Equipment manufacturers

Saying Ipex 2014 will be notable for what’s not there could be taken as an unfairly negative reminder of the notable absence of HP and Heidelberg.

Wide-format equipment manufacturer Mutoh has unveiled two new 64in printers to succeed the ValueJet 1638 and 1638W.

Duplo is to use Ipex as the launchpad for its latest multi-finishing device, which the company says increases the range of finishes offered by its established DC-645i “at least tenfold”.

Print finishing equipment distributor Encore Machinery will unveil a line for producing one-piece mailers at next month’s show, where the company has doubled the size of its stand.

Latcham Direct has embarked on a £1m investment in new print equipment and a major hardware and software upgrade to its existing web-to-print capability.

PBL Print has invested in a new Heidelberg Suprasetter A75 platesetter to keep pace with the demand for short-run litho work produced on its two SM 52 Anicolor presses.

Konica Minolta has today officially launched a user group, initially just Europe-wide, aimed primarily at customers using the manufacturer’s Bizhub press range.

All the rage last year, strategic partnerships between vendors continue to be de rigueur in 2014, it seems.

Heidelberg is predicting a 10% fall in sales during the current financial year, but has reiterated its ambitions to post a net profit.

Agfa has expanded its Jeti Titan range of UV-curable wide-format printers with a new flatbed UV inkjet device, the Jeti Titan S and HS.