In a dramatic turn of events, Bobst held a press conference in Wetzikon, Switzerland today, where Jean-Pascal Bobst confirmed that ‘Geneva’ had been concluded and a new methodology had been implemented. Presenting a label and textile digital print solution, Mr Bobst signalled that a new way of digital printing for corrugated and folding carton was on the horizon. He would not be drawn into when it would be available, or a price point – but indicated that there were going to be some exciting developments presented at Labelexpo for the label sector and that these would have a direct influence on the development of digital printing equipment for the fibre-based packaging industry.
The Swiss OEM has partnered with a specialist inkjet developer, holding 50.1 per cent of the shares in a new company – Mouvent. The new company has developed a new digital print head system, which it calls Cluster. It is scalable and the two presses being shown at the press-only event were modular in construction.
The company confirmed that the presses – irrespective of material type – will run at 100m per min, will feature 6-colour CMYK++ printing and be a robust platform that can be retrofitted and added to, thus offering a future-proof system. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is high on the agenda and CTO Piero Pierantozzi told the audience that 1200 x 1200dpi print is a reality with its 3D printed ink heads.
In discussing Bobst’s previous endeavours, Mr Bobst said, “We have learnt a lot since we began our digital journey back in 2009. Partners come and go and sadly, we came to the conclusion that even though our Geneva press could offer the highest productivity and quality, the solution was a bit like Concorde. Technologically way ahead of its time, but not sustainable as a solution. It is hard to admit defeat, but we have moved on from this and the launch of Mouvent and its exciting print technology gets us not only back in the game, but with a real advantage.”
Inks, chemistry and engineering are all being handled by Mouvent and the first market-ready presses are in the field now for textile and label printing. So, it is a matter of time for the corrugated and carton industry, but no doubt a B1 and B2 option is not that far away on the horizon.
