COVID-19 makes fair participation from the view of the seven partners impossible. The situation is too uncertain of the daily changing travel restrictions worldwide, which denies an international audience the possibility of a fair visit in Düsseldorf. The sense of participating in Drupa - according to the Postpress Alliance - has unfortunately been lost due to the pandemic. A sober consideration of the expected cost-benefit ratio shows that the economic business basis for such an event would be missing without intercontinental visitors. The partners of the Postpress Alliance very much regret this step. The alliance still believes in Drupa as the world's established leading trade show for the printing industry as soon as the right conditions are once again in place.
Risk-minimization
The first Open House of the Postpress Alliance, which had already been scheduled, is also falling victim to the uncertainties of the Corona crisis in its originally planned form. The same reasons mentioned above are forcing the partner companies to rethink. The responsibility for employees as well as guests is simply too big, so the Alliance has decided to distance itself from the analogous event in Tuttlingen. It's time to rethink, drive by sight and look for alternative possibilities.
The birth of the "Alliance Days"
The Postpress Alliance has decided to embark on a new path together. Digitalization is the central topic this year. It is therefore not surprising that the first "Alliance Days", a virtual Open House, will be held from November 24-27, 2020 and will serve as a platform for the companies to present the planned innovations to the public in a timely manner. More information on www.postpressalliance.com
"We need and seek contact with our business partners", says the marketing team of the partner companies, "and are happy to be able to launch something so new in such a short time. It is uncharted territory for everyone involved. Neither we nor our dealers and end customers have much experience in this encounter on a virtual level. This concept means a lot to our management. They are firmly convinced that, even after Corona, targeted marketing concepts will require this duality of virtual appearances in combination with analog physical events.“
The resulting virtual showroom of BaumannPerfecta, Bograma, H+H, Hohner, MBO and Wohlenberg will offer visitors, after prior registration, a virtual visit with a tour of the machines and a lot of detailed information for four days. On the other hand, interested parties will have the direct opportunity to make an appointment for individual live demonstrations from the showrooms at the respective locations of the companies.
Those who would like to go even deeper - as far as the travel options allow – can of course also make an individual appointment for a visit at any time at the locations without the character of an event. Approaching the market in an informative, exciting, emotional and personal way is the declared goal.
Innovations with added value
Indeed, there is no shortage of innovations with added value for the industry.
Bograma's competence is die-cutting. On show will be the new Automated Playing Card Production Line for die-cutting, stacking and cellophane wrapping of playing card decks, a double die-cutting line for die-cutting and stacking folding boxes using the new "first crease, then die cut" principle, and the compact and attractively priced BSR 550 basic die-cutter for cost-effective production of short and medium runs.
H + H provides insights into the world of mailings, as well as innovations in processing in the market segments of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemicals, food and agricultural products.
At the "Alliance Days" in the year of the company's 90th anniversary, Hohner will present for the first time the Hohner Hybrid Stitcher "HHS Futura", a machine with up to five functions for individual brochure production. It can be flexibly expanded at any time and is the answer to the current topic of constantly changing market developments, as it even meets future needs and tasks. Also on display will be the HSB 9.000 saddle stitcher and Hohner's flagship, the fully automated HSB 13.000 which features many innovations with real added value such as the MIS ability to integrate a new, freely positionable plano sheet feeder (PAL) and the separate head-foot adjustment on the trimmer.
MBO demonstrates the robotics sector. Using two folding machines handled by a single operator, the enormous reduction in work relief made possible by modern robot technology will be illustrated. An MBO CoBo-Stack is used behind each folding machine. The collaborating robot handles the manual placement of signature stacks from the delivery onto the pallet, leaving the operator more time for administrative tasks.
baumannperfecta is the name of the new brand of the Baumann Group, which resulted from the brand merger of baumannwohlenberg and PERFECTA. It combines the best of two brands and technologies and proves this with the presentation of the latest developments at the virtual Open House - with the premiere of the world's first fully automatic jogging and cutting system for completely unmanned processing. Further highlights are offered by the new machine generations in the areas of jogging, cutting and robotics. With the BASA evolution baumannperfecta introduces the new generation of the Baumann Automatic Shaker System (BASA). The compact and modular solution is characterized among other things by the new, sustainable drive technology and offers in the basic equipment the inexpensive entry into automatic shaking. The latest generation of cutting machines will also be presented. The machines appear in a new design and offer some innovations, such as the new control generation Cutpit and an improved cutting cell for significantly longer knife life. In addition, a further innovation for the automation of the cutting process will be presented in combination with a further developed robotics solution.
With the Quickbinder Edition Digital and the threshing cutter D09 Wohlenberg presents the ideal constellation for the production of short runs. The perfect binders from Wohlenberg offer a unique variety and flexibility in application technology.
MIS networking with open interfaces will be jointly presented as a special topic.
The responsible marketing team of the Postpress Alliance is also certain that the Postpress Alliance virtual showroom will continue to develop into a popular and well-frequented touchpoint with an informative character after the "Alliance Days" and are eagerly awaiting the kick-off on November 24th, 2020. Visit us on www.postpressalliance.com
