Heidelberg has identified digital label printing as a highly attractive market for growth within the digital printing sector due to its yearly growth rate of approximately six percent.

To support this digital transformation, Heidelberg and Gallus have introduced new innovations that address key challenges faced by stakeholders in the industry, including shortages of skilled labour and increasing demands for productivity. Dr Ludwin Monz, CEO of Heidelberg, said these new solutions demonstrate the companies' commitment to promoting digital transformation in the industry.

Labelexpo marked the European trade show debut of the new Gallus One digital label press. The Gallus One was launched in August 2022 and was designed to remove the total cost of ownership (TCO) barrier for the adoption of reel-to-reel digital labels. It does so by incorporating high levels of automation and cloud-based technologies, thus making digital label printing more accessible. Brands can now access cost-effective and sustainable, high-quality digital labels. Gallus recently launched the new Gallus One with Converting to optimise the TCO benefits further. This 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 minimise waste.

The trade show also saw Gallus highlight the newly available digital printing unit (DPU) for the Gallus ECS 340 flexo press. The DPU was released this summer during the first Gallus Experience Days. By using the DPU, a traditional Gallus ECS 340 can now be transformed into a Gallus Labelfire 340 hybrid press, without requiring any additional platform investment. This allows customers to take advantage of the flexibility and versatility of digital printing while maintaining the reliability and precision of conventional printing and further processing technology.

Dario Urbinati, CEO, Gallus Group

At Labelexpo, the Heidelberg Customer Portal (HCP) was showcased. Recently introduced at the Gallus Experience Centre, the HCP automates most of the customer touchpoints. This unique platform is the first of its kind in the industry. Future versions of the HCP will utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to offer predictive capabilities and recommendations for enhancing productivity, reducing maintenance, and improving profitability. This new solution is estimated to save customers an average of 35% in both time and money.

“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.