LEONHARD KURZ supplies its customers worldwide with the most innovative and high-quality hot stamping decorations – ensuring that packaging and labels stand out on the shelf and immediately appeal to consumers. But how does the global market leader in thin-film technology and surface finishing manage to meet these high standards? The answer lies in the Application Technology Department in Fürth: In the internal laboratory, the transfer products must pass the endurance test. Here, decorations are tested under real conditions, optimized, and brought to market maturity. State-of-the-art technology meets expertise here – and the ultra-modern NOVAFOIL 106 H hot stamping machine from our partner BOBST plays a decisive role in this.
As the global market leader, KURZ develops and produces hot stamping embellishment for brands in the graphic arts and many other industries. During the hot stamping process, the wafer-thin decorative layer is detached from a transfer carrier and precisely transferred to the product to be finished. In order to develop high-quality, durable embellishment, KURZ tests its products as close to real-world conditions as possible. That is why the Application Technology Department (AEWTA) at the main location in Fürth has a diverse range of top-of-the-line embellishment machines that cover all common application possibilities – embellishment machines that are also used by KURZ customers. KURZ relies on strong industrial partnerships. The latest addition is the NOVAFOIL 106 H hot stamping machine from partner company BOBST.
In a strong industrial partnership, two companies grow to become more than the sum of their parts. For over twenty years, KURZ and BOBST have been combining their expertise to perfect hot stamping embellishment, develop counterfeit-proof hot stamping solutions, and drive innovation in the graphic arts industry. The results include milestones such as the iconic parrot poster for DRUPA 2016 and countless striking packaging layouts. KURZ contributes its expertise in hot stamping transfer products, while BOBST provides the precision of high-performance die-cutting and embossing machines. "Together, both companies are pushing the technical boundaries in order to offer more and more innovative solutions," says Bodo Junge, Product Marketing Director Business Unit Printing & Converting, PL LADSF Folding Carton, Litho Laminating & Corrugated Board Industry at BOBST. Customers benefit particularly from this symbiosis, as KURZ and BOBST can offer proven complete solutions consisting of hot stamping machines and perfectly matched transfer products.
A closer look behind the scenes of the partnership reveals major areas of development that are crucial for the future of hot stamping technology. First and foremost is the vision of zero-fault quality, where every tiny detail is perfectly stamped. In addition, the industry partners are continuously working to improve performance so that the stamping process will be even faster and more efficient in the future. Reducing manufacturing costs and optimizing resource conservation are just as much a part of the innovation fields as all aspects of sustainability, including, for example, reducing the thickness of transfer carriers.
When it comes to perfecting hot stamping embellishment, KURZ's Application Technology Department (AWETA) at its Fürth site comes into play. Here, a range of state-of-the-art embellishment machines are available – machines that our customers also work with. In the decoration process, the interaction between the transfer product and the embellishment machine is crucial to achieving an excellent embossing result. With the new NOVAFOIL 106 H hot stamping machine from BOBST, hot stamping designs can be tested in real conditions, virtually in the laboratory. "I consider the NOVAFOIL 106 H to be the top machine in our fleet. It offers high embossing quality at fast production speeds. Almost every test from development is tested for market readiness on the NOVAFOIL. The hot stamping machine also impresses with its easy handling," says Martin Hempel, Head of Center of Competence Graphics at AWETA at LEONHARD KURZ. The embossing platen of the NOVAFOIL 106 H delivers remarkably high embellishment quality due to longer contact time, stable temperatures, and higher embossing pressure. It is also extremely flexible when it comes to embossing, deep embossing, and hologram applications.
And what does the future hold? With the NOVAFOIL 106 H, BOBST can conduct machine demonstrations at KURZ in AWETA. KURZ also has the opportunity to test new products on various machines at BOBST. Customer visits are intended to promote the exchange of knowledge and thus encourage innovation. "What makes this partnership special is the innovative collaboration as a kind of testing community. The focus is on optimally coordinated product development within a network of European premium manufacturers. We offer our customers real added value through ideal process solutions. We want to further expand this collaboration in the future," says Dr. Laurin Leeb (Head of International Product Management at LEONHARD KURZ).
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