In February 2022, Hunkeler announced their new DocuTrim product - essentially a new and updated digital sheet finishing solution. From the outside, the new DocuTrim looks very similar to the DocuTrim solution Hunkeler announced at Hunkeler Innovation Days 2019 for the Canon i300 printer - and it is, of course, an iteration of the same, but let's try to understand why Hunkeler has developed this solution!

By Editor Morten B. Reitoft

First of all, most people mainly recognize Hunkeler from the roll-based finishing space, and not so much sheet finishing, but to bring me up-to-date on this assumption, I got a chance to ask Dominik Scheidegger from Hunkeler. Hunkeler is not at all new to the sheet finishing business. In recent years Hunkeler has focused on digital roll-based finishing since their customers moved more and more from analog, typically sheet-based, printing into digital print. Remember that Hunkeler has been a choice of preference in the Direct Mail and transactional space for years. With the industry moving more into new digital types of applications and challenges have given Hunkeler a sharp focus on what you know them for the most today!

However, as Dominik Scheidegger points out when I talk to him, Hunkeler has developed cut stackers and other solutions where the sheet is the product being processed for years. So with that said, I believe no question that Hunkeler can develop a sheet finishing solution that delivers the same high-quality output as Hunkeler is known for in the roll-based space!

So what does the DocuTrim do? The DocuTrim solution is - as the name indicates - a device that can trim documents. Therefore, the output is stacked sheets that can be cut to a specific size and offset in batches on a delivery belt. However, the sheets can also be perforated in many different ways on a sheet, enabling the PSP to use the DocuTrim to make quite complex perforations on finished sheet sizes from 520x520 mm to 105x148 mm - super fit for the number of B2 digital printers in the market or to come.

As you can imagine, this enables a PSP to provide many exciting products/applications within many different business areas. Hunkeler's website gives a few examples, transactional, transpromo, and commercial. Still, as with many other things, PSPs are often creative in finding new ways to maximize their investments' usage.

With Hunkeler's DocuTrim, the company is entering a market that already delivers similar solutions. Both Tecnau and Horizon are just two examples, so we started speculating why Hunkeler has decided to re-enter this market?

We believe there are a few logical reasons - so let's speculate. Things below are 100% speculations and not based on knowledge or information from any vendors/OEM.

Hunkeler has in recent years entered the book space quite successfully. With the expertise Hunkeler has with roll-based finishing, Hunkeler is almost found with every digital book printer in the world. Of course, even more prominent with book printers who use roll-based digital printers, like the HP T-series (almost everywhere), the Canon Pro/Colorstreams, Screen's TruePress, and other roll-based printers.

The market is, however, moving. HP's toner-based Indigo machines are also everywhere, with sheet and roll options increasingly popular. Alone the past two years, HP has delivered 1,350 solutions - according to recent numbers announced at Dscoop Rockies 2022. The Canon iX-series (inkjet) seems a very popular machine among PSPs. With many PSPs considering moving their production to digital, toner, or inkjet, many PSPs are most likely more confident with sheet-based printers as it integrates better with conventional offset printing. Some may also consider using existing binding equipment, and of course, the easier and faster change of substrates position sheet-based digital printing as a maybe more obvious choice.

Hunkeler‚ of course, knows this and obviously wants their share of the cut-sheet devices. However, they probably also know what the OEMs are developing new products to come. We all know that Ricoh is launching the Z75 this year - a B2 cut-sheet inkjet printer - and I wouldn't be surprised to see a B2 inkjet printer from Canon sometime soon? A new player in the sheet-based printing market is Koenig & Bauer Durst. And yes, they focus on the packaging market, but how significant a change would it be to do a commercial print version of the machine and then deliver what Landa seems not to be too successful with? Why shouldn't FujiFilm/Revoria not develop an Inkjet device? These speculations can only lead to - of course, Hunkeler needs to be in the cut sheet finishing market as well.

Another thing is Hunkeler's modularity approach. I can't imagine that DocuTrim is a product that will not be part of a platform. Of course, the DocuTrim will lead to further finishing options and end-to-end solutions, enabling printers to be more automated - and regardless of whether it's a roll or cut sheet!

As the transactional market, despite current growth, is expected to decline, it's only natural that Hunkeler looks into the markets where the potential is best. The commercial print space is the fastest declining market, but it's also the most significant opportunity for vendors as part of the digital transformation. With hundreds of thousands of printing companies globally, a substantial part of these will move into the digital space. OEMs like Canon, HP, Screen, Ricoh, etc., will have brilliant opportunities to sell. They will need digital finishing and Hunkeler, Tecnau, Horizon, Müller Martini. C.P. Bourg, MBO, etc., will be in a perfect position to grow like never before!

Exciting to see!