The Hunkeler Innovationdays in Switzerland are an absolute trade fair highlight for the printing industry and attract visitors and exhibitors from all over the world every year. This year, the trade fair runs from February 27 to March 2, 2023. We from Beltz Grafische Betriebe were also there as visitors and were inspired by the latest developments and trends.
As a trade fair for digital print products and their further processing, the event offered us the opportunity to get to know new innovations and technologies, make important contacts and exchange ideas. We paid particular attention to new trends and developments in digital printing, which has become increasingly important in recent years.
The Hunkeler Innovationdays at a glance
Hunkeler Innovationdays is a renowned trade fair that has been held every two years in Lucerne, Switzerland, since 1994 – this year in its fourteenth edition. The aim of the trade fair is to present the latest innovations and technologies in the printing and paper industry and to promote exchange between companies.
The four-day event offers exhibitors a platform to present their latest products and services and to make contact with potential customers and business partners. The trade fair includes exhibition areas, presentations and discussions on various topics relating to the printing and paper industry as well as networking opportunities.
Next Level Automation
The Hunkeler Innovation Days 2023 were held under the motto Next Level Automation. Based on this, innovations in the field of digital printing technology played a special role. The latest developments in this area were presented at the trade fair, such as printing machines that enable high resolutions and fast printing speeds, or new ink systems that offer improved color quality and durability. Other technologies such as automated workflows and robot-assisted systems for paper processing were also presented at the trade fair.
In addition to technical innovations, the Hunkeler Innovationdays also presented new concepts and business models that reflect the changes in the printing and paper industry. Topics such as sustainability, personalization and automation were the focus of discussions and presentations. Participants had the opportunity to find out about the latest trends and developments in the industry and exchange ideas and best practices.
More than 90 exhibitors provide a wide range of topics
The most important exhibitors for us at this year’s Hunkeler Innovationdays included the market giants HP, Canon, Meccanotecnica, Muller Martini and, of course, Hunkeler AG itself as the organizer of the trade fair. Other well-known companies such as Xerox and Kodak were also represented. In total, over 90 exhibitors provided insights into the printing and paper industry of the future.
The event thus also provided a platform for exchange between science and industry. In cooperation with leading universities and research institutes, new developments and technologies were presented that are aimed at future trends in the industry. The fair also provided an opportunity for researchers and scientists to present their work to a wider audience and forge new partnerships.
Increased efficiency, quality assurance and planning security are issues that affect more than just the printing industry. From year to year, the Hunkeler Innovationdays showcase the latest technical advances and paint a picture of how Industry 4.0 can be implemented. That was also one of the reasons for us to visit the trade fair.
Beltz goes Hunkeler Innovationdays: What we take away from our trade fair visit
One of the reasons we visited the Hunkeler Innovationdays was to follow the development of digital printing. Digital printing processes are characterized by purely digital data transfer from the PC to the printing press, which means that there is no need for any fixed printing elements such as stamps or stencils. This makes digital printing particularly fast and precise and therefore also particularly efficient.
Digital printing as a promising printing process for the future
This has a number of advantages over conventional printing processes such as offset printing. For example, digital printing is particularly suitable for smaller print runs, as the costly and time-consuming production of printing plates is no longer necessary. Personalized orders are also easier to implement due to the flexibility of the printing process. Lettering, colors or layouts can be adapted in no time at all and transferred digitally to the printing press. In addition, the rapid set-up of the printing presses leads to shorter printing times and therefore to faster results and shorter delivery times.
During our visit to the trade fair, we talked to manufacturers and business partners about a wide range of digital printing machines and processes. Among other things, we were introduced to the latest generation of advanced printing machines, which impress with their exceptional print quality.
Outlook
We at Beltz Grafische Betriebe would also like to use this modern printing process in the future. We are planning further investments in digital solutions to expand our portfolio and our expertise. Our aim is to remain strongly positioned and competitive in digital printing.
At the same time, we would like to retain the possibilities of offset printing in our company. Because by covering both production methods, offset and digital printing, we set ourselves apart from the competition. A look at competitors in our industry often reveals a specialization in one of the two printing processes. The number of farms of a comparable size that use both production methods can be counted on a few fingers.
Our visit to the trade fair once again highlighted the relevance of up-and-coming digital printing. We were able to gain valuable insights into new technologies and processes, exchange ideas with entrepreneurs, manufacturers and partners and make important contacts. We left the event with a wealth of knowledge that we are now incorporating into the planning of future printing processes in our company.
