Digital printing equipment is "snatching class and seizing power"

From September 24 to 27, Labelexpo Europe 2013 was held in Brussels, Belgium. The biennial exhibition heralds the mainstream of technological development in the future, and digital printing is undoubtedly at this exhibition. The most eye-catching scenery.

Digital printing equipment

According to the organizer of the European International Labeling Exhibition, the British Tarsus Group, among the products displayed at this exhibition, the printing machine part (excluding digital printing equipment), 20 exhibitors and more than 40 products; digital printing In the machine part, there were 24 exhibitors, and the number of products exceeded traditional printing. Another thing worth noting is that many traditional printing equipment manufacturers have also appeared in the ranks of digital printing machine manufacturers. From this data alone, it is not difficult to see that digital printing is receiving more and more attention, and is accelerating the "grab and grab power" of traditional printing sites.

In fact, in the 2012 world printing people's event-Drupa, digital printing technology has overshadowed traditional printing. Even traditional printing giants such as Heidelberg, Manroland, Komori, etc., don't hesitate to condes The nano-printing technology cooperation, which is still in the "saddling", has become a "lifter" for the Israeli Randa. The contrast between the decline of traditional printing and the rise of digital printing.

At the European International Label Exhibition, the strength of digital printing in the field of label printing is actually just a continuation of the greater trend of this technology. Now, digital printing equipment manufacturers are using their actual actions to promote the application of digital printing technology. In the long run, digital printing technology is becoming the mainstream of label printing technology.

Market selection will take time

However, although at the European International Label Exhibition, there are many digital printing manufacturers and many equipment on display, but this does not represent the whole market. The market is realized jointly by the supply and demand sides. If there is no response from the buyers, in fact, the manufacturers are enthusiastic even in vain.

The author did not go to the European International Label Exhibition site to visit and could not ascertain the true feelings of the audience at the exhibition. However, in some previous interviews, I was able to learn such information: many heads of domestic label printing companies went to Belgium to visit. The focus of the investigation is still on various traditional printing equipment that has not been exhibited on the domestic market, including flexographic printing machines and combination printing machines, while digital printing machines are not within the scope of their key investigations.

Also in previous interviews, some heads of domestic label printing companies bluntly stated that although there are more and more domestic companies that are launching digital printing equipment, few actually earn money from digital printing technology. At present, the digital printing presses of enterprises are not intended to be completely replaced, but as a necessary supplement to the traditional printing technology, to retain existing customers and to meet the changing needs of customers.

Digital printing technology can realize variable data printing, which can meet the individual needs of customers, which is its advantage. However, there is still a big gap between digital printing and traditional printing in terms of quality, speed, adaptability, material selection, especially cost. Therefore, it is difficult for digital printing to dominate the label printing market in the short term.

Inkjet printing may become mainstream

When digital printing enters the market at the beginning, the technology of the front station is electrostatic printing technology. But as time went on, inkjet printing gradually gained the upper hand.

According to the official website of the European International Label Exhibition, among the 24 digital printing equipment manufacturers, only 4 companies use electrostatic technology, and the other 20 use inkjet technology.

Compared with electrostatic technology, the entry threshold of inkjet digital printing technology is low, and the system's social supporting performance is good, including inkjet head, ink, curing system and even control system box software, which can be achieved through social procurement. In terms of device integration, there are not too many intellectual property barriers. Therefore, many manufacturers enter the digital printing field and choose inkjet printing equipment as a breakthrough.

The participation of many enterprises has enabled inkjet printing technology to develop much faster than electrostatic technology. At the same time, the large number of manufacturers entering this field has also made the competition in this field more and more intense. While the quality and speed have been rapidly improved, the price of equipment and the price of ink are declining.

Compared with the electrostatic digital printing technology with high equipment and consumables cost and high entry barrier, inkjet printing technology is more friendly to the people, so it is also favored by more users who are pursuing cost performance. If the electrostatic printing technology cannot be changed, it may eventually be lost to the rising star of inkjet printing.

Speaking of the 2013 European International Label Exhibition, many people call it the “watershed” between traditional printing and digital printing, but I think it is too early to conclude this, but the impact of digital printing on traditional printing is obvious, and this impact , Is changing from nibbling to whaling. The future label printing market is bound to be dominated by digital printing technology.