The world premiere showcase started yesterday (12 October) and is taking place at Koenig & Bauer’s Radebeul facility in Germany.
The VariJet 106 was originally shown as a concept at Drupa 2016, using Xerox inkjet technology.
Subsequently, in December 2018, Koenig & Bauer teamed with Durst on a new joint venture company to develop digital presses targeted at the corrugated and folding carton markets.
The following year Robert Stabler was recruited to run the joint venture.
Stabler posted on LinkedIn about this week’s event, and said: “We are really excited about sharing the Best of Two worlds. Industrial, high productivity design with all the agility and flexibility of digital printing.”
He said that customer response on day one had been positive.
“Thanks to the development teams from Koenig & Bauer and Durst for making our VariJet 106 customer event so successful today. Biggest thanks of course go to our customers who made the day with their insights into the folding carton market. We are more excited than ever about the opportunities for digital printing in the packaging segment.”
The VariJet 106 is based on K&B’s Rapida press platform. It prints in up to seven colours (CMYK+OVG) at 5,500sph. Resolution is 1,200x1,200dpi, and it uses Fujifilm Dimatix Samba printheads and water-based, food safe inks.
The press handles stock thicknesses from 0.2mm-0.8mm.
Koenig & Bauer Durst said the event marked “a proud moment in the history of our young company”.
The firm said the press would open up “completely new possibilities” for packaging printers and their clients, such as packaging including variable codes to connect with digital media, seasonal or regional offers, and short-runs.
Earlier this month, K&B Durst also held an open house event focused on single-pass corrugated inkjet printing at the Durst Innovation Center East in Lienz, Austria.
Picture shows K&B senior product manager Oliver Baar and VP of sales for digital solutions Maik Laubin preparing to demonstrate the VariJet 106 at the premiere.
