Koenig & Bauer, INX Partner for Sustainable LED/UV Printing
Koenig & Bauer has established a strategic partnership with INX International Ink Co. as its globally preferred technology partner for UV, HR-UV, and LED-UV inks. The collaboration directly addresses the enormous market pressure on printing companies to produce smaller print runs profitably while simultaneously meeting increasingly strict environmental regulations.
Synchronising Core Technological Competencies
Rather than treating presses and consumables as separate entities, both companies are synchronising their core technological competencies, with a shared objective to have print environment that delivers maximum efficiency from the very first sheet. Intensive testing across all Rapida sheetfed offset presses confirms that ink systems such as INXCure LW and INXCure UVXcel noticeably cut makeready times and deliver exceptional colour consistency. This drastically reduces material waste during job changeovers and drives up the net production time of the equipment.
“Our customers do not need isolated products; they need a seamless ecosystem stretching from the pressroom to the finished packaging,” explains Dirk Winkler, Head of Process and Printing Technology and Product Management at Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed. “INX’s leading role in energy-curable inks gives printers precisely the flexibility and innovative strength required to turn current industry challenges into a genuine competitive advantage.”
Sustainability as Tangible Production Advantage
A central pillar of the alliance is the mutual focus on ecological and health standards. The LED-UV solutions deployed significantly lower energy consumption during production, thereby improving the carbon footprint of print service providers. At the same time, both partners are pushing forward future standards in healthy printing and Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) certifications, offering brand owners even safer and better access to sustainable packaging solutions.
Global Expertise Delivered to Pressroom
Beyond perfectly matched technologies, customers benefit from a joint, highly practical support concept. Koenig & Bauer and INX are already successfully pooling their expertise within Koenig & Bauer’s global demo and training centres. Here, converters and brand owners can test the performance and sustainability of the systems under real-world production conditions. Regular open-house events, joint appearances at trade fairs, and targeted workshops ensure a continuous transfer of knowledge directly into customers’ operations.
