Two companies’ first co-developed solution fills unaddressed need in high-volume digital pre-print applications with 110-inch-wide Color Inkjet Web Press.
The HP T1000 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press will be a high speed, high volume, 2.8 metre wide press for pre-printing of corrugated top linerPlans have been announced by HP and KBA to develop the HP T1100 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press, a high speed, high volume, 110-inch -wide (2.8 metre wide) simplex inkjet web press for pre-printing of corrugated top liner. The aim is to enable corrugators to combine many individual jobs together on a roll or across rolls for short, mid or long runs. In a statement, both companies said, unlike traditional analogue pre-print, every box can be different.
Planned to print at speeds of up to 183 metres (600 feet) per minute and produce up to 30,000 square metres (300,000 square feet) per hour, this inkjet press will print corrugated liner rolls that can then be placed directly onto existing industry-standard 2.5 or 2.8 metre (110 inch-wide) corrugators. The press will be the first solution co-developed by the two companies since the announcement of their strategic collaboration at Graph Expo 2014 in Chicago on 28 September 2014.
Centralised corrugated box plants serving major retail brands should especially benefit from this digital pre-print solution for all corrugated print applications. Brands are increasingly requiring just-in-time inventory, shorter runs, and faster turn-around time. HP’s inkjet technology boats significant time, material, and shipping cost advantages when compared to analogue processes. Digital preprint is more efficient than post-print alternatives.
“Addressing the enormous digital opportunity in the corrugated market requires best-in-class technology innovation, a portfolio of solutions, scale, and a market vision,” said Aurelio Maruggi, vice president and general manager, Inkjet High-speed Production Solutions, HP. “The new press will transform the short and mid-range corrugated packaging market, dramatically disrupting operating models and costs and more importantly create new value for brand customers.”
HP and KBA both bring proven legacies of endurance, scale and innovation to their joint initiative. This year, HP celebrates its 76th anniversary and its 31st year of Thermal Inkjet innovation. KBA is a 197-year-old company and the second-largest offset press manufacturer worldwide.
“KBA has a rich heritage of developing innovative solutions that meet or exceed customers’ quality expectations,” said Christoph Müller, executive vice president for the Web Press Product House, KBA. “In working with HP, we will combine our complementary technological strengths for the needs of packaging converters.”
HP Thermal Inkjet Technology has been designed to help meet converters’ needs for high-quality print, along with high-volume productivity, reliability and versatility. Ultimately, added HP, it opens the way to game-changing value chain cost savings and capabilities for brands and packaging converters.
At drupa 2008, HP announced its first Inkjet Web Press. Since then, the company has expanded its portfolio to its current line-up of ten presses across five web-width platforms for the publishing and production mail market.
In May 2014 at Interpack, HP announced its intent to enter the corrugated packaging market. In June, the company announced its first web-press offering for this market. Fewer than 90 days later the first HP T400 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press was installed at Obaly Morava – Czech Republic. At Graph Expo, in September 2014, HP announced its partnership with KBA. The new web-press offering is in addition to the HP Scitex sheet-fed corrugated solutions offered by HP.
Additional information about HP Inkjet Web Presses is available at www.hp.com/go/inkjetwebpress. Product videos and updates are available on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts.
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