Konica Minolta launches digital finishing machine in B2 format

As part of their strategic partnership, MGI Digital Technology and Konica Minolta today announce a new digital finishing machine: the MGI JETvarnish 3D 52L. The finishing system, developed and manufactured by MGI, will be distributed exclusively by Konica Minolta in Germany. It is ideal for finishing pre-prints from digital and offset printing presses in commercial and packaging print shops up to B2 format. As the successor to the JETvarnish 3D 9000L, the new finishing machine offers 2D and 3D spot varnishing as well as coloured metallisation for print shops of all sizes.

The MGI JETvarnish 3D 52L can be used as a dedicated system for finishing printed products for production and prototyping - without screens, clichés or printing plates. The patented general purpose varnish formula enables both flat 2D spot UV highlights and sculpted, raised 3D special effects. This applies to a wide range of substrates and up to 600 g/m2, from offset and digital inks to laminating films and dispersion varnishes.

Higher sales potential through finishing
The sales figures of a printed product improve significantly if tactile finishing is applied in addition to 4c printing. This is precisely the strength of the MGI JETvarnish 3D 52L. The special added value of packaging, a book cover or a brochure has been proven to awaken the desire to buy among consumers. A study by the Foil and Specialty Effects Association shows that finished products generate 18 per cent more visual attention than pure print products. This in turn has a strong influence on the purchase decision: the longer customers focus on an item, the more likely they are to choose it.

With the new system, print shops can apply attractive and demonstrably sales-promoting finishes to all conceivable applications. Brochures, business cards, mail pieces, book covers, sheet labels, small folding boxes, retail signage and posters can all be finished in a single pass. Sheet formats range up to 57 x 120 cm and the coating thickness can vary from a conventional flat UV spot coating of 7 μm (microns) up to 232 μm for raised 3D textured effects and a tactile surface in a single pass.

Foil effects and AI for brilliant views
The MGI JETvarnish 3D 52L offers a fully integrated inline option for effect metallisation. The scalability of individualisation and personalisation makes it easier for printers and finishing companies to enter profitable new market segments. The effects are created in a 100% digital process, including 3D embossing effects, multi-coloured foils applied in a single pass, variable data finishing (VDP) and special applications with combined metallisation, overpainting and textured finishes for exceptional tactile WOW effects.

There is also the special option of coating and metallising special dimensionally stable plastic materials. The fully automatic cleaning of the inkjet print heads and the set-up of the finishing templates using the proprietary AIS scanner relieve the user of demanding and recurring tasks. These automation options pave the way for the development of new digital finishing applications and various innovative application-based revenue streams.

"Decorative finishing continues to be a major growth area for our industry, offering tremendous opportunities for commercial printers to differentiate themselves from the competition and realise high profits from this service," says Mirko Pelzer, Portfolio & Offering Management Professional Printing Germany and Austria at Konica Minolta. "Our complete range of digital finishing systems realises the most demanding applications that add value and sensual, multi-dimensional textures to printed products, making the finished products truly eye-catching."