SUCCESSFUL PREMIERE: THINK SMART FACTORY 2019

From 11 to 13 November 2019 Horizon hosted Think Smart Factory event for the first time. As the first event of its kind, TSF2019 attracted over 3,000 future-oriented print service providers, including some 500 international visitors, to Kyoto (Japan). The show featured end-to-end automated workflows – from incoming orders to delivery.

End-to-end integration

"Horizon products are already characterized by a high degree of automation. But that alone is not enough. An efficient, integrated workflow from order entry to delivery is becoming increasingly important," says Yoshihiro Oe, Managing Director of Horizon GmbH. "However, no company can design an end-to-end integration on its own. In order to develop intelligent processes, manufacturers in the printing industry have to work together. This is where the Smart Factory steps in."

The event was initiated by a consortium of leading Japanese system providers who want to promote the Smart Factory concept in the printing industry. Individual vendor booths were therefore not found at the event. Instead, joint production lines were connected via a digital workflow across the entire exhibition area. In order to demonstrate fully automated Smart Factory operation, an automated transport system with AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicle) and robots for in-feeding and off-loading were also incorporated.

Technical Highlights

In the Smart Factory auditorium international users printing companies reported in keynotes and lectures about their challenges and solutions several times a day.

The core of the event was the demonstration of ten fully automated solutions for book and brochure production from edition 1 to industrial production. In addition to fully automated web applications, Horizon presented inline finishing of single sheets from digital cut-sheet printing with the SmartSlitter. Visitors were also interested in the production of photo books with the SmartStacker, which was connected inline with an automated perfect binding line for the first time: digitally printed B2 sheets are automatically cut into individual pages, collected and stacked in the SmartStacker, fed to the BQ-480 perfect binder via a loose-sheet feeder and then trimmed in the three-knife trimmer HT-1000V.

A foretaste of drupa

Another highlight was the presentation of the iCE-Link software. The cloud based service for IoT connection capability and JDF Workflow enables the optimization of staffing and machine operation as well as the monitoring of the system status in real time. The software will be officially launched at drupa 2020.

The iCE-Trimmer HT-300 - the first machine from the new iCE series concept – also celebrated its premiere. The iCE-Trimmer for short-runs can be connected to all Horizon perfect binders and can also process book blocks with flap covers. The HT-300 will be available from Q2 of 2020.

"Our goal for the Think Smart Factory event was to create a platform for industry dialogue and intensive discussions about end-to-end integration. The reactions of the visitors during the event confirm that we are pursuing the right strategy and addressing a real market need. From numerous conversations with customers and partners, we have also received valuable input for our presentation at drupa," summarizes Yoshihiro Oe.