Hunkeler’s off-white modules with their blue translucent see-through tops were everywhere at drupa. Unwind UW6 modules fed webs to the digital engines and when the printed paper came out it was either taken up by Hunkeler RW6 rewinders or put directly into a range of in-line folding, perforation, cutting, laser cutting, collating and book block modules. Sometimes there were stackers and destacker modules and in-line inspection systems as well.
Hunkeler’s W16 web inspection system maintained both data integrity and the quality of the printed image on its HP Pagewide T460 42-inch width press where these functions can operate at speeds up to 240 metres a minute. Hunkeler’s unwinders and rewinders were mounted on the HP T230 press. HP also demonstrated a near line solution using a Hunkeler unwinder and a roll to cut and stack finishing line.
Canon presented transactional and mail applications printed on its Oce Colorstream 3000Z and processed using Hunkeler’s CS6-II cutting module and its DP8 dynamic punch and perforation module as well the WS16 web inspection system. Hunkeler’s web inspection is not just an error finding system. One anticipates that since it can look at quality and also intelligently read digital signs and marks using lists and comparisons, it is also meant to provide an overall correction and security applications in conjunction with the Hunkeler digital control platform.
At drupa 2016, Ricoh showed its VC60000 web fed inkjet press in-line to a Hunkeler Combi system for roll to roll or roll to stack production of fullcolor direct mail. Apart from showing a near line Hunkeler system for the variable format and thickness brochure production, Xerox printed short-run or Print on Demand books on its Impika eVolution. In this system the Hunkeler Combi line had a DP8 module that can uniquely punch and perforate each page as well as a CS6-II cutting module and SE6 module for separation of book blocks that emerge from the LS6 stacker. The Screen Truepress Jet 520 also used a Hunkeler combi-line including the UW6 and RW6 unwinder rewinders and the CS6- HS cutter.
At the Muller Martini stand, webs printed on both Canon and Xerox color engines used UW6 unwinders that were cross cut using a Hunkeler CS6-HS cutting module for dynamically chopping into varying formats using the DynaCut function. After being buckle-folded these were transferred to Muller Martini’s Presto II Digital saddle stitcher. The Hunkeler BD7 dynamic book stacker was also shown in-line to the Muller Martini Vareo perfect binder as it automatically separated books of varying sizes and thickness.
Horizon also showed several Hunkeler modules at its stand including the unwind and cross cutting modules in-line with its Stitchliner 6000 Digital saddlestitcher. Horizon showed the Hunkeler Dynacut in conjunction with its SB09V perfect binder. The Hunkeler unwind and cutting modules were also shown in-line to the Meccanotecnica thread sewing book binding machine.
On its own stand Hunkeler modules demonstrated their versatility as well their dynamic ability to intelligently process printed webs of documents and books based on the ability to individually read or identify products and to process them uniquely. Hunkeler’s book block system can adjust the cutting module and the star wheel dynamically and automatically without stopping production. The new DynaCut module dynamically alters cut-off length of the printed web for varying format sizes for generating book blocks (or collated documents) of different sizes one after the other, serially. Hunkeler also showed its new BD7 module at its stand which can separate book blocks with varying number of papers (thus thickness) and also of varying format sizes that are coming out of a perfect binder permitting true serial production of unique books on demand.
At drupa 2012, Hunkeler first showed its HL6 laser module that could use one or two 750-watt lasers. The new HL6 shown at drupa 2016 uses one or two lasers of 300-watt output each and this time it was integrated into a production line that could produce either newspapers or books. Applications include laser cutting or perforation and even kisscutting of labelstock for the production of security documents and checks, coupons, mailings.
Hunkeler is a company that keeps thinking ahead and anticipating the needs and creating tools for the future. These include the Hunkeler Control Platform which is essentially a platform that anticipates the automation and hence the capability of reading and dynamically processing every piece or component of every document to a finishing and logistics stage. Hunkeler also has an associate company known as Hunkeler Waste Systems which makes equipment and systems for dynamically handling paper and waste coming out of print production lines for safe and environmentally conscious and secure disposal. Hunkeler Waste Systems demonstrated its equipment in-line to Muller Martini’s binding systems at its own stand alongside the Muller Martini stand in Hall 2.
This drupa leads to the next Hunkeler Innovation days 2017 scheduled for 20 to 23 February in Lucerne in Switzerland. Once again this is where most of the digital press manufacturers demonstrate in-line solutions together with suppliers of paper processing, finishing, inserting and mailing systems. Many of the allied software and consumables suppliers also take small stands but everything digital for paper printing, processing, finishing and mailing is there all at one fairly compact place.
