Think Smart Factory is an upcoming event in Kyoto, Japan. As you can hear in this presentation, of the event, by Yoshihiro Oe, General Manager from Horizon International, the event is not so much like an exhibition. Rather than having booths where each exhibitor presents its products and services, Smart Factory is an opportunity to see equipment working together and see end-to-end productions. The "end-to-end" also includes the workflow part that is typically before print, of course. The event is developed by a group of companies including: Canon Marketing Japan. Inc. / DAC ENGINEERING Co., Ltd. / FUJIFILM Global Graphic Systems Co., Ltd. / goof, inc. / HP Japan Inc. / Hunkeler AG / JSPIRITS Inc. / KONICA MINOLTA JAPAN, INC. / RESOLOGIC. Inc. / Ricoh Japan Co., Ltd. / RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology Ltd. / SCREEN Graphic Solutions Co., Ltd. / TECNAU INKISH will be covering the event, and we can't wait to get to Kyoto. As Yoshihiro Oe also states in this interview, Kyoto is wonderful this time a year. Hope to see you there!

This is our video documentation of the third- and last day at Think Smart Factory. Clearly fewer people at the show-floor, but still good. That is good for us since it gives us more space at the stations with demonstrations. Today we got the chance to do a longer interview with General Manager Yoji "Joe" Otsuka from SCREEN, and we have a short snippet of our conversation with him in this daily show report. We hope you enjoyed the films we have published so far, and you can for sure look forward to some great interviews, great presentations of technology, and well a factory tour from Horizon. We can't wait to show you!

The second day at the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto was as good as the first one - maybe even better. Many people at the show-floor, exciting presentations, and a chance to dig into even more of the workflows. In our first film, we promised to show you all ten stations here, but there are simply too many people around the stations to do this in a 'live' style. So we have recorded all ten stations, will make them into separate films that you can enjoy one by one afterwards.

What a start. Think Smart Factory is a new event, and without comparison, one of the best-executed events we have ever attended. Think Smart Factory is an event where all focus is on showing end-to-end solutions. There are ten different stations where you can see the flows from the paper intake to the output of a finished product. Clearly inspired by Hunkeler Innovationdays where it's also about equipment, but with an even more expressed dedication to show the entire workflow. This is a rare opportunity to see the entire process from when a job-ticket is created to the finished product delivered. But check out of show-report and look forward to seeing all ten workflows presented here on INKISH. Expect also interesting interviews with industry leaders from the show floor. Finally, you will get a new show report every day, and also articles on NEWS. Enjoy!

In this film, Yui Kawano from Canon Marketing shows an end-to-end solution together with Yasuo Taketsugu from Horizon International. This is a brilliant example of how workflow & automation enable printers to automate the entire print and binding process. This film also shows the amazing power behind JDF, where not only files but also production data is delivered directly from an MIS system. The entire production workflow is managed in the JDF and setup printer as well as the binder.

Robots is an indispensable part of the Industry 4.0 future, and of course, Think Smart Factory in Kyoto show a few options. Here its the S-Cart from Nidec used on the show-floor. Enjoy the self-driving future :-)

In six minutes, Bernd Zipper explains in depth how society and with it the positions of the media are changing. He makes it clear what an important role print will play in the digitalized world. A promotional film for the future of the entire print industry that has never been seen before. Want to know more about the Think Print Movie? Check out our latest articles at: Think Print Movie Playlist: Facebook: Twitter: #ThinkPrintMovie #Zipcon #PrintIndustry

Without comparison, THIMM is an amazing company. BHS Corrugators, BOBST flexo print machines, Durst large format, and BOBST folding gluers, robots, and automation at a very high level - and in one room is a bright green machine that takes THIMM to a different level compared to many other packing printing companies - the Highcon BEAM 2C. Even with all the above equipment, Plant Manager Kamil Mašek doesn't hesitate to say that laser cutting is the future - and as THIMM Všetaty uses their BEAM 2C in three shifts, year-round, the machine is used for short runs, special products, and even jobs that would normally be produced analog, but because tooling takes time, etc., are produced on the BEAM. Watch and listen - this proves that Highcon's BEAM 2C is made for industrial production print. Enjoy!

Interview in Dutch - subtitles in English. Als integrator van diverse oplossingen voor het automatiseren van het bestelproces rondom verpakkingen – in de breedste zin van het woord – kun je terecht bij ISI . Ook eigen softwareontwikkeling is een van de sterktes en een groeiende vraag voor eigenaar Theo van den Broek en zijn team. Wij waren uiteraard benieuwd waar de voordelen liggen voor de klant - de drukkerij, en hoe zij hun toekomst zien in het huidige grafische landschap. -- EN -- As an integrator of various solutions for automating the ordering process surrounding packaging – in the broadest sense of the word – you can contact ISI. Own software development is also one of the strengths and a growing demand for owner Theo van den Broek and his team. We were naturally curious about the benefits for the customer - the printing company, and how they see their future in the graphic landscape of today.

Morten Reitoft and Theo Buchmeyer discuss Manroland Goss's participation in the upcoming Drupa 2024. Buchmeyer emphasizes the importance of attending Drupa for the company despite the absence of their "brother" company. He sees it as a key opportunity to showcase new products, meet customers, and build new relationships. Reitoft praises Manroland Goss for adapting to market changes through refurbishment and technological innovations, ensuring the continued relevance of their web offset presses. Buchmeyer confirms the significant install base of over 3,000 active presses worldwide and their plans to support these with retrofits and improvements. They discuss Drupa's role as a statement of commitment to the future of the print industry and the importance of maintaining connections with customers. Buchmeyer highlights the company's efforts to integrate digital tools like VPN and IoT boxes for monitoring press performance and predicting downtime, enhancing productivity through tools like Manroland Sense, an artificial intelligence tool for predictive maintenance. Buchmeyer acknowledges the growth of digital printing but emphasizes that offset printing remains a robust, productive process for mid to large runs. He predicts a coexistence of both technologies, offset retaining its place in the industry for the foreseeable future. Manroland Goss's booth at Drupa will focus on its new VarioMAN packaging press, showcasing its flexibility and cost-efficiency in reducing production costs and carbon footprint. It will also demonstrate maintenance tools and emphasize the importance of sustainability and extending the economic life of its installed presses. Reitoft and Buchmeyer discuss the continued relevance and growth of web offset printing in certain markets, noting that some customers are expanding their volumes through consolidation and new titles. Buchmeyer concludes by emphasizing the importance of supporting the existing install base and showcasing Manroland Goss's upgrades and innovations at Drupa.  

At the Smart Factory USA event November 16th, 12:00 PM ET, Diego Diaz, we will show attendees all the workflow components by sending a job through from A to Z - and then explain the steps one-by-one - so learning by seeing. The training will be presented by one of the best workflow people we know of, Diego Diaz. The Virtual Smart Factory is a LIVE presentation of how things are done, and you should have a lot of takeaways from this double session at the Smart Factory USA edition.

Our walkthroughs of technology have become popular - you see the technology, you learn about it, and we try to get around it so you understand what you see, how it works, and, of course, why it's worthwhile investing in - this is our new format The Walk. In this episode, you will learn about the MCS TK Inkjet solution - made for the mail/transactional/variable data market - presented by David Munro. Enjoy!

Alon Bar-Shany has by all means been one of the most influential persons in the global printing industry in his role with HP Indigo for more than 25 years. It was a surprise to most when he left HP, and becoming Chairman of the Board for Highcon was equally a surprise, we believe! Bar-Shany talks about everything from vacuum, suits, music, and being an entrepreneur in this session. We are sure you will like this conversation! We apologize for the video quality; Alon Bar-Shany has promised to give us a new interview next time we meet in person!

Mark Andy’s Mexico sales manager talks about the Mexican label market and how nearshoring is helping growth to stimulate growth. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjiro-celaya-kobayashi-58a47366/

Kyocera is a well-known name in the graphics arts industry, yet was the introduction of a production cut-sheet inkjet printer a surprise to many. How long time does it take to get market acceptance? When will customers start to invest in technology from a "new" vendor? And what is the result of these investments? Many questions and one of the companies who took on the investment is the family-owned printing company Verloop Drukkerij. In this film, Operational Director Gertjan Kleinbloesem openly explains the considerations - and even more important how the TASKalfa fits into their operation. And he is positive. The TASKalfa delivers on both quality, consistency, service, and reliability the TASKalfa delivers. Enjoy the film!

Programmatic Printing as a gamechanger for high-volume Magazine. Efficient individualization with an innovative integrated 4-color inkjet system in the finishing process.

Edelmann Group has recently invested in a new Steinemann DPE machine that enables the company to do short-run foils and varnish and develop applications not possible in an analog environment. In this film, Global Business Development Manager Wolfram Hahn explains some of the challenges and demands from customers and how the company addresses these challenges. One of the things that surprised your INKISH team was meeting a company with such a dedicated focus on hair-nuances and colors - but when you see the packaging from well-known hair-products, we, of course, understand why :-) LinkedIn Profile

Inkjet is becoming an essential part of tomorrow's print. In this Smart Factory session, Kim Beswick from Memjet and Victor Abergel from MGI takes you through why the Smart Factory depends on new printing technology, as well!

Golan Landsberg is the Head of Product Development at HP Indigo, and in this film, we meet him in the V12 lab. Interesting to see the iterations of machines but also the openness to a world now known by most. In the film, Golan Landsberg explains why he believes HP Electro ink, known from the Indigo machines, is superior in quality and speed. Interesting perspectives and we are excited to give you this story! A huge thank you to the HP Indigo team for opening your doors in Israel!

In this INKISH film, we visit TRESU and talk to VP, Ancillary & Global Customer Care, Henrik Kristensen & VP, Solutions, Ronni Nielsen. The company is well-known in the industry for its development of flexo-machines and a valuable OEM supplier to many different companies, but Heidelberg and HP to mention two! Both Ronni Nielsen and Henrik Kristensen explain how the four business units have supported the pandemic companies' efforts. Enjoy the film!

CEO Slava Apel from Amazing Print Tech is known for many roles in the printing industry and in this film, you will get an idea about his doings - and there is a lot. We met him at Print®18 in Chicago where he had at least two roles. One role was as the exhibitor of his award-winning software company Amazing Print Tech, and second as a speaker at one of the educational tracks. Slava Apel is an author, a speaker, a business developer, a consultant, and a true entrepreneur in the best meaning, and when you listen to his doings, you can't avoid being impressed. The list of things that he manages to accomplish is amazing. Visiting multiple printing companies. Writing several books. Leading a software company, and from my follow of Slava Apel on LinkedIn, he is also active in his local business community. Watch, listen, like, and of course, share.

· Market is now established and the opportunity understood · More industrial systems are required for more mainstream applications · What are the capabilities and where are the biggest opportunities

What do the majority of printers need from an offset machine? Has the Offset OEMs lost an opportunity in the market? Is Commercial Print dying? Join the discussion!