Heidelberg and its subsidiary Gallus will showcase a range of unique digital solutions at Labelexpo Europe 2023 (Stand 11C30). The systems support increased automation of the entire print ecosystem, with the aim of facilitating ‘smart, connected printing’ to address shortage of skilled labor, increase productivity, and reduce waste.

For Heidelberg, digital label printing is a very attractive market to grow in the digital printing segment, as it has a growth rate of around 6% per year and is, therefore, increasingly turning to digital solutions. The latest innovations from Heidelberg and Gallus underscore their commitment to boosting this digital transformation. “The new solutions that Heidelberg and Gallus have developed together address the most important challenges that stakeholders market-wide are facing every day, such as the shortage of skilled labor and the demand for more productivity,” said Dr. Ludwin Monz, CEO, Heidelberg.

Gallus One digital press removes TCO barrier for digital label printing

Labelexpo will mark the European trade show debut of the new Gallus One digital label press. Launched in August 2022, the Gallus One was specifically designed to remove the total cost of ownership (TCO) barrier for the adoption of reel-to-reel digital labels with the highest level of automation and cloud-based technologies, thus bringing digital label printing into the wider area. In doing so, Gallus One provides brands, for the first time, with access to cost-effective and sustainable, high-quality digital labels.

Further optimizing the TCO benefits, Gallus recently launched the new Gallus One with Converting. This new solution brings everything inline, featuring a digital printer with an inline flexo station, a semi-rotary die cutter that can change a job within one minute and process up to 70 m per minute, and vision inspection systems to ensure the highest level of quality and minimize waste.

Ability to turn a Gallus ECS 340 into a hybrid system

The trade show will also see Gallus highlight the newly available digital printing unit (DPU) for the Gallus ECS 340 flexo press. Launched this summer as part of the inaugural Gallus Experience Days, the DPU transforms a traditional Gallus ECS 340 into a Gallus Labelfire 340 hybrid press – but crucially, without the additional platform investment. This means that customers are now able to access all the flexibility and versatility of digital printing, but with the reliability and precision of conventional printing and further processing technology.

Heidelberg customer portal automates customer touchpoints

The trade show will also provide a platform to showcase the new Heidelberg Customer Portal (HCP), which was recently unveiled at the opening of the Gallus Group’s landmark new industry facility – the Gallus Experience Center – and which automates almost every customer touchpoint. In an industry first, future iterations of the solution will also provide predictive capabilities utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to provide recommendations to drive productivity, reduce maintenance, and boost profitability. The new platform is expected to save customers, on average, up to 35% in both time and money.

Complete production workflow for in-mold labels

For high-volume applications, experts from Heidelberg will also showcase a complete production workflow for in-mold label production, with the highest performance on the market in terms of quality, productivity, and net output.

“Labelexpo is always such a positive and inspiring arena, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity not only to showcase our latest products at the show, but also to connect with stakeholders market-wide and continue to share our vision for the industry’s future,” concluded Dario Urbinati, CEO, Gallus Group.