'Racing' themed Esko stand will mark European debut of Kongsberg C Series, the first fully-featured super-wide digital finishing systems
Esko promises visitors to its stand at FESPA Digital 2014 a fast-paced experience full of innovative ideas for business growth. Esko will be located on stand B2-238 at the show, which is being held in Munich, Germany, 20-23 May.
"FESPA Digital is always a high-energy show," says Armand Gougay, Esko Vice President EMEA, "and we will add even more enthusiasm with a racing theme that fits perfectly with our ability to speed up sign and display graphics production – from prepress through finishing. Both cutting machines and software solutions will be on display in our stand, demonstrating the breadth of our offerings and our leadership position in this market. The racing theme also highlights the unique capabilities of our newly launched Kongsberg C Series cutting tables, the fastest digital finishing solution in the market for the widest range of materials."
Next-generation cutting tables to see European debut
At FESPA Digital 2014, Esko will show the Kongsberg C64 cutting table for the first time in Europe following a successful launch last fall at SGIA in the U.S. This first-of-a-kind super-wide digital finishing system is a brand-new platform whose development is based on decades of engineering experience from Kongsberg, and is designed for 24/7 production and semi-industrial environments. Unique is its ability to handle materials up to 3.2 by 3.2 meters. Due to their robust design and the unique carbon traverse beam, the Kongsberg C Series cutting tables do not decelerate when cutting demanding materials and are capable of working with the a broader array of materials than any other super-wide finisher, from paper and textiles to fluted board, plastics, aluminum composites and (unique to the Kongsberg C) corrugated up to triple-wall thickness. "With this next-generation cutting table," adds Gougay, "our customers will truly be able to improve productivity and decrease time to market with excellent precision at high speeds and extreme fast acceleration. Visitors to our stand at FESPA Digital will see this clearly demonstrated, in a fun way!"
Launch of Kongsberg V Series
Another family of cutting tables that Esko will showcase for the first time in Europe at FESPA Digital is the Kongsberg V-series. These Kongsberg tables have a standard design that delivers true Kongsberg production quality. Available in two configurations, the V-series tables are ideal for sign & display as well as packaging applications. "Initial market testing in Asia generated strong demand for these new tables," explains Gougay. "We are now scaling up manufacturing to make these models available through all Esko channels."
The two new Kongsberg Series that Esko will showcase at FESPA Digital have broadened the market scope for Esko's Kongsberg tables to meet the needs of customers who are producing base model packaging applications up to the most demanding super-wide and highly versatile sign & display or industrial applications producer. Esko experts will be on hand during the show to help visitors determine which table best meets their finishing needs.
A complete software solution for prepress and finishing
In addition to market leading digital finishing equipment, Esko also offers highly innovative prepress, workflow and finishing software specifically developed for this industry. Visitors to the Esko FESPA Digital stand will be able to view first-hand the new developments in layout functionality within the i-cut software suite – Esko i-cut Layout+, a re-developed 64-bit application that runs on both Mac and PC platforms and makes nesting and layout preparation extremely intuitive and productive. Esko will also be demonstrating ArtiosCAD and Studio structural design software for design of displays and other structures in 3D; workflow automation with Esko Automation Engine to streamline and automate high volume production; and exceptional color management capabilities with Esko Color Engine to deliver against the high expectations of brand owners for color integrity in their signs and display graphics. A new color module not only proves to be a great ink-saver, it can also be integrated in an automated workflow and thus saves job setup time. Lastly, online editing capabilities integrated within Esko's workflow solutions will also be demonstrated on the Esko booth by CHILI Publish.
Learn from the application experts
Esko's expertise goes beyond the hard- and software solutions it offers to sign & display and large format printing professionals, with extensive know-how on applications translated into the wide range of tools and tool heads that guarantee the best and most productive cutting, creasing or milling results on the widest range of materials. At a dedicated desk with tools and applications, Esko experts will guide visitors in their search for the best-fit solution for specific application needs.
"Esko is one of the few global suppliers to the sign & display industry with such a broad range of integrated software and hardware solutions," concludes Gougay. "We are looking forward to welcoming visitors from all over the world to our stand at FESPA Digital. We will have Esko representatives and distribution partners from everywhere available to speak with visitors in their native tongues and to address region-specific questions."
