Fujifilm and Heidelberg Take First Step Towards Industrial Digital Printing
HEIDELBERG, Germany, February 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
- New generation B1 digital inkjet printing machine meets future customer demand for higher flexibility, productivity and versioning options
- Industry leaders strategic co-development project enables innovative industrial printing applications
- Both companies expand new market segments
- First Market Introduction as Heidelberg Primefire 106 at drupa 2016
FUJIFILM Corporation together with FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems Co., Ltd. (Fujifilm) and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) extend their industry leading positions with the first showing of a new B1 format inkjet printing machine to be demonstrated at drupa 2016 as Heidelberg Primefire 106.
In late 2013 Heidelberg and Fujifilm formed a strategic partnership for the development of a new industrial digital inkjet-printing machine. The new collaborative approach using respective R&D resources has resulted in a brand new product in less than 24 months' time.
"In record time, Fujifilm and Heidelberg have jointly developed the world's first B1 truly industrial inkjet digital printing press," said Gerold Linzbach, CEO of Heidelberg. "Our original partnership was based on a joint evaluation of Fujifilm's core inkjet technology, and after two years of co-development, we remain convinced FUJIFLM is the best partner. Thanks to our close cooperation, we can now present the new digital printing system on our drupa booth, fully integrated into our 'Smart Print Shop' demonstrations."
"Thanks to our strategic partnership with Heidelberg, the major provider and partner for the global printing industry, we are now confident that we can meet the expanding needs of the industrial packaging market," said Shigetaka Komori, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FUJIFILM Corporation. "The new B1 machine enhances the range and application of Fujifilm inkjet technology from our proven Jet Press 720 series in the B2 space. Fujifilm will continue to innovate and deliver value to the growing digital printing industry by expanding our core inkjet technologies which is the cornerstone of this new B1 machine."
The new print engine design will incorporate Samba state-of-the-art MEMS printhead technology from FUJIFILM Dimatix Inc. Fujifilm's water-based pigment ink with Rapic technology for high-definition imaging will meet food packaging safety regulations. Fujifilm's inkjet technology will work together with Heidelberg's world-class developments in press manufacturing and system integration capabilities to achieve quality output comparable to offset with superior consistency and reliability. The new machine will be driven by the Heidelberg Prinect Digital Front End (DFE) to optimize workflow and quality.
The system design will enable printers to develop new applications from a fully digital-based system for customization, variable data printing, and targeted marketing applications. Fujifilm's newly developed 7-color inks (CMYK, orange, green, and violet) and Heidelberg's varnish will improve the range of digital applications through a wide color space and accessibility to various commercial substrates.
Heidelberg will showcase the machine and the end-to-end benefits of the new configuration during the upcoming drupa exhibition on its booth in hall 1. As a strategic partner, Fujifilm will exhibit their wide range of OEM capabilities in hall 1 with various inkjet products, including the Samba printhead with unique and highly sophisticated ink recirculation design, driving differentiation of the world-class innovative printing device.
Both Fujifilm and Heidelberg are planning to market and sell the new solution to their key customers. Commercialization for the new platform is planned in the latter part of 2017. First machine installation for field testing is planned after the drupa exhibition.
FUJIFILM Corporation:
FUJIFILM Corporation is one of the major operating companies of FUJIFILM Holdings. Since its founding in1934, the company has built up a wealth of advanced technologies in the field of photo imaging, and Fujifilm is now applying these technologies to other new business fields. Fujifilm brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries including medical systems / life sciences, graphic arts, document solutions, highly functional materials such as electronic materials, optical devices and digital imaging. Fujifilm aims to help enhance the quality of life of people worldwide by providing top-quality products and services with its leading-edge, proprietary technologies. Through its corporate philosophy, Fujifilm demonstrates its commitment to making a significant contribution to society.
FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems Co., Ltd.:
FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Corporation, provides products and services to the worldwide graphic printing industry as Graphic System business headquarters. The company supplies materials, equipment, workflow, and solutions in offset printing, digital inkjet printing, POD, and package printing. It is also recognized as the leading provider of computer-to-plate (CTP) plates.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft (Heidelberg) has been a major provider and reliable partner to the global printing industry for many years. We offer our customers all the components tailored to their requirements for successful business operations, primarily focusing on efficient and reliable production processes, economically optimal investments and smooth access to all necessary materials. Our business model is based on the three pillars of equipment, service and consumables. These form the foundation for our future growth as we continue to develop from being a technology-driven company to a market- and customer-oriented one. Heidelberg's goal is to increase the share of consolidated sales attributable to services and consumables to over 50 percent. With our own sales and service branches and via partners, we supply our customers all over the world with products, services and consumables, generating consolidated sales of around € 2.3 billion in the 2014/2015 reporting year.
Important Note:
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimations by the Management Board of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the Management Board is of the opinion that those assumptions and estimations are realistic, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the macro-economic situation, in the exchange rates, in the interest rates and in the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft gives no warranty and does not assume liability for any damages in case the future development and the projected results do not correspond with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
For further information, please contact:
FUJIFILM Corporation
Media Contact
Corporate Communications Div.
TEL: +81-3-6271-2000
Customer Contact
Please contact your nearest Fujifilm office.
For information on Fujifilm subsidiaries and distributors, please access the following URL.
http://www.fujifilm.com/worldwide/
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Business Media
Thomas Fichtl
Phone: +49(0)6222-82-67123
E-mail: thomas.fichtl@heidelberg.com
Trade Media
Matthias Hartung
Telefon: +49-6222-82-67972
E-Mail: Matthias.Hartung@heidelberg.com
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