HP reveals new products as part of Drupa curtain-raiser
At a pre-Drupa VIP event in Indianapolis (USA), on 22 and 23 March 2024, HP presented its latest products to a group of international journalists and analysts.
25 Mar 2024 | 3084 Views | By Noel D'Cunha
During the event, Haim Levit, senior vice-president and general manager; Noam Zilbershtain, VP and general manager Indigo and Scitex, HP Industrial; and other senior officials from HP highlighted key features of their new products.
HP announced a range of new products and features for print solutions. These include the launch of the new HP Indigo V12. Additionally, HP has introduced the HP Indigo 120K, which boasts 30% higher productivity, the HP Indigo 18K for increased versatility, the HP Indigo 35K with high definition capabilities for healthcare/cosmetics, and the HP Indigo 7K Secure for security printing.
(clock-wise) Golan Landsberg, Yale Goldis, Noam Zilbershtain and Barbara Mcmanus
Moreover, HP showcased four active startup teams at the HP Innovation Hub, expanded PrintOS to integrate non-HP equipment into production, and introduced an autonomous mobile robot integrated with HP Indigo presses.
Levit reviewed the industry's current trends, including increasing online activity, supply chain complications, social movements, and conflicts. He highlighted five areas that are important for digital transformation: quality, versatility, productivity, sustainability, and economics.
Levit said, "We're committed to unlocking profitable and sustainable growth for our customers. He added, “Our LEP, LEPx, and inkjet technologies have improved in terms of quality, versatility, productivity, sustainability, and economics, and our commitment and significant investment into continuous innovation has enabled over 8,000 printers and converters to expand their businesses and grow sustainably. HP has been a digital transformation leader for more than 30 years, and our digital printing technology has established the gold standard in commercial print and labels and packaging production."
The new generation HP B2 presses, the HP Indigo 120K digital press and the HP Indigo 18K digital press are designed to target the needs of PSPs who must overcome frequent changes in the job basket and labour challenges and grow through increased productivity and diversification.
“The HP Indigo 120K is a game changer. I have no doubts this press is the ultimate solution for any commercial print floor. The focus on productivity, economics, and ease of use is based on our customers' feedback. This wasn’t a trivial direction for us, but as the market leaders, we felt this was the path the industry was waiting for. with the first beta presses installations and the level of excitement we see on the field, I think this is exactly the change that will accelerate the analogue to digital transformation and increase the digital share on the market,” Noam Zilbershtain, vice-president and general manager, HP Indigo and Scitex.
In addition, HP officials introduced a new approach to the security printing industry: the HP Indigo 7K Secure digital press, a new A3 sheetfed press.
HP also announced the commercial availability of the HP Indigo V12 digital press, which is being made available to the public following successful beta site installations. This includes installations at Brook + Whittle, a US-based digital and sustainable print leader. The HP Indigo V12 Digital Press is equipped with new LEPx technology that can replace two flexo presses. “With the help of this industry-winning approach, the Indigo V12 is now the fastest narrow web digital press on the market, helping to increase the entire capacity of the production floor. The press is capable of delivering the highest production speeds, reaching 120 metres/min (400 linear feet) for mid- and long-run jobs, which is the fastest compared to other major digital printing competitors as of September 2022,” said Eli Mahal, head of L&P marketing at HP Indigo.
Key takeaways Haim Letiv’s presentation
- HP Indigo has over 60% market share in digital printing with over 2,100 presses installed worldwide
- The digital printing market has 10% penetration, leaving significant room for growth
- HP Indigo aims to double flexible packaging volume every three years, an ambitious goal for disruptive growth
- Productivity will be boosted by 30% with the new 120K press through higher speeds and AI automation
- Over 56,000 users are on the PrintOS platform, with 14,000 connected devices and 27,000 customers
- The commercial printing market is still 95% analogue, leaving a major opportunity for digital transformation
- In commercial printing, HP has been in digital printing for over 40 years, with the latest PageWide printheads having 21,000 nozzles and the HP PageWide press boasting over 4.2 million nozzles. HP PageWide presses can produce around 8,700 pages per minute, and 95% of HP presses placed are still in use today. Digital printing is growing at over 10% CAGR across publishing, direct mail, and commercial print segments
- HP Indigo has over a hundred presses running its high-definition 35K technology daily
- Levit predicted the entire printing market will be digital within 10-20 years based on industry shifts