Above: Christoph Gamper (Durst Group), Marco Calcagni (OMET), and Thomas Machina (Durst Group) officially unveil the KJet hybrid machine at drupa

Durst Group has officially unveiled its latest innovation, the KJet hybrid machine, for the first time at drupa this week in Dusseldorf.

The KJet hybrid machine is the latest product to be launched under Durst’s partnership with fellow family-owned Italian company OMET, which was first announced in September 2023.

According to Durst, the KJet represents the pinnacle of hybrid technology, offering operators a seamless experience with its user-friendly interface and ultra-short web path. This design not only minimises waste but also reduces setup times, showcasing the advantages of digital printing.

Speaking at the unveiling, which took place on the Durst Group stand, Christoph Gamper, CEO of Durst Group said: “We’ve had this partnership for a couple of years now, but the [KJET] brings a new level of quality, and we’re very happy that we have it here to launch at drupa.”

Thomas Macina, sales director for labels and flexible packaging at Durst, said the KJet optimises efficiency, while reducing costs.

“The combination of digital with flexo offers an innovative hybrid solution that maximises productivity and flexibility, enabling printers to select between flexo or digital printing, thereby optimising efficiency and reducing costs while meeting evolving market demands such as personalisation and just-in-time deliveries in a single-pass,” Macina said.

“We have been leading the inkjet label printing market for many years and we provide solutions for all label converters around the world, starting with entry level solutions up to industrial needs with 100 metres per minute and 510 millimetres wide,” Macina said.

“We have been observing a clear market trend towards end-to-end production and this is why we have reinforced our partnership with OMET. At drupa, you will see we are launching a new machine – the KJet – which is the perfect combination of a dual-servo cylinder based flexo unit combined with the robustness, efficiency and productivity of the Durst RSCi digital print engine. This provides a new experience to operators in terms of simplicity, minimal set-up time and low waste.”

Matt Ashman, managing director of Durst Oceania, said: “The KJet is the culmination of the cooperation between Durst and OMET, two business at the top of their game, delivering the solution label converters need, and exclusively supplied and serviced by Durst Oceania.”

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