The Drupa Printing Fair in Germany vs. the China International Printing Fair

The Drupa 2024 Printing Festival in Germany has come to a successful conclusion. At this exhibition, there were not many technological breakthroughs in Europe, and there was a phenomenon of stagnant research and development. In today’s rapidly developing technological era, technological iteration has become the core force driving technological innovation, and the cycle of renewal and replacement is constantly accelerating. Printing technology is no exception. It is also a continuous, constant and dynamic process of innovation, and a direct manifestation of scientific and technological progress. A new look every year, a major transformation in two years, four years is too long; we must seize every moment. Innovative technologies, achievement transformation and cutting-edge applications are the keys to meeting the technological updates of printing enterprises and promoting the development of the industry. The biennial China International Printing Exhibition can better adapt to the rapid development of the printing industry in terms of timing.

Exhibitions are one of the barometers of economic development. At this exhibition, Chinese post-press equipment manufacturers made a fortune. Buying an 80-euro ticket at the exhibition means purchasing the most cost-effective Chinese-made products. Buying Chinese-made products in bulk has become a trend. Many of the post-printing processing equipment for Chinese books that made their debut at the China International Printing Expo will also be globally launched at drupa2024. This reflects from one aspect that the scale, level, quality of exhibitors and innovative technologies of the China International Printing Expo have ranked among the world’s top exhibitions.

From this exhibition, it can be seen that whether it is the horse-riding production line, the adhesive binding production line, the high-end decoration production line or other auxiliary equipment, functions such as quick plate changing, one-click start, automatic production and automatic inspection have all become standard features. This lays a foundation for building an intelligent factory. At present, the intelligent development of China’s book and periodical printing industry is in the basic stage of technical assembly, exploration and implementation, management adjustment and phased improvement. In some enterprises with conditions, it is showing a strong trend of accelerated promotion. With the development of new-generation information technology, the intelligent upgrade of the printing industry will enter a new stage and a new level. And constantly promote the continuous burst of innovation capabilities in production methods, management models and business operations.

Based on the post-press processing equipment at this exhibition, what customers need now are production tools that require less investment, offer high cost performance, and can widely create value. It is well known that post-press processing is the link that requires the most manpower in printing production. In the past, post-press processing of books and periodicals has been developing along the traditional production mode track. Factors such as labor-intensive, high-intensity operation, discrete production, and low work efficiency have always restricted the development of post-press processing in China. With the gradual disappearance of China’s demographic dividend, the rise in labor productivity costs, and the lack of successors for traditional craftsmanship (a trapeze discontinuity), printing enterprises are compelled to upgrade and transform their traditional industrial structure. The automation, digitalization, and intelligence of post-press processing for books and periodicals are inevitable choices for building a sustainable post-press development.