The move was announced on Tuesday (12 October) by the two companies, both of which are exhibiting at Fespa at the RAI in Amsterdam until Friday, Kongsberg PCS in hall 5, on stand 5-M70 and PrintFactory on stand 1-F22, hall 1.
PrintFactory is a production suite for the print and finishing industry, comprising workflow software that handles repetitive tasks using network apps, smart tools, and XML instructions to increase production speed.
“This is a very exciting announcement for us as it marks the first software agreement we’ve entered into since becoming a standalone business earlier this year,” said Kongsberg PCS president Stuart Fox.
“At that time, we declared our intention to work with other leaders in the field, and this is the first of what we expect to be numerous such partnerships that will further deliver excellence to our customers around the world.”
He added: “PrintFactory achieves this while also being focused on colour management with their smarter RIP, powered by a world-class colour engine, for perfect large-format digital prints.
“With Editor, Layout, Printstation, Just-in-Time tools and cloud components, the new integrated software can be used in combination with the Kongsberg i-cut Production Console (iPC) to allow pre-press corrections to original files in almost any format.”
PrintFactory CEO Erik Strik said that with the Editor tool, fonts, colour corrections, and layout changes can be made without the need for expensive third-party design apps.
“Access to PrintFactory Layout means that manufacturers can now print and cut, nest and create double-sided jobs. It handles white generation and specialty colours and includes special tools for various segments – all-in-one tool for preparing jobs,” he said.
“Printstation helps with workload balancing and gives teams more control over production, making distributing the load easier, while the Just-in-Time Nesting tool allows users to make smart, automatic changes or manual adjustments to jobs up to the last second, without slowing down production.”
The new integrated software includes several features specific to Kongsberg users, including the ability to export files as zipped JDF for cutting, and QR code support for automated workflow in Kongsberg’s iPC. Additionally, the substrate name is included in the cut file for the ‘Material is key’ function in iPC.
“We have plans to work with PrintFactory on a number of additional features in the coming months, to further enhance the quality of production that customers can expect from their Kongsberg cutting tables and tools,” said Fox.
Kongsberg PCS is also showcasing a range of its latest digital finishing innovations at Fespa this week, including its May-launched compact C20 high-speed production table together with the VariAngle Tool.
