Held in Düsseldorf, Germany, every four years, Drupa is the largest printing technologies exhibition in the world. This year’s event, which ran from May 28 through June 7, drew 170,000 trade visitors, 80% of whom came from overseas, and 1,643 exhibitors. Themes throughout the fair’s 18 exhibition halls were digitization and sustainability.
“The automation and digitization technologies exhibited at the fair were impressive,” says C.M. Yeung, director and general manager of Leo Paper’s facilities management department. “The trend is obviously moving towards unmanned factories and the integration of digital printing with digital binding workflow. The many robotic arms and automated material-handling systems exhibited at Drupa gave the impression that Industry 4.0-style factories producing and packaging goods will soon become a reality, and are driving the print-manufacturing industry to venture into newer and more innovative business models.”
While there were fewer visitors than at the previous exhibition, Yeung noted that the majority of the fair attendees were prospective buyers looking to make purchases. “The strong presence of over 400 Chinese exhibitors, accounting for more than a quarter of the total, indicates the accelerating expansion of China’s print-related equipment manufacturing industry,” adds Yeung. “There were noticeably fewer prepress software and proofing equipment exhibitors, likely due to the impact of rising digital printing options.”
The print-manufacturing industry, says Richard Lim, COO of Hung Hing, is becoming more digital and data-driven. “The rise of shorter print runs means embracing digital print production, which will drive down the cost of consumables. For Hung Hing, that will result in a higher-skilled workforce. Offering more speed with an integrated print and binding workflow is the key to staying competitive in this industry.”
Lim was at the fair to check out digital postpress solutions. As part of his learning trip, he also visited a digital printing company specializing in photo books/albums. “Their average orders are less than 20 books, with some as low as two to three books, with a 48-hour turnaround time, and they are able to produce up to 14,000 books during peak seasons,” says Lim. “While Hung Hing is not in the same business segment, this company’s workflow and capabilities underscore the need for us to keep an open mind when it comes to adopting new technologies and incorporating them into our business so that we can stay ahead of the curve.
