on enhancing our digital offering,’ said director Sabine Geldermann. ‘The pandemic has faced us with new challenges and has ultimately been a catalyst for digitisation. With the hybrid drupa we also give those visitors who are unable to travel the possibility to take part in the industry get-together. At the same time, we meet exhibitors’ needs to reach the international community personally. Via the portal the drupa platform therefore unites the global print community in a targeted manner.’

The content of drupa preview is free of charge for visitors. After registration content and videos can be accessed at any time. 

The post drupa to introduce online portal appeared first on Digital Printer.

Screen Graphic Solutions has confirmed the it will not be exhibiting at drupa 2021.

The decision by the inkjet digital printing specialist has been made based on ‘sensible precautions’.

In a statement, Screen GA noted, ‘We have made this decision based on sensible precautions after considering the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing opportunities for virtual experiences provided by new communications technologies.

‘With both market and social conditions undergoing such drastic changes, Screen GA believes it is essential to accelerate timely communication with our customers and partners. We are continuously creating both virtual and physical communication opportunities designed to ensure the best possible experience.’

The rearranged drupa is scheduled for 20-28 April, 2021.

The post Screen withdraws from drupa appeared first on Digital Printer.

The next edition of the quadrennial event had been originally planned for June this year, with the global coronavirus pandemic seeing it postponed to 20 – 30 April 2021. As well as a host of other events scheduled for early 2021 making for a crowded event calendar, the international trade fair has seen a number of notable exhibitors cancel their participation. Heidelberg, Bobst, Xerox, Manroland Sheetfed and Komori have announced their intent to focus on virtual and regional events for the foreseeable future.

drupa had historically run for 14 days, but was reduced with effect from 2016. It has also been proposed to run drupa in 2019 to avoid a clash with sister show interpack, although this decision was reversed upon exhibitor feedback.

The decision to reduce the duration of the trade fair from 11 to nine days for 2021 responds to the wishes of partner association VDMA (Printing and Paper Technology Trade Association), as well as many exhibitors, to make the trade fair more efficient and to concentrate the expected volume of visitors in a targeted manner. It is also in response to potential continuing travel activities and restrictions, as drupa President Claus Bolza-Schünemann explained:

‘Since we are currently assuming that fewer visitors from overseas will be able to travel to drupa 2021, we consider a reduction from 11 to nine days to be sensible in order to direct visitor flows more efficiently.

‘At the same time, the duration of nine days ensures that running machines can still be shown, which is a unique selling point of drupa,’ said Mr Bolza-Schünemann.

While the cancellation by Heidelberg has grabbed the headlines and caused waves, exhibitors including Koenig & Bauer and Eagle Systems have stated their commitment to the 2021 show. It is also noted by Messe Düsseldorf that the current booking status ‘remains at a high level’, with over 1500 exhibitors and a net hall space of more than 140,000sqm. This illustrates the industry’s confidence in the international appeal of the event, according to drupa director Sabine Geldermann, who added, ‘The character of drupa in 2021, due to the pandemic and hygiene regulations, will certainly be different from what we are used to, but it will continue to make a very important contribution to the economic recovery.’

The post drupa cuts back to nine days appeared first on Digital Printer.