Pack your bags—there’s an amazing event going on next month in Lucerne. Over 5,000 international experts and professionals in the areas of print-on-demand, data center, direct mail and web finishing are expected to gather to see live demonstrations of real-world workflows utilizing the latest in digital print and paper processing technologies.
At an event appropriately named Innovationdays, host Hunkeler will prove that there is tremendous momentum in the fast-growing continuous-feed inkjet and digital color markets. This ninth bi-annual showcase is considered to be the most anticipated in the event’s history, offering solutions from more than 70 industry leaders in digital print, inserting and print finishing. Canon, HP, InfoPrint Solutions, Kodak, Nipson, Screen, Océ, Xeikon, Xerox and Horizon will present their solutions, among many others.
“The uniqueness of Innovationdays is the fact that we show real-world workflows and applications,” says Hans Gut, Hunkeler’s director of marketing. “All major players in the realm of digital production printing—including the necessary suppliers—will be on site and under one roof to showcase the latest solutions. We will also see several European and World premiers from different partners.”
Trish’s picks: Here’s just a sneak preview of what I would consider to be some of the most intriguing solutions you’ll see on the showroom floor:
Xerox: New high-performance production system for full color printing on a 20˝ wide paper web. Roll-to-roll processing with UW6/RW6 at a speed of 500 fpm. Inline quality assurance of a transpromo application using the Web Inspection WI6 from the Hunkeler Control Platform.
Horizon: Mailing production from UW6 to the Folder Merger FM6 with combined plow folding and merging function at a production capacity of up to 590 fpm. Cross cut with chip-out in CS6-II for bleed-off mailings and folding process on the Horizon AF-566F folding machine. Cross-linking of the JDF/JMF system pXnet by Horizon with the monitoring module of the Hunkeler Control Platform.
Hunkeler: Highly flexible book production line with folding process in Double Plowfolder PF7, cross and longitudinal cutting in CS6-I and integrated book block fixing by applying glue in the new non-stop delivery SD7. Processing of up to 30˝ wide paper webs into signatures with 4, 6 and 8 pages, with quickly executed adjustments. Enables production with different folding types, at a capacity of up to 656 fpm.
Punch Graphix: Production of a full-color personalized fashion brochure for the top quality segment on Xeikon 8000 press with variable number of pages. In-line process with paper web feeding from UW6, dynamic longitudinal/cross perforation in the dynamic perforation Module DP6, cross cutting in CS6-I and collection, folding, stitching and cutting process in the StitchLiner 6000 Digital by Horizon. Process control with product tracking and quality assurance via the “Workflow Monitor” of the Hunkeler Control Platform.
“Innovationdays has arguably the most complete line-up of live, continuous-feed applications running under one roof anywhere in the world, together with every leading digital print manufacturer,” states Mark Hunt, director of marketing for North American Hunkeler distributor Standard Finishing Systems. “Hunkeler works hard to present these technologies in a practical and collegial atmosphere, without the usual trade show sales hype. We really look forward to welcoming a blue-chip list of North American customers to this extremely effective learning venue.”
Hunkeler Innovationdays runs from Feb. 14-17 in Lucerne, Switzerland at the newly-expanded Lucerne trade fair complex. Guests are invited to learn more and pre-register at www.innovationdays.com.
Of course the best way to experience the show is in person, but Hunkeler is also providing a virtual Innovationdays for those who are unable to attend the event. The site will provide you with detailed information on the production systems that will be exhibited, and once Innovationdays gets under way, you’ll find up-to-date videos, photos, and new interviews daily. Visit www.hunkeler.ch/virtual.
Trish Witkowski is Chief Folding Fanatic at the online community foldfactory.com. She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design and a master of science degree in Graphic Arts Publishing from Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Printing Management and Sciences (now the School of Print Media).
An award-winning designer, Trish held the position of creative director for a Baltimore-based agency for six years, and has taught design and desktop publishing at the college level. She has a specialized expertise in the area of folding and is the creator of the FOLDRite™ system, a 2004 GATF InterTech™ Technology Award winner.
Trish frequently publishes articles for graphic arts industry publications, and has written three books on the topic of folding: A Field Guide to Folding, Folding for the Graphic Arts: A Teacher's Handbook, and FOLD: The Professional's Guide to Folding.