BOBST has announced groundbreaking solutions and strategic partnerships at drupa, signaling a transformative era in the packaging industry where the entire production line is interconnected, enabling seamless end-to-end workflows.

“We are fulfilling our industry vision ‘to shape the future of the packaging world’ based on the pillars of connectivity, digitalization, automation, and sustainability,” said Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO of Bobst Group. “Our solutions empower printers and converters to embrace digitalization while advancing towards a more sustainable future. We are proud to engage with industry leaders, forge new partnerships, and chart a course towards continued innovation and progress.”

One of the standout innovations is the DIGITAL MASTER 55, an all-in-one digital printing and converting platform designed specifically for the folding carton industry. This platform opens new possibilities for short-to-mid-size runs, offering rapid lead times and exceptional product quality. The DIGITAL MASTER 55 combines printing, embellishment, quality control, and die-cutting inline at 100 meters per minute, ensuring the shortest time to market, even offering same-day delivery, and providing the best Total Cost of Ownership.

By enabling just-in-time production, the DIGITAL MASTER 55 minimizes the need for large stocks and inventories. With full inline and automated printing adjustment capabilities and quality inspection, this platform is ideal for runs up to 6,000 B1 equivalent sheets, reducing production time by up to 80% and cutting costs on short runs while eliminating waste, logistics, and downtime associated with traditional production processes.

In the packaging sector, BOBST is elevating connectivity and digitalization by enabling a closed-loop workflow ecosystem from PDF to twin PDF. This boosts productivity, ease of use, and contributes to sustainability.

BOBST Connect, the company's ever-evolving, cloud-based digital platform, includes a significant update to equipment monitoring, offering more detailed data insights than ever before. Performance management provides insights on equipment, shift and job performance, and energy consumption, optimizing sustainability and cost. Additionally, BOBST Connect now features a cloud-based certified substrate library, allowing converters to access updated BOBST certified material lists for fast-tracking substrate calibration.

The introduction of Thalia ink marks a new generation of UV digital inks designed to meet the highest standards in ink compliance. Thalia inks are TPO free and comply with major regulations including REACH and EuPIA GMP. These inks are free of carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins (CMRs) and comply with the latest Swiss Ordinance announced in February 2024. Customers using Thalia inks can rest assured they are using inks compliant with current and upcoming regulations without compromising on print quality. Moreover, the new ink set offers better resistance performance and an improved color gamut.

For the folding carton industry, the Thalia Foldable UV inks address the challenge of foldability in high ink coverage or dark color applications. These inks maintain their post-curing elasticity even after extended periods, making them ideal for high-speed folding-gluing, small creasing lines, and sharp angles. This is particularly relevant for small boxes and thinner boards, which are increasingly used to reduce costs and improve sustainability.

BOBST is also launching a new version of its flagship flatbed die-cutter, the MASTERCUT 165 PER. This machine handles corrugated board and folding cartons with equal efficiency, delivering perfect batches or pallets of blanks thanks to its novel Dual Stream system. A new carbon gripper bar increases the running speed to up to 7,500 sheets per hour, while inline quality control with automatic waste ejection ensures zero-fault packaging.

BOBST Connect remains the cornerstone of BOBST's software journey. To strengthen its data and cloud-based software capabilities, BOBST is expanding its successful collaboration with Microsoft. In an increasingly AI-driven environment, this partnership provides the cloud-based infrastructure, expertise, and data security necessary for BOBST to deliver state-of-the-art software solutions to its customers.

Additionally, BOBST has entered a strategic partnership with Packitoo, a French company that develops digital solutions for the packaging industry. Packitoo HIPE, a web-based sales tool, automates quotations, manages packaging projects, and supports web-to-pack e-shops for printers and converters. This partnership aligns with BOBST's strategy to digitalize and connect the entire packaging value chain, from brand owners to converters and equipment suppliers.