Positive customer feedback will help Durst shape its thinking for future events after record attendances at the “inspiring and engaging” Digital Days at the company's world headquarters in Brixen, Northern Italy. The event concluded on February 9.

Guest speakers at the latest edition of the the international open house included Rick Hulme from Sunjet, who discussed inkjet ink development for labels, and Package Printing and Color Alliance’s Rainer Esters, who gave an overview of Durst’s Web2Print Solution. Bettina Offenegger also detailed Durst’s Symphony Workflow Solution, while Manuel Gruber focused on Durst Label Global Service.

Customer experiences took center stage, too, with David Webster, The Label Makers UK managing director, speaking the Tau 330 and the Tau 330 RSC beta test, while Ramon Krieg, technical production manager at BMZ in Switzerland, explained how its Tau 330 with Low Migration Ink was building important new business opportunities.

“Durst has been an incredibly supportive partner with fantastic technology, which is why I was only more than happy to come along and play an important role with a presentation on each of the three Digital Days," says Webster. "Installing the Tau 330 RSC has been another huge step for us. The Durst Tau 330 RSC prints at phenomenal speed and is far more cost-effective for us because it is using less ink, but still maintaining the incredible print quality. The future of most label production will be inkjet.”

“Digital is now the clear preferred choice for us for smaller runs,” says Krieg. “I believe that inkjet is the future, particularly now that our Durst Tau 330 is so cost-effective to run because there is no preparation time needed when you change jobs. And more of our work is increasingly short run.”

A factory tour included live demonstrations of the new Tau 330 RSC with inline Omet Flex X6. The 245 fpm (78 linear m/m) UV inkjet label and package printing press with a 13" (330 mm) print width and 1200 x 1200 dpi printing resolution has eight color stations (CMYK+W+OVG).

Visitors also saw the Low Migration Ink Tau 330 with chill roller and insertion system suited to primary food and pharma packaging, as well as the economic entry model Tau 330E with its specially developed high pigmented UV inkjet inks. 

Durst, a manufacturer of advance digital production technologies, also demonstrated its Web2Print solution for online design, preview and ordering of all kinds of packaging products, including labels and folding cartons. Durst’s own Workflow-Label Application Suite was also showcased. This is modular, expandable prepress software for order entry, prepress, RIP, color management, ink-costing and production data management.

Helmuth Munter, segment manager of Durst Label & Package Printing, explains, “The three days were packed with market knowledge, technical expertise and thought leadership aimed at helping attendees think differently about how they can improve the way they manage their business. Our customers are passionate about the work they produce and the growth of digital and inkjet – it’s the future. The Durst Digital Days also armed them with many ideas on how to better support their customers and grow their business through the adaptable solutions we provide as a true partner.

“In particular, our proprietary single pass UV inkjet technology delivers the flexibility for fast and efficient production of the highest print quality for an expansive range of label and packaging applications. Small, medium, and now long runs are highly profitable with our digital systems. Thanks to a cost-effective total cost of ownership we provide, the options are virtually unlimited and open up an enormous potential for new products and services in an ever-changing market.”