Packaging

Bromberger Packungen celebrates but doesn't celebrate its 120th anniversary because, as CEO Christof Bromberger says, the big celebration is 125 years in only five years. As the company name indicates, Bromberger Packungen produces packaging material. In this film, we speak to both Christof Bromberger and Arno Duerr from Weilburger Graphics about choosing and working with the right supplier of different consumables like varnishes, coatings, and even ink. Enjoy :-) Interview by James Quirk

What to expect when you visit a North African country for the first time? Well, we arrived at around 20:00 local time in Casablanca airport, and when we got out of the plane, the warm, dry air was pleasant. Luggage and security were a breath, and a few minutes later, our driver came, picked us up, and drove us about 30 minutes from the airport to our hotel. The adventure started great, and the expectations of visiting DirectPrint were high. And we were satisfied. Several Komori printing presses in different formats, Horizon and MBO binding equipment for perfect binding, stitched products, and tons of hands and equipment for rigid boxes, folding cartons, labels, digital embellishment, and, of course, the two KAMA products - the very reason for our visit - a Flexfold FF52i (Folding Gluer with extremely short setup time), and a ProCut76 a die cutter/hot stamping machine with extreme precession AND fast setup time - we have done a walkthrough of the machine, you can see it here: https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/sofwalkthrough/ Ali Benchekroun is getting ready to take over the family business at some point. Still, he will take over a super WELL-run operation with all the modern technology you can only dream of. Enjoy!

Crystal Clean Connect fully automates the entire plate-making process, from imaging and exposure to plate production, reducing the number of steps in the flexo plate-making process from twelve to just one. It delivers a 90 percent reduction in dedicated operator time, an average 25 percent increase in press OEE, and a 20 percent reduction in ink usage. The system results from two years of joint development between Asahi Photoproducts and Esko. Mirco Wilk from All4Labels, Pascal Thomas from Esko, and Dieter Niederstadt from Asahi Photoproducts share the story in this film. Enjoy. Interviewed by Jacques Michiels.

Morten Reitoft and Shlomo Nimrodi discuss preparations and expectations for Drupa 2024. Nimrodi, who recently traveled from Seattle to New York, emphasizes balancing daily business operations with Drupa preparations. He notes that his recent US trip involves meeting with the sales team and potential clients, some of whom plan to attend Drupa, to finalize deals. Nimrodi reflects on the changes in Highcon's team since the last Drupa in 2016, highlighting the positive impact of new team members and their energy. He describes Highcon's strategic pivot towards industrial-scale packaging for corrugated and folding cartons, moving away from more niche markets. This shift aims to mainstream digital die-cutting and meet the market's needs more effectively. At Drupa, Highcon will showcase significant improvements, including a 50% increase in productivity through technological advancements and process changes. They will introduce the Beam 3, the Beam Writer (an offline device for faster job setup), and upgraded versions of their existing equipment. Highcon will focus on customer applications and their products' substantial productivity and efficiency gains. Nimrodi discusses the importance of customer feedback and involvement in product development, particularly with the new Vulcan model. This collaborative approach ensures that Highcon's innovations align with market needs and helps mitigate risks. He also highlights the success of the Beam Writer, which allows customers to increase productivity without the need for additional machines, offering a cost-effective solution. The conversation ends with Reitoft thanking Nimrodi for his participation and expressing mutual appreciation for their ongoing collaboration. Nimrodi acknowledges the value of Reitoft's contributions to the industry and looks forward to seeing him at Drupa.

Matthias Miederer and Morten Reitoft discuss the developments at KAMA and their plans for Drupa 2024. Miederer, who started working for KAMA as the Head of Product Management earlier this year, explains his role in strengthening the link between sales and development. He introduces KAMA as a supplier of post-press finishing solutions, focusing on tailored solutions for short to medium-run finishing, especially targeting the digital printing market. Reitoft showcases a product from KAMA's customer, Studio on Fire, emphasizing the added value and quality KAMA's equipment brings to print products. Miederer agrees, highlighting the company's commitment to providing efficient finishing solutions that help customers offer more to their clients and gain new jobs. They discuss KAMA's new product, the Hammerhead, a digital embellishment machine capable of coatings/varnishes and metallization. Miederer explains that the Hammerhead continues KAMA's tradition of building solid, robust machines while integrating efficiency and speed for digital embellishment. The machine offers a B2 platform ready for B1 and can run at 5,700 sheets per hour, making it flexible and suitable for various production needs. Reitoft asks about the potential market for digital embellishment. Miederer acknowledges the slow growth compared to digital printing but sees increasing interest and adoption. He emphasizes the need to educate graphic designers and the benefits of digital embellishment in offering flexible, tool-free, and unique finishes compared to traditional methods. They then discuss the FlexFold, KAMA's high-speed folding and gluing machine with a high level of automation. Miederer highlights its quick setup times and suitability for the pharmaceutical market with built-in Braille functionality. He mentions that KAMA will showcase the ProCut 76, FlexFold, Hammerhead videos and samples, and animations of new robotic solutions at Drupa. The conversation wraps up with Reitoft noting the importance of KAMA's solutions and looking forward to seeing Miederer at Drupa in two weeks.  

Daniel Velema was recently announced as Managing Director of Koenig & Bauer Durst - and that journey is interesting as Velema has great experience bringing the joint venture forward. In this interview, we get a chance to talk about the market and the potential - and though Velema is busy with customers, there are still a few things to learn, we believe - Enjoy!  

Even though the decision to develop and produce the VarieJet 106 was made long ago, and the market is changing, VP Digital Solutions Maik Laubin ensures Editor Morten B. Reitoft that the market is changing in the right direction. With customers demanding products that can only be made profitable digitally, the technology developed in the Koenig & Bauer Durst Joint Venture is right for the market - Maik Laubin is convincing, and his speak - and with the first machines in the market - it will be interesting to see what happens. We got the chance to talk to one of the two beta customers at the Open House, and he was VERY pleased - so it is exciting times :-)

Benjamin Bösch joined Koenig & Bauer Durst just weeks before this interview. Still, with a background from manroland, HP, Landa, and now Koenig & Bauer Durst, we, of course, had to ask him if his the 'living evidence of the digital transformation,' - and here we go. Will the increased digital transformation in packaging also change how sales are done, and will that commoditize the market? We are excited to see Benjamin Bösch with Koenig & Bauer, and hopefully we will get more chances to talk to him in the future. Enjoy!

This walkthrough shows the new Koenig & Bauer Durst VarieJet 106, a digital printer for folding cartons. The product Manager, Tom Sander, brilliantly explains how the machine is built, where the flexo varnish units are positioned, and what advantages these and the VarieJet have. Enjoy!

From the Netherlands, living in Malaysia, having a house in Mallorca, and serving Asia Pacific + North Africa for KAMA. Job Van Hasselt gets around, has broad industry knowledge, and is experienced, curious, and successful with KAMA. We met with him in Casablanca - listen :-)  

Houssine Chekkar is known by many. A very nice and open-minded man with a history from HP. He is proud of his past as much as of his current job, founder, owner, and CEO of Masaka. Masaka represents DURST and KAMA in North Africa, with both brands having a huge opportunity. Houssine Chekkar explains to Editor Morten B. Reitoft that it always starts with trust - building relations, understanding the needs, delivering the product or service, and business is established. We met Chekkar during our visit to Casablanca, where we met one of his many customers - and, of course, got a chance to talk to him about the potential in this part of the world!

Preparations for drupa are in focus, and many things have changed at Highcon since the 2016 edition. If you were there, you for sure remember the booth and the beautiful paper dresses that were used to show how great highcon products are - but also a bit misaligned with today's strategies, which are razer-focused on folding cartons and corrugated - and in this interview with VP Strategy & Marketing, Simon Lewis we get a great insight into what to expect. Enjoy!

In the third iteration of the Beam, Highcon significantly increased productivity. Software improvements, faster laser cutting, and separating the DART process into a stand-alone Beam Writer improved the output. Here, Product Marketing Manager Arnon Gratch walks us through the entire system!

It takes time to develop new technology, and most people, of course, understand that what you see at drupa and other shows has been under development for years - we also understand that what's currently in development isn't shown to many - however, here you get a chance to look into what is expected to be ready for drupa 2028 - the new Highcon Vulcan (working title) - it's a gigantic laser die-cutter (no dies, of course) 140-170 cm width, four lasers and 3,000 sheets an hour - and here Haim Veig gives us an introduction to what's being developed - Interesting, right?

A week before our visit to Highcon in Israel, CEO Shlomo Nimrodi attended the official PreDrupa. He told us that it was on the same day as his injury 46 years ago—evidence that war is almost a constant in Israel. How much does that influence a company, how they recruit, how they develop go-to-market strategies, and more? We asked difficult questions to the CEO, and as usual, Shlomo Nimrodi openly answered—a must-see interview!