How automation and AI ‘enrich’ online print industry

Robotics, automation and artificial intelligence are “enriching the online print industry”, according to industry association Initiative Online Print.

The IOP welcomed three new members (see below) to its ranks at its Autumn conference, where robotics, automation and artificial intelligence were the main subjects of conversation and debate.

Thematically, everything at the IOP Autumn conference revolved around the topics of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

After an introduction by Stefan Hasenzahl, mechanical engineer at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, the IOP members exchanged views on the current status of these trends in the online print industry.

The reasons why these technologies are “urgently needed” were obvious, says the IOP: a shortage of skilled workers, the demographic development in general and the new generation of workers’ ever greater striving for a work-life balance.

When it comes to automation and technical support in the production process, the printing industry is already “ahead of the game”. The IOP says the digital transformation is “well advanced in many areas, for example in digital roll printing, where almost all processes can already be automated today”.

Collaborative robotic arms have long been used for cutting, folding, stitching, gluing or binding – or for loading or stacking printed sheets. And even in production planning and control as well as in logistics, robotics and automation are already being used.

Personnel shortages “can only be solved to a limited extent by immigration and temporary workers”, says the IOP.

The use of robots, be they humanoids or automated machines, can “support employees” and create free space so that they can concentrate on their actual tasks and the control of overall production.

While industrial and collaborative robots mostly take over tasks that would be physically demanding for humans, autonomous printing systems enable them to operate and monitor several machines simultaneously.

Artificial intelligence has the potential to “take the already advanced automation and optimisation process in online print shops to a new level”, says the IOP.

The next few months and years will show at which points AI can take hold and establish itself. For the members of the IOP, however, “it is clear that the future will not be possible without people”.

AI will support, remedy and optimise processes and certainly also revolutionise them, but that is “precisely the progress that not only the online print industry needs”, says the IOP.

The three new members of the IOP:

• Briefodruck Fülle KG, based in Wünschendorf/Elster in Thuringia, was presented by managing director Frank Fülle. The “mailing factory” produces unique, surprisingly striking postal mailings that attract a lot of attention in the recipients’ letterboxes. With more than 50 mailing variants, customers can drive their business forward in such a creative and responsive way.
• Apoidea Handels GmbH, represented by Managing Director Robert Czyzowski, operates the online shops www.honigetiketten.de, www.glasetiketten.de and www.honigstaub.de. The core business is the production of individual and personalised labels, especially honey labels for beekeepers. These are produced digitally in the sister company Digitaldruckerei Schleppers GmbH in Bautzen.
• The brothers Nicolas and Armin Kuhse from Kuhse Media GmbH in Hamburg stand for innovative and individual print and communication solutions as well as for sustainability and demand-oriented printing from print run 1. For some years now, they have not only specialised in classic printed matter such as mailings, documentation or learning materials for educational institutions, but are also passionate producers of board games.