Koenig & Bauer VariJET 106 Executive Summit Highlights New Customers and Future of Folding Carton Production

• Live production and breakout sessions offered converters hands‑on experience including seamless workflow integration from prepress to postpress
• Customer testimonials from Amcor and SCHELLING underscored how the VariJET 106 is reshaping operational strategies and enabling profitable growth
• Amcor Specialty Cartons reveals its new VariJET 106 driven business model, demonstrating accelerated lead times and increased flexibility

Koenig & Bauer and Koenig & Bauer Durst welcomed more than 80 industry leaders to an Executive Summit dedicated to the VariJET 106 hybrid printing system at the company’s Customer Experience Center for the Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems segment. The event showcased the latest market momentum behind the platform, including unveiling the adoption of the VariJET 106 by Amcor. As the only site where digital, offset, and postpress technologies can be tested together, the summit demonstrated how converters are building resilient, future‑ready production models with hybrid workflows.

A major highlight of the event at the dedicated VariJET Hall in Radebeul was a “Voice of the Customer” session delivered by two early VariJET 106 adopters. The audience heard how their companies are already reshaping operations with hybrid production - insights that reflected clear market trends.

Amcor Specialty Cartons, represented by General Manager Dario Morini, shared how its Poland site has built a new digitally enabled business model around the VariJET 106. Using a hybrid configuration with flexo stations pre and post the digital printing unit, the site addresses rapid lead times, brand proliferation, and rising security & health warning requirements in different sectors.

Pierre Hertzel, Head of Sales Germany for Swiss‑based SCHELLING AG, described how the company’s 7‑color, double‑coater configuration increasingly supports premium folding carton applications with consistent quality, broad Pantone coverage, and hybrid flexibility.

Markus Weiss, CEO of Koenig & Bauer Paper & Packaging Sheetfed Systems, underlined the strategic vision involved in supporting customers through the transformation processes: “Our approach remains holistic: connecting prepress, press, and postpress systems through intelligent automation, AI and workflow solutions to deliver efficiency and profitability across the entire production chain. The future of print isn’t about choosing sides – offset or digital. It’s about mastering both to meet today’s evolving market demands. At Koenig & Bauer, we’re passionate about driving that transformation with our customers, shaping the next chapter of what print can achieve.”

The event combined presentations from subject‑matter experts at Koenig & Bauer, Durst Group, and Koenig & Bauer Durst, along with live demonstrations of the VariJET 106 in a full production environment. The full business case for the VariJET 106 was spotlighted with role-playing depicting brand owner and converter discussions using real-life business demands. The production runs started with basic folding cartons before moving to complex, highly colorful applications, including challenging variations and premium customization options that also encompassed advanced security and connected packaging features with QR codes.

The VariJET 106 - jointly developed by Durst and Koenig & Bauer - was presented as a mid‑run workhorse for industrial folding carton production. Built on the market leading Rapida 106 platform, it combines water‑based inkjet (CMYK + OGV), high Pantone coverage, double‑coating capability, and seamless workflow integration through the Durst Ecosystem.

Daniel Velema, Managing Director at Koenig & Bauer Durst, highlighted how leading converters are approaching digital transformation. “Successful digital adopters invest not only in the press, but in software integration, automated workflows, and lean change management. We help customers across the full value chain, to unlock not just a more agile print manufacturing process, but a more responsive and scalable business model. The best way to find out is by jointly running the business case and print benchmark files. We can also take customers to our existing customers. In the end, seeing is believing!”

Delegates experienced:

• Dynamic live production with primer switching
• Connected packaging and brand protection workflows
• Ink‑consumption reporting
• Seamless integration from digital to postpress
• End-to-End workflow via the rotary die-cutter CutPRO X 106 and CutPRO Q 106 flatbed die-cutter and folder gluing via Omega Allpro 110
• Intelligent software, predictive maintenance, and innovations such as AURAVEO

Another highlight of the Open House has been Keynote speaker François Martin, an outspoken advocate for change in the graphics industry. He reinforced how digital and analogue technologies drive complementary value. “Scale handles the volume; agility handles the value. Digital adoption enables converters to stop turning away complex, fast‑turn jobs and reinforces analogue production rather than replacing it.”

Another highlight of the Open House has been Keynote speaker François Martin, an outspoken advocate for change in the graphics industry. He reinforced how digital and analogue technologies drive complementary value. “Scale handles the volume; agility handles the value. Digital adoption enables converters to stop turning away complex, fast‑turn jobs and reinforces analogue production rather than replacing it.”

Find more information, photos and videos here: https://sites.google.com/koenig-bauer.com/2026-vip-event-varijet106/home