On the first day of Gallus Innovation Days, almost 300 visitors came to Gallus headquarters in St. Gallen, Switzerland to see the latest innovations from the Swiss manufacturer. This year, Gallus, a member of the Heidelberg Group, has an even larger exhibition area during the event, which takes place from June 26-28.

Gallus print experts have explained how digitization will change the label industry, and how Gallus is going to support its customers to manage this drastic industrial paradigm shift.

The highlight of Gallus Innovation Days is the premiere of Gallus Smartfire, an entry-level digital label press. With the Gallus Smartfire, Gallus is presenting a starter model for digital narrow web label printing. The Swiss full-range supplier is expanding its product portfolio with another digital printing press, which is deliberately positioned as an entry-level model.

“With the Gallus Smartfire, we are also focusing on new target groups who are looking for a smart entry into digital label printing,” explains Michael Ring, head of Digital Solutions at Gallus. “The Memjet technology allows us to offer an inkjet printing press that produces labels with a quality of 1600 x 1600 dpi while still keeping the investment costs at a low level.”

The Gallus Smartfire prints with the well-proven Memjet printheads with water-based inks, which means that these labels are eco-friendly and leave a minimal ecological footprint. The Smartfire uses an ordinary power outlet, needs no exhaust equipment, is extremely compact and emits no VOC (volatile organic compounds).

“The name says it all; the Smartfire is absolutely easy to operate via a self-explanatory touch panel,” says Ring. “With this digital press, only a few prepress skills are required to create professional CMYK 4-color inkjet labels. Just as easy are the replacements of the ink-containers and the exchange of the printhead. Furthermore, this machine also delivers finished diecut labels, all produced in one pass and ready for shipping on the reel, just like Gallus customers know it from the other presses. For this purpose, a finishing unit is attached, on which the labels are laminated and cut. This can be either done individually by the integrated cutting plotter or by fast and cost-effective punching with the semi rotary diecutter at the end of the inline finishing unit.”