THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL PRINT IN FOLDING-CARTON PACKAGING

In the competitive world of folding-carton packaging, investing in new printing technology is not just about following trends. It is concerned with improving the bottom line. Digital printing is set to shape the future. With the right production profile, it will pay off.

Digital printing is no longer a futuristic ‘nice-to-have’. This has been proven with the VariJET 106 platform from Koenig & Bauer Durst. Folding-carton converters do not buy machines for the sake of speed or print quality alone. Any investment must be justified by a return. 

For this reason, Koenig & Bauer Durst has built its market approach around real data and real business cases since day one. The company’s process starts with current production data. Koenig & Bauer Durst considers how many sheets are run per year and the quantity of jobs. In addition, consideration is given to the run-length distribution and how long make-readies take. The company is also concerned with how much make-ready waste is created. 

Based on real data, Koenig & Bauer Durst can calculate the crossover point where VariJET 106 makes sense. Whether the target market is pharma, food, beauty or luxury, its platform is based on real data.

Across dozens of job-basket analyses, the VariJET 106 lies in jobs between 4,000–10,000 sheets. These core mid-volume runs are too short to be efficient on offset, but are the perfect match for digital.

“The VariJET 106, with its 5,500 sheets/hr top speed, delivers competitive throughput”

A VariJET 106 press, running 8–12 million sheets per year, typically achieves a 2–3 payback. This depends on the mix of jobs and customer demands. The key reason is that offset presses rarely reach their top speeds on short and medium runs. A 15,000–18,000 sheet/hr offset press might look superior on paper. However, the reality is that frequent make-readies, plate changes, colour adjustments and paper waste eat up valuable production time and margin.

The VariJET 106, with its 5,500 sheets/hr top speed, delivers competitive throughput when looking at the whole printing process. From the first production step to the printed sheet, the concern is not just speed. Its digital nature means setup times are drastically reduced, colour consistency is achieved faster and waste is significantly minimised.

While ink costs for digital are higher than offset, this does not mean that digital is more expensive. At cost per page, the equation shifts.

In most real-world production cases, the higher ink price is outweighed by savings in make-ready waste, plate costs and labour time. Koenig & Bauer Durst’s calculations show that in 95% of relevant jobs, digital efficiency gains more than compensation for ink costs.

Added to this, is the flexibility of versioning, serialisation and personalisation. These aspects unlock added value. However, customer willingness to pay for these features currently remains limited. Still, the process efficiencies alone often make a compelling business case.

The company built the VariJET 106 with format and reliability in mind. Folding-carton converters need a format that fits workflow and one that is productive enough to complement existing machines. The VariJET 106’s B1 format is proven to be ideal. It offers robust uptime performance. As a result, converters can confidently plan real production, rather than experiments. The combination of digital quality with double-coating capability and exceptional registration, allows converters to hit the highest market requirements.

In conclusion, digital printing does not just improve efficiency and increase profits. It transforms the entire workflow. Processes – from artwork to prepress to converting – remaining analogue, will not be able to realise the full benefits of digital.

Successful digital adopters also invest in software integration, automated workflows and lean-change management. Koenig & Bauer Durst helps print converters to digitise the full value chain, unlocking not just a more agile print process, but a more responsive and scalable business model.

The VariJET 106 is designed for folding-carton packaging converters who are ready to grow profitably and embrace new opportunities. If the job mix aligns and an increase in efficiency and flexibility are key, it can be a real game changer. The best way to explore its potential is through production data. 

“Koenig & Bauer Durst helps print converters to digitise the full value chain”