Chicago, Ill. – The Association for Print Technologies announced the seven winners of its RED HOT Technologies Vanguard Awards on the eve of its PRINT®19 event (October 3-5, McCormick Place, Chicago).

All seven winners, chosen by a juried panel of industry professionals, were selected from 41 products and solutions that will be exhibited at the show and based on their merits as game-changers in the industry. Six entrants received Breakthrough Awards, recognizing products that build on existing technology to significantly advance its use, and one entrant was selected for the Pioneer Award, given to a product that is the first of its kind or entirely new to the industry.

RED HOT Technology Vanguard Award Breakthrough Winners:

Company: BlueCrest
Product: Clarity Optimizer
Leveraging the Industrial Internet to power its operational intelligence capabilities, Clarity Optimizer is a cloud-based offering that enables companies to effectively and securely leverage sensor data from connected systems to provide actionable insights into the way machines, jobs, and operators interact. Clarity Optimizer provides complete transparency across print and mail operations to drive maximum efficiencies and cost savings. It captures insight and prepares a dashboard with key insights and trends including production efficiency, productivity, capacity, alarms and defects.

Company: CapStone Technologies
Product: AutoViri Software
Cloud-based AutoViri Software puts real-time information about job status and errors in the hands of employees at every level in every department of a print-to-mail business. This information can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere, streamlining the work of production employees, management and leadership. The software can be used in any print-to-mail environment – automated, manual or anywhere in between.

Company: EFI
Product: EFI Fiery FreeForm Create
EFI Fiery FreeForm Create is a brand new, free, standalone variable data creation application based on existing Fiery FreeForm VDP technology. The concept of the legacy Fiery FreeForm technology centers on submitting separate master and variable documents through Fiery Command WorkStation or a Fiery driver. The Fiery server would process the master once, then that master could be mapped to each record in the variable document – a faster process than creating final merged files in applications such as Microsoft Word or Fiery InDesign.

Company: Koenig & Bauer
Product: AR DataGlass Remote Support system
Koenig and Bauer’s new Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support system offers proactive innovative support ensuring that customers receive the maximum uptime and throughput in their facility and allowing them to remain ahead of their competitors for all web presses from Flexo to Digital Inkjet to Newspaper. This robust industrial data glass is equipped with an HD camera and a microphone which filters out background noise creating a direct audio-visual link between technicians and remote maintenance.

Company: Koenig & Bauer
Product: Rapida LiveApp
The Koenig & Bauer Rapida LiveApp enables the control console to become mobile allowing the press operator to be stationed anywhere near the press and remain in control of all press operations. The app has been devised to be as easy and user-friendly as possible. Upon login, an info panel is opened with details on the current job, the production schedule, and the current press status. LiveApp integrates video content to help an operator interactively learn and implement important machine processes such as blanket changing or roller adjustment.

Company: Xerox Corporation
Product: Xerox Adaptive CMYK Plus Technology for the C60/C70 Printer
Clearly, expectations for digital print are changing. How will customers adapt? Xerox® Adaptive CMYK Plus Technology for the C60/C70 Printer is a dynamic, flexible accessory developed for the Xerox® Color C60/C70 Printer so customers can choose to run traditional jobs using standard CMYK toners, then replace them with a CMYK Plus toner set (Vivid Toner Kit) in just minutes to augment their traditional offerings when the time is right.

The RED HOT Vanguard Award Pioneer Winner:

Company: Xerox Corporation
Product: Xerox Baltoro HF Inkjet Press
The Xerox® Baltoro™ HF Inkjet Press is an all new cut-sheet production inkjet press that enables clients to print high-volume, transactional work and high-quality direct mail and catalogs on a single press with superior image quality and productivity. The Baltoro HF is Xerox’s first product off this platform. It’s a breakthrough platform that expands into the commercial print environment and supports high-quality production with economics similar to offset printing. It offers a unique single-vendor design from the frame to the engine which gives Xerox a greater ability to continuously advance the platform at a faster clip than the competition.

For complete information about the Association, its programs, and its member companies, visit: www.PRINTtechnologies.org or phone: 703/264-7200.