Andover, MA – Standard Finishing Systems partner Hunkeler announced today that Innovationdays 2011 set new attendance records, had more participating partners than ever before, and received overwhelmingly positive visitor feedback. Held every other year in Lucerne, Switzerland, Innovationdays has emerged as the highest-profile digital printing, feeding and finishing showcase in Europe, with growing participation from other key markets.  

Nearly 5,500 leaders from the digital printing community attended the event over four days, marking an increase of over 20% from 2009 levels.  Most visitors were from Europe, but other areas of the world were also well represented.  Over fifty North American customers made the journey, including executives from leading print service providers like American Express, Consolidated Graphics, DST Output, O'Neil Data Systems, Quad/Graphics, RR Donnelley, and Vertis.  

These industry leaders were joined by top printer vendor and finishing partner companies.  Canon, HP, Impika, Kodak, Nipson, Oce, Pitney Bowes, Ricoh, Screen, Xeikon, Xerox and finishing suppliers like Standard partner Horizon International were well represented.  Overall eighty hardware, software and inserter partners cooperated to roll-out an unparalleled variety of integrated solutions and real-world applications that ran live at the show.

Hunkeler used Innovationdays as a launching pad for several new products.  The new high-performance PF7 Plow Folder and SD7 Signature Delivery were designed to flexibly convert wide digitally-printed webs into glued book blocks at 650 feet per minute for efficient binding.  In another first, the DP6 module was shown dynamically perforating along and across the web, and applying a different pattern on each half of the web for maximum flexibility. Thirty different Hunkeler-driven lines ran the gamut from publishing, direct mail, commercial print and transactional applications to digital newspapers and integrated forms.

Horizon used the venue to demonstrate the power of automated finishing for continuous-feed digital printing.  A Standard Horizon StitchLiner 6000 Digital saddlestitching system was shown with cover insertion and the new HSF-30S high-speed sheet feeder, fronted by Hunkeler unwinding and rotary cutting technology.  The Standard Horizon AF-566F Digital production folder was also shown in-line with the Standard Hunkeler CS6 rotary cutter.  Tight technical integration between all Horizon and Hunkeler modules yielded ultra-fast set-up and changeover, application flexibility, and variable speed matching for smooth operation.  

"What sets this event apart is the ability to do a deep-dive on the full spectrum of continuous-feed digital printing and finishing technology, under one roof, in a low-key atmosphere, without the usual sales hype" commented Johan Laurent, Hunkeler Business Manager, Standard Finishing Systems.  Customers also responded favorably to this formula. "Innovationdays was outstanding," said Bill Graushar, Vice President, Post Press Technology, Quad/Graphics. "It was compact and well-organized, with an impressive range of live solutions, so we were able to could cover a lot of technology ground very efficiently."

Highlights, photos and solution details are available at the Innovationdays 2011 Virtual website (see http://www.hunkeler.ch/virtual.html). Standard Finishing Systems also prepared a "Video Vault" of over thirty-five live video interviews conducted at the fair with customers, printer vendors and finishing partners (see http://tinyurl.com/innovationdays). Planning for the next Innovationdays has already started, with a target of February 2013 (final date to be announced soon).