Bobst has acquired the half share of the Mouvent inkjet press business that it did not already own as part of its strategic shake up to focus more on the changing conditions that packaging companies operate under.
This has been unrolled during this year, starting with the announcement of new products and technologies designed to automate the production of packaging via remote job acceptance, adherence to Industry 4.0 methods and greater communication.
This was before the impact of global shut downs and the pandemic was felt. This year has seen a big rise in packaging for ecommerce and for smaller part up companies, all increasing the pressure on converters for faster deliveries, shorter runs, greater diversity of packaging and greater impact, perhaps with a degree or personalisation.
Now the Swiss company says that the impact of the disease has “confirmed that the industry vision we worked on is relevant and timely”. And the cementing of Mouvent’s developments in digital label printing is part of that.
Bobst has acquired the 49.9% of shares it did not already own in a business that has developed a modular approach to inkjet printing. This has resulted in three different label presses, one a hybrid press on the Bobst narrow web platform, and a machine for textiles, with 20 installations of the label machines to date. Bobst has said nothing about the future of the textile developments.
It has, however, announced a joint collaboration with SEI Laser, an Italian company that has been at the forefront of laser cutting for digital printing, notably in labels where SEI has already partnered with HP Indigo.
This is a deeper arrangement that will apply not just to Mouvent and the Bobst DBM hybrid label press, but also to carton production and corrugated and flexible packaging. New inks and presses are coming from the Mouvent team next year. These would be candidates for a first integration with SEI.
There has been an organisational restructure within the business to lay the foundation for the change in direction. Two divisions focus separately on products and on services. The printing and converting business unit covers the ground that sheetfed and web divisions previously addressed. It will be led by Stephan März with Raphaël Intermühle in charge of sales.
In the UK this division will be led by Craig Moran. His responsibilities also cover Ireland, Scandinavia and Benelux as one of eight geographical regions that Bobst operates through.
The services and performance business unit covers integrations, maintenance, the Bobst Connect concept and performance improvement. It will be led by Julien Lavan with sales under Christian Falk and the UK arm led by Neil Jones.
The result, says Bobst, will be a kindling of an entrepreneurial spirit thanks to stripping away complexity and enabling faster decision making. The structure will recognise customer diversity around the globe and increase customer proximity.
