July 6, 2017 — Bobst and inkjet technology developer Radex, officially announced the launch of Mouvent, a new joint venture company that will become the digital printing competence center and solutions provider of Bobst. Mouvent to be led by the co-founder of Radex, Piero Pierantozzi, will bring to market 3 digital devices this year, two single-pass label machines and one multi-pass textile printer, with two additional textile printers to be announced later this year.
Radex was founded by Piero Pierantozzi, Peter Brandenberger, Marcel Galliker and Walter Urech, all of whom were also the founders of Graph-Tech AG, which was sold to Domino Printing Sciences in 2012. Mouvent, co-founded with Bobst in June 2017, has headquarters in Solothurn and Wetzikon Switzerland with 80 total employees. Mouvent shares are held 50.1% by Bobst with the remainder being heled by Radex shareholders.
In previous years Bobst kicked off its own inkjet solution, developing a corrugated box printer in partnership with Kodak and using their Stream Inkjet Technology. However, despite entering beta testing, the digital corrugated press development was canceled, although Bobst continues to support the two lines installed currently. Since then Bobst has refined its approach to digital, starting from the ground up with digital devices developed by Mouvent in such diverse markets as label and textile printing and with plans for packaging, commercial and wide format devices.
Piero Pierantozzi and Jean-Pascal Bobst with the Mouvent LB701-UV Label Press
The first five printers announced by Mouvent are the LB701-UV and LB702-UV single-pass inkjet machines for labels, the Mouvent TX801 multi-pass printer for textiles and two more textile printers one to be released later this year and the other in 2018. All of the devices will be based on the Radex developed Mouvent Cluster technology, which are modular, self-contained inkjet assemblies. The clusters use Fujifilm Dimatix Samba printheads supporting speeds of up to 100 meters a minute at a 1,200dpi resolution. Each cluster is made up of four layers: electronics, ink supply, mechanical, and printhead. The Mouvent Cluster Technology will be the one print engine for all markets, machines and substrates supported by the Mouvent range of devices. The Mouvent Clusters are fully modular/scalable and can be used in any configuration and up to 3,29 meter width, either in a single or multi-pass array.
Mouvent LB702-UV Label Press
The LB701-UV and LB702-UV are both single-pass label printers with the former at 170 mm wide and the latter 340 mm wide. Each printer can run at 100 meters per minute of paper, self-adhesive labels and flexible materials. Up to 7 colors are supported, CMYK + orange, violet, and opaque white, with support for either UV or water based inks. Both will officially be launched this September at Label Expo in Brussels. Another device in the line with an 850mm print width is to be announced later this year.
For textiles Mouvent announced the TX801, a multi-pass 1.8m roll-fed printer with a linear speed of 100 m/min. The TX801 supports a range of textiles, and can print up to 8 colors at 2000dpi. Mouvent is targeting textiles markets for flags/banners, home décor, and fashion with the TX801. The TX801 is available for order immediately and the first device is already in operation in Italy. Two other textile devices to be launched later this year and in 2018, include a 4m wide device for 2017 and a single-pass textile printer for 2018.
The creation of Mouvent marks a key point in Bobst’s continuing interest in the digital printing space. The partnership is a more fully integrated venture than the previous digital approach of print head integration in Bobst’s history. With a strong core engineering and technology focus, Mouvent is seeking to cover numerous sectors of the digital print space with their growing range of devices. InfoTrends sees both textiles and labels as growth areas for digital, and Mouvent’s devices fit well into the current lineup of its competitors. It is to be seen if the devices can stand their own and differentiate from the established crowd, but it is an encouraging start for Mouvent and Bobst alike. Mouvent will be exhibiting alongside Bobst at Labelexpo Europe 2017 this 25th-28th of September. A more detailed analysis of the Mouvent announcements will be available to our production service subscribers.