Hunkeler Innovationdays, or HID as it is affectionately known, is a biennial event that brings together some of the latest digital press workflows and equipment with the latest finishing equipment to showcase complete solutions. It does this in Lucerne, Switzerland, a breathtaking location especially for a “printing show.” In all fairness, this isn’t really a printing show as you would normally expect. In the course of four days, over 100 exhibitors will host about 6,500 people. The uniqueness of HID is a direct result of a passion and understanding that print and packaging service providers need to see the possibilities of a complete solution.

At HID, it is done in an atmosphere that presents exhibitors as equals, without much of the hype or fanfare that you might expect at a print show. This happens because the event’s producer, Hunkeler AG—recognized as the largest manufacturer of print finishing equipment in the world—is a partner with almost all printer manufacturers. The theme of this year’s event is “Success with Automation,” a very timely topic considering the growth and impact of production inkjet technology combined with the demands of cost pressures and for quick turn arounds. 

Historically many of the printer manufacturers have used HID to launch new products. This year is really no different, although there aren’t as many new printer products on display, probably due to the looming presence of drupa 2020. That having been said, Ricoh has officially launched their VC70000, which we detailed in a previous article. In a similar vein, Canon showed their updated ProStream 1000, which can now support media up to 300 gsm along with some enhanced print quality improvements. In addition to the great production line configurations using Hunkeler Generation 8 finishing equipment, these two presses in particular stand out in their ability to prove that production inkjet quality has finally achieved offset quality. Other presses that really stood out as offset replacements included the Canon i300, the Screen Truepress Jet 520HD, HP Pagewide, and Xerox Trivor. Other press manufacturers participating include Xeikon, Heidelberg, Bluecrest, and Riso. Additionally, there are many workflow solution providers, paper and ink manufacturers, and other print production and finishing partners.