Komori is eager to leverage its presence and market expertise, aiming for growth through its expansion into the UK and Ireland. Previous UK and Ireland distributor Friedheim stepped back from the brand’s hardware sales in early 2023, though it says it is still offering service and spares.

The new partnership builds on its experiences in France, where Komori France has reached a similar agreement with Bograma.

The collaboration also adds a dimension to its existing H+H and MBO (Komori Group) product portfolio, which Friedheim similarly continues to support and service though it stopped selling in 2020. Through incorporating Bograma into its network, Komori UK believes it can offer an even broader range of finishing solutions to existing and new customers.

Bograma, in parallel, has demonstrated its commitment by extending its factory facilities and investing in infrastructure. This expansion aligns with Komori UK’s and underscores both companyies joint commitment to providing printing and finishing solutions.

Enthused about the expanded partnership, national sales specialist postpress Tom Baker at Komori stated, ‘Our collaboration with Bograma in the UK and Ireland is a testament to our commitment to delivering high quality finishing solutions to our customers.

‘By joining forces, we aim to bring a wider array of innovative finishing options, further strengthening our position as a trusted leader in the printing industry.’

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The joint statement from the companies says, ‘Hunkeler and Müller Martini have been very close for many years. The long and successful history began during the Second World War, when Hans Müller worked for Hunkeler as a mechanical engineer before setting up his own business in 1946 and founding the company Hans Müller / Grapha. These good relations have been maintained for decades. The local proximity in the Zofingen region and the already existing and successful partnership in the machine and component business form an ideal starting point for even closer cooperation in the future.

‘By joining forces, both companies see great opportunities to bundle their innovation activities and to serve their global customer base even better in the future through joint sales and service activities. The two owner families have therefore decided on this strategic transaction that led to the acquisition of Hunkeler AG by Müller Martini AG.’

Bruno Müller is quoted as saying, ‘The graphic arts industry is constantly changing and regularly calls for new innovations. By combining the key components of the two companies, such as personnel, expertise and technology, we will be able to serve our global clientele even better with innovative solutions in the future.’

The following is attributed to Stefan and Michel Hunkeler: ‘There is a long-standing partnership between Hunkeler and Müller Martini and a regular exchange. The opportunity for the merger is currently greatly beneficial for both partners and our joint customers, as it will result in considerable advantages in a combined enterprise. This is also a strong commitment for the Zofingen region.’

It is not clear what the implications will be for the companies’ separate operations across Europe and beyond, or their relationships with distributors and customers in countries where there are no direct subsidiaries; Hunkeler is distributed in the UK by Friedheim International, for example, while Müller Martini has its own UK operation. The future of the popular and well-attended Hunkeler Innovationdays event, which focuses on high-end inkjet printing systems and was last held in February/March 2023, and not due to recur until early 2025, is also unknown at this point.

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What’s now called embellishment or special effects used to be a group of purely post-press operations. These included lamination, spot or flood varnishing and foiling (hot or cold). Other eye-catching things have always had to be done in or on the press – if you wanted metallic colours you had to use a special ink or print on a metallised substrate; the same applied for fluorescent or other special colours.

Digital print has blurred those boundaries, bringing a number of ways of achieving the same or ‘close enough’ effects, combined with the flexibility and minimal set-up requirements characteristic of digital print. These also split into in-press effects and subsequently-applied effects.

Before looking at these in detail, it’s also worth noting that a sustainability argument is emerging for digital embellishment as an alternative to more conventional processes. This comes from Scodix, which makes stand-alone ‘embellishment presses’ (distributed in the UK by Friedheim) that can apply a wide range of decorative effects to printed sheets, with full digital flexibility in each.

Scodix carried out a lifecycle assessment of its digital foiling options which found that compared to conventional hot stamp foiling, its version reduces CO2e (CO2 equivalent) by 85%, fossil fuel usage by nearly 85%, and water consumption by 80% per B1 sheet. The study, carried out by EcamRicert, and Mérieux NutriSciences Companies, compared the enhancement of a single B1 sheet through to 100,000 B1 sheets using Scodix foil (175g) versus traditional foiling methods.

That’s only one of the options that Scodix offers and there’s no indication given that any of the other supported techniques offer comparable advantages. However, like any other form of digital printing, it seems likely that overall wastage of materials and energy is likely to be lower simply through the ability to only print or finish the number required.

The main argument in favour of these types of effects though is that they add impact to printed products and therefore margin to your work. Some you can only do if you bought the right press, though they could also be a factor in choosing a new one. There’s an increasing number of toner presses that offer additional colours which may include clear ‘varnish’, white, fluorescent and metallic colours, though usually only one or sometimes two at a time.

Plus-one – or more

Machines that offer a fifth colour include Xerox’s iGen line and Ricoh’s Pro C7200, also sold by Heidelberg as the Versafire EV (and about to be replaced by the Pro C7500, though we’ve not seen any specification for this yet). Kodak’s Nexpress and Nexfinity models could do this too, with options over where in the laydown sequence the fifth colour went, though both are now discontinued. Moving up to six colours brings in the popular Xerox Iridesse, and the more recent Fujifilm Revoria, while most HP Indigos can handle up to seven colours, though of course click charges go up in proportion with all extra colour presses. Xerox also offers a conversion kit for two-pass printing on its entry-level PrimeLink C9065/C9070, which potentially allows the use of up to eight colours, albeit with a complete change of toner cartridges between passes.

The exact choice of extra colours varies by manufacturer, but in addition to white – for use on coloured or transparent substrates – and clear – used to create flood or spot varnish effects – fluorescent or ‘neon’ colours are offered, particularly pink and sometimes yellow. These can replace or be mixed with their standard CMYK equivalents to expand the colour gamut for more eye-catching effects. A few offer metallic toners too, which again can be printed solid or mixed to provide novel colours and finishes.

After the event

Post-press options are more about foiling, spot varnish and various creative lamination processes, often in combination. A good entry-level choice here is foil-over-toner, a two-pass method that uses ‘real’ foil in a laminator like Vivid’s Matrix models or those from Caslon, Foliant (sold via IFS), Komfi (from Friedheim) or Autobond. Similar options also come from GMP and Intec, now part of the Plockmatic group.

An entry-level option for foil-over-toner is Vivid’s Matrix, seen here at a trade show

In these, the initial colour print is first laminated with a clear film, then printed again with the foil pattern in black toner on top of the film, before a second pass through the laminator transfers the foil to the partially melted black toner. It’s a more labour-intensive process but it works with a very wide range of foil types and doesn’t require special consumables.

Then there are the fully ‘digital’ embellishment devices that offer spot UV and/or foiling in a single operation. This category includes devices like Duplo’s B2 DuSense 8000, which is offered in various configurations providing spot UV, digital foiling or both, including a pre-treatment option for expanding the types of print that can be handled. It’s also possible to build up textured ‘3D’ effects with multiple passes, which the smaller B3 DuSense 810 also supports. An alternative is the B3+ Konica Minolta AccurioShine 3600, which uses technology from MGI, in which Konica Minolta holds a significant stake. It too can produce ‘dimensional’ effects.

At the top end of the digital embellishment market are the ranges from Konica Minolta/MGI and Scodix. These are dedicated industrial production devices that offer UV varnish and foiling, with Scodix offering a particularly wide range of foils and finished effects, while MGI’s line goes up to B1 sheet size in the form of the print-and-embellish AlphaJet that was formally launched in October 2022. Kurz is another player at the industrial end of the scale, having bought Steinemann, whose inkjet varnish and foiling systems it was already marketing as Digital Metal. These include the sheet-fed B2 DM-Smartliner for 2D flat varnishing and foiling and the DM-Maxliner for raised and textured effects.

Whether you’re just ready to dip a toe into digital embellishment and cautious with the investment, or know that you’ve got a ready market for it but need to be sure it’s good enough and fast enough to meet your customers’ needs, there should be something to suit and help your work shine.

Preparing files for embellishment

All digital embellishment processes require ‘artwork’ to control where the effects are applied. Usually this means creating additional layers in the originating applications and/or print PDFs, though some vendors offer DFE-based tools to create embellishment guides or colour substitutions from standard PDFs on-the-fly.

Andrew Bailes-Collins of Ultimate Technographics, which makes imposition, nesting and ganging software, has written a handy guide to preparing generic PDFs that should process correctly through most embellishment vendors’ DFEs and thus avoid some of the common pitfalls that require manual reworking in the prepress studio.

Called PDF Creation for Digital Embellishment, it covers the use of spot colours, layers, knock-out and overprint and choice of correct versions of PDF for hand-off. It’s available free from Ultimate Technographics’ website.

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The Hunkeler Compact Air Cleaner HKA is described as a low cost, low footprint solution to the issue of manufacturing dust and fibres emitted by machinery with moving parts and materials of a powdery or fibrous nature, which includes inks and coatings, papers, cardboards and fabrics, as well as some metal and plastic work, and which may cause several serious respiratory ailments as well as skin and eye conditions.

The HKA is a free-standing, portable unit that uses a standard 230V power supply and is offered in a range of four sizes, suitable for small or large manufacturing spaces, and cleans ambient air via a filter system. The filters are certified to ISO16890 and can trap dust, fibres, pollen, smoke, bacteria, viruses and similar allergens, keeping air quality to FFP2-3 standards, with other filtration options available. The system are able to clean up to 10,000 cubic metres of air per hour, but consume only 750W maximum.

In addition to helping compliance with various pieces of UK health and safety legislation, the air cleaner units may help improve product quality, thanks to a cleaner factory and cleaner machinery, which also improves mechanical health and associated costs. Workplace/factory cleaning time is said to be reduced by up to 60%, and energy and HVAC costs can also be reduced due to improved  air circulation.

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Printed Easy offers a broad selection of general commercial products, including bound documents and brochures and roll labels. When Jon Lancaster took over Falkland Press as it then was in 2005, he pushed the family-owned business to expand into online printing whilst driving a raft of production efficiencies through its in-house software development, and rebranded the business in 2018.

According to Mr Lancaster, the company started to pay attention to the Scodix Ultra 6000 Press when the team saw the format and quality, ‘The B1 format and new polymers allow low cost-per-sheet which competes with conventional UV on a flat finish, whilst SHD brings us breakthrough quality in terms of sharpness and detai,. he commented.’

Printed Easy intends to use the Scodix Ultra 6000 to add both raised and flat UV and foil to every general commercial product, both bound and unbound, in its range, with many options currently being designed. The integration of the Ultra 6000 into Printed Easy’s automated production is the next step to continue the mantra of ‘bringing offline print to the web-to-print market.’ The software automation and the automatic registration system that Scodix offers was a significant attraction this.

‘We’re excited that with the Scodix Ultra 6000, Printed Easy will fulfil even more of its customers’ expectations with a large range of embellishment options, along with dynamic pricing across all its products, run lengths and custom sizes. I feel everything is set to meet their high demands for production economics,’ commented Franz Repp, president of EMEA for Scodix.

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The system is largely automated via bar- or 2D codes, though set-up changeovers take around three minutes, Digital Printer was told. Once running, it handles web printed input at 250m/min and can output 2000 stacks or single books per hour, supporting fully variable page count and spine lengths. Tight web alignment is used throughout the system, with production data along the roll edge scanned to automate folding parameters. The system was demonstrated producing 6-up and 4-up signatures and uses a plough folder to make the necessary folds, which can include gatefolds.

The folded web is then fed into a cutter and thence to a new stacker where a light glue application is added to hold the block together. A star wheel then combines the folded and cut signatures to assemble the book blocks via three independent sections, which allows a first in first-out mode and does not require de-stacking of blocks for further processing. A further read of the production data then prepares the block for its eventual binding type and the blocks are compressed ready for exit.

A new optional book sorting module allows books then to be diverted into a number of separate bins for further processing/binding.

There is also a Starbook Webfolder configuration suitable for producing soft- or hardcover books based on four-page signatures. It too supports variable page counts and spine lengths at web speeds of up to 180m/min. It is fed by the RX8 Media Changer that allows changing of supported media rolls with automatic on-the-fly splicing.

Hunkeler also demonstrated a direct mail solution which features two-axis scoring or perforation plus buckle folding for a variety of mail types including self-mailers, and a multi-format finishing line that can handle everything from postcards to direct mailers to books.

The Starbook system is available immediately with first installations – of which there were four at the time of writing – having taken place at the end of 2022 or in early 2023. UK and Ireland distribution is handled by Friedheim International.

Hunkeler has also reported that the 2023 Innovationdays event attracted some 6700 visitors, an increase on the 2019 figure; the next iteration of the event has been confirmed for 24 – 27 February 2025, again in Lucerne.

A report from the 2023 Hunkeler Innovationdays will appear in the March/April issue of Digital Printer. If you have not already registered for the magazine in printed or digital versions, you may do so free of charge here.

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Comprising three complementary modular units, the X-book 3 system not only supports more rapid hardcover binding but allows for format changes to made in 20 seconds via the joystick control introduced with the Roby Zero unit in 2018. Collectively these productivity improvements should enable a single skilled operator to produce up to 50 fully cased-in books per hour, or 400 in an eight-hour shift, accroding to UK distributor Friedheim International.

For Digital Printer readers living in or visiting Italy at the right time, Zechini is holding an open house event from 13 to 17 March at its showroom in Milan, where the new system and an array of other binding products will be demonstrated and extensive samples shown. Several partner companies will also attend, including HP, organic glue supplier Menichetti and cardboard manufacturer Cartiera San Martino. Zechini’s products are said to be particularly favoured by pubishers of short run, children’s and luxury books.

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Founded in 2005, RNB works with hundreds of organisations across a number of industry sectors to deliver a wide range of specialist services such as print, direct mail, ecommerce, operational mail and data solutions.

After speaking with Friedheim International, RNB settled on a triple purchase from the print finishing equipment specialist: a Hunkeler Unwinder UW6, Spedo 8500 E Stacker with tray (second user) and Spedo 2600 Pinless Cutter 2600.

The three machines have been in place for months now, with the company’s project and account manager Dave Martin claiming the triple purchase has made the finishing process at RNB significantly more flexible, freeing up staff to take on other work.

Mr Martin said, ‘The devices have allowed us the flexibility to produce more with less down time, while they have also helped to streamline our paper-to-envelope time. The investment has also reduced the number of touch points in finishing, freeing up staff in the process.

‘The result of this was an immediate increase in productivity, which is what we expected when placing the order. Simply put, it has allowed more flexibility without breaking down kit.’

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Purchased from Friedheim International, the Delta 502 Pro was installed at MBM facility in East Kilbride in April 2022. MBM has a range of digital, web and lithographic presses and a diverse offering that includes complex data-driven print and supply chain management.

Installing the Palamides automatic delivery machine means the number of staff required to run the company’s Müller Martini saddle stitching machine has been significantly reduced, allowing staff to focus on other tasks and increasing overall production capacity.

The Delta Pro range is said by Friedheim to offer a number of advantages over existing models, including increased operating sizes on the Delta Pro 502 and the larger Palamides Delta Pro 703. Both models also feature a new screen that is more operator-friendly than existing models and are claimed to ‘set new standards for speed and format range, while trouble-free sealing of the band is ensured with the sturdy, reliable electronic impulse welding system’.

This ensures that products printed on heavy weight materials that are likely to spring open are handled without problems, along with slippery materials and products with bulky spines. A buffer table ensures that the products are delivered to the operator at the correct height and provides enough room for the operator to check and pack the bundles of finished product.

The Delta Pro also monitors the products at the infeed and ejects any that are incorrectly folded or trimmed before the collating area of the machine.

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Folio offers a whole host of specialist print finishing services, ranging from cutting, creasing, die making and folding, to shrink wrapping, saddle stitching, perfecting binding, PUR binding, sewn binding, singer sewing, wiro binding, square backing and round cornering. Lamination had previously been outsourced as Folio did not have the capabilities to laminate in house. However, investment in the Komfi Sagitta 52 means the company can take full control of lamination work from within its own facility.

The laminator itself was purchased from Komfi’s exclusive UK distributor, Friedheim International, and was installed at Folio’s production facility in mid-December 2021. It has a top operating speed of 64m/min and a maximum web width of 540mm. It is able to handle paper ranging between 115 and 600gsm and is available with two additional options in an on-roll film slitter and film roll lift.

Richard Hughes, the managing director of Folio, commented, ‘I had previously seen the Komfi Delta 52 running and was very impressed, but we decided to go for the Komfi Sagitta 52 because of its price, faster running speed, footprint, reliability, make ready times and its ease of running.

‘Financially, purchasing the new Komfi Sagitta 52 was a no-brainer for us. We spend over £50,000 a year on outsourcing lamination work and this investment will pay for itself within a year. Producing lamination work in house also means that we save on transport costs and reduce turnaround times, allowing us to take on more work and increase capacity. Our customers are also happier that we can now laminate in house instead of having to send the cover out for lamination. Having the laminator will enable us to expand our customer base, take on more work, give us more flexibility and take in-house control of both the quality and the finished product.’

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