Dimitri Van Gaever · Marketing Director · Kongsberg · PRINTING United 2025
At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne Beckett from INKISH meets Dimitri Van Gaever from Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems for an energetic conversation about the company’s expanding range of cutting tables and its growing influence in the U.S. market.
“Your first Kongsberg trade show,” Wayne says with a grin.
“Absolutely,” Dimitri replies. “And it’s been very busy. After just the first day, we’d already exceeded our targets in leads and sales. We’ve got a great spot — right at the entrance — so everyone walks straight into Kongsberg. Everything’s been running smoothly, and all our applications are performing perfectly. So yes, we’re happy.”
The booth showcases three major platforms, reflecting Kongsberg’s strategy to serve every customer tier — from entry-level users to industrial-scale production.
“Over here,” Dimitri explains, “we have the Kongsberg Entry, which, as the name says, is our entry-level cutting and routing platform. It’s perfect for sign and display producers who want Kongsberg quality and precision at a lower investment level. It can cut both rigid and flexible materials — foam board, composites, acrylics, self-adhesive vinyl, even roll-to-roll media. There’s also a smaller version for sampling or smaller workshops. The idea is simple: there’s now a Kongsberg for every business size.”
Next up is the Kongsberg Ultimate, the booth’s showstopper. “It’s our most productive table and the winner of multiple awards — the Pinnacle, EDP, and Red Dot design awards,” Dimitri says. Originally designed for corrugated and folding carton packaging, it’s so versatile that we’re showing it here for the sign and display segment too. You can see it running roll-to-roll, cutting canvas, and kiss-cutting stickers. And it’s fully automatable — feeders, stackers, even robotic systems can be integrated.”$
At the back of the booth, the focus shifts to industrial routing with the Apex 3R EVO from Multicam, which is now part of the Kongsberg group. “We acquired Multicam four years ago,” Dimitri notes. “They’re based in Dallas, Texas, and everything is designed and built in the U.S., which is a huge advantage today. The Apex 3R EVO is built for heavy-duty materials — wood, aluminum composites, dense substrates — things that need industrial-level routing power.”
Dimitri emphasizes that the company’s conversations with visitors go far beyond machinery. “For us, selling a table is the end of the process,” he says. “The real value is in understanding the customer’s applications. What are they producing? Can we speed up their workflow or automate it? Whether they’re cutting foam board, plexi, or textile — we start by solving problems, not just by selling equipment.”
Wayne looks around the stand, filled with live demos and steady traffic. “It’s busy,” he says. “Looks like you’re going to have a great week.”
Dimitri smiles. “Thanks, Wayne. It’s been a lot of work, but worth every minute.”
“Bearing in mind how short a time you’ve been with Kongsberg,” Wayne says, “you’ve learned a lot very fast.”
Dimitri laughs. “That’s the Kongsberg way — learn, adapt, and cut faster.”
Sun October 26th
Michael Deflorian · Business Unit Manager So...
At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH meets Michael Deflorian from Durst Software & Solutions for an in-depth discussion about Durst’s growing software division and how it’s moving beyond the company’s own hardware ecosystem to serve the entire print industry. “We’ve been busy today,” Morten begins. “When we spoke with the Durst people earlier, we realized we made a mistake — your software isn’t actually on the main Durst booth, it’s here, in your own space. Michael, good to see you.” “Good to see you too,” Michael smiles. “Yes, this is the first time we’ve presented Durst Software & Solutions with a dedicated booth at a major trade show — and it’s been great. The traffic’s been strong, we’ve already exceeded our targets for leads and sales, and our location helps — when people walk into the hall, they bump straight into us.” Michael explains that Durst’s software journey began in 2018. “We started with our pixel-to-output strategy, building an ecosystem around Durst printers. Now, seven years later, we’re showing that same technology to the entire industry,” he says. “We have two main messages here. First is the Open Software Initiative — we’re making our market-proven technology available to everyone, not just Durst customers. Second, with the acquisition of Callas, we’ve strengthened our core PDF technology and can now provide that to other OEMs as well.” Morten notes that the booth even includes an HP printer, something unthinkable a year ago. Michael laughs. “That’s right. Our customers often use mixed environments — Durst, HP, others — and our Durst Workflow software already supports those devices. We’ve learned how to handle non-Durst printers efficiently, so it’s time to show the market that we’re open, not exclusive. We’re stepping outside the Durst universe.” Durst’s software division is also expanding through partnerships and acquisitions. “With Callas, we’ve added core PDF manipulation capabilities,” Michael says. “That lets us provide OEM-level technology and build accessible channel products like Durst Workflow and Durst SmartShop for printers of all sizes.” Morten teases, “So, is this openness just a marketing move? Durst software has always been relatively open.” Michael nods. “That’s true — technically, our solutions were always open, but they were perceived as being exclusive to Durst printers. We didn’t have the right channel products or positioning before. Now we do. It’s partly repositioning, yes, but we’ve also created products that are easier to access and integrate. And with Callas, we’re thinking more about leveraging technology, not just selling software licenses. The puzzle pieces are finally coming together.” Morten points out that Durst’s collaborative mindset — working with partners like Koenig & Bauer and OMED — makes this expansion feel natural. Michael agrees. “Durst’s philosophy has always been about making customers more efficient. It started with high-performance printing — feeding the printer, removing bottlenecks, automating workflows. Now we’re extending that knowledge to the wider market. Everyone, regardless of company size, faces the same challenges: automation, workflow complexity, and a shortage of skilled operators. Our solutions address exactly those issues.” Morten observes that it’s remarkable to see Durst — traditionally a hardware company — become a major software player in just a few years. Michael smiles. “That was always the strategy, but you never know if it will work until it does. Today, we’re in a unique position. We’re the only wide-format company that truly offers a complete ecosystem — hardware, software, automation, and workflow. Customers can have an end-to-end solution from a single source or integrate our components with their own systems. That flexibility is what’s driving interest.” As for the show itself? “It’s been fantastic,” Michael says. “It’s our first time with a dedicated software booth, so we didn’t know what to expect. But by the end of the first day, we had already surpassed our lead target by 30%. The feedback has been excellent — people understand that Durst Software & Solutions is here for the entire industry.” Morten concludes with a smile. “Fantastic, Michael. We’ll be following your developments closely.” “Thank you,” Michael says. “It’s an exciting time — and this is just the beginning.”