The 11th Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne, Switzerland last month was the largest and most diverse, with almost 6,000 visitors traveling from over 50 nations to attend. Visitors saw many premieres demonstrating greater automation and substrate flexibility. These included:
- Hunkeler’s new generation of unwinding and rewinding modules featuring faster roll changes, 30” web widths and production speeds up to 1000 feet/minute.
- Book production solutions in a variety of workflows, efficient production of digitally printed brochures with dynamic content and variable page counts, and advanced laser finishing for dynamic perforating and punching.
- Hunkeler’s new control platform enabling end-to-end control of print jobs. Various roll and cut-sheet applications provided by Canon, HP, Kodak, Ricoh, Screen, Xerox, and others were demonstrated.
- The DP8 Dynamic Perforating module from the new POPP8 generation, which offers improved productivity with even greater functionality and speed for dynamic perforation and punching of payment forms, tear-off coupons, mailings and security applications.
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Hunkeler Standard-Signature Book Block System.
Hunkeler also demonstrated its newly enhanced Plowfold Signature Book Block production line with variable format sizes – featuring fully automatic longitudinal format changeover, high flexibility and excellent book block quality. Rolls were processed into 4, 6, or 8-page signatures on the PF7 double plow folder and transferred to the new CS6-HS cutter and SD7 double star wheel delivery unit for non-stop operation up to 650 fpm. The system delivers up to 4,500 96-page books per hour in A5 format with multiple book blocks on top of each other, and is ready for integration into a JDF/JMF workflow. - The new and improved Hunkeler PC7 Coater module that adds post-print gloss and print protection to inkjet-printed products and now offers a fully automated cleaning process and simple roller removal without tools.
- The new Hunkeler HL6 Laser module was demonstrating fully dynamic, zero make-ready, customized punch and perforation patterns, ideal for high-security applications such as forge-proof checks, IDs, lottery tickets, coupons, mailings and more.
- The Smart Binding System for perfect-bound books that produces short-run, variable books of different sizes and thicknesses from a 20”-wide roll with no manual touchpoints.
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Standard Hunkeler RD-4055 Rotary Die-Cutter.
The new RD-4055 Rotary Die-Cutter which can die-cut, crease, perforate, slit, hole punch, and round-corner in one process for digital and offset printed sheets. Die-cutting and kiss-cutting can be performed at the same time to produce stickers and labels. And, a repeat register function allows multiple-up applications from a single-up die to minimize costs. The RD-4055 feeds, die-cuts, and separates waste in one pass at up to 6,000 cycles/hour and accepts sheet sizes up to 15.74″ x 21.65″ at a thickness up to .5 mm (.019”).
