Koenig & Bauer Durst has confirmed its intent to push ahead with the introduction of its new single-pass hybrid press, with the first installation at a customer site expected for early next year prior to a formal unveiling at drupa 2021.

Targeting the folding carton industry, VariJET 106 is a B1, 6000sph press that integrates Durst’s inkjet expertise with the offset printing know-how of Koenig & Bauer and its Rapida 106 press platform, as well as inline finishing.

VariJET 106 was expected to be one of the star attractions at this year’s drupa, although with the show postponed and rearranged for 20-28 April, 2021, the press’ introduction has also been delayed.

News of the beta roadmap for VariJET  106 follows on from Koenig & Bauer confirming its intent to exhibit at a drupa in 2021 in the wake of a growing contingent of manufacturers choosing to cancel their participation at the event. This has included Heidelberg, Bobst and Komori, although Eagle Systems, Kama and Windmöller & Hölscher have stated they will exhibit at a drupa in 2021.

Robert Stabler, managing director at Koenig & Bauer Durst, said, ‘We’re really excited by the opportunities and progress with our much-anticipated VariJET 106. We have a number of existing customers that would like to be beta sites, and we plan to show them the press after the summer.

‘The customer we choose will have a vision for mass customisation and be a good partner for a beta site. Feedback from our customers is that shorter run lengths, mass customisation and the need to be more agile are the compelling reasons for moving to digital production.’ 

Mr Stabler continued, ‘Successful companies need to be able to embrace the trends that are occurring and offer solutions. Brand owners continually want their products to stand out, require shorter lead times, while at the same time eliminate waste and conform to sustainability and track-and-trace requirements. Brand owners are also looking to ensure the new production methods are reliable, compliant and cost effective while converters need to have the capabilities and competencies to mass customise without any compromise on quality. We deliver on this.’

Koenig & Bauer Durst has also upgraded its single-pass corrugated presses, Delta SPC 130 and CorruJET 170. This includes a digital priming unit for uncoated media to broaden the application potential of Delta SPC 130 machines, as well as an extend range of media that can be used for printing. Special colours have also been introduced for the fifth and sixth colour stations to help converters meet brand colour requirements. With CorruJET 170, successful beta testing has been completed at Kolb Group in Bavaria, Germany, a company that develops and produces packaging, packaging materials and specialist products made in corrugated cardboard. Based on Koenig & Bauer’s RotaJET inkjet web press for commercial printing, CorruJET 170 post-prints sheets of corrugated up to 1.7m wide at up to 137m/min with water-based, food safe inks.

Read more about the history of Koenig & Bauer Durst and VariJET 106 here

Read about the wealth of other digital package printing technologies that were due and anticipated to debut at drupa 2020, detailed in the May/June issue of Digital Labels & Packaging, and available to read here