Durst Group Launches the P5 X Wide-Format Printer

Durst Group unveiled the latest addition to its P5 family of production inkjet printers in a worldwide press event at its headquarters in Brixen, Italy on Oct. 2. The new P5 X wide-format printer breaks from Durst tradition in two fundamental ways. First, while it’s available with a roll-printing option, it’s Durst’s first true flatbed design. It’s also the first time in the quarter century since the company entered the wide-format inkjet market that a Durst-branded printer has been designed for mid-market PSPs that aren’t necessarily doing high production volumes.

Andrea Riccardi, head of product development at Durst, presents about the P5 X. | Credit: Wide-format Impressions

One of Durst’s objectives when it launched its first P5 machine (the P5 250 HS hybrid) in 2019 was to create a platform that enabled the company to shorten its product development cycle in response to changing customer needs.
“We decided that by having one printhead technology (Ricoh Gen 5) along with common core technologies in the electronics and software, we’d be able to scale up the portfolio with new products as fast as possible,” said Andrea Riccardi, Head of Product Management. Six additional P5 models followed before the launch of the P5 X, including additional hybrids, dedicated roll-to-roll devices in 3.2- and 5-m widths, and a unit using water-based inks designed specifically for corrugated packaging and displays.

Addressing customer inefficiencies is a common denominator in the P5 platform. Riccardi noted that Durst looked beyond print speeds and concentrated on common causes of machine downtime such as media and job changeovers. The company also looked for productivity improvements throughout a job’s life cycle, moving into the software business to develop ERP and print production software solutions, as well as introducing the P5 Robotics line of automated loading and unloading solutions, with the goal of helping customers get jobs through their plants as quickly, and with as few human touchpoints, as possible.

Durst headquarters, Brixen, Italy. | Credit: Durst

With the P5 X, Durst aims to offer similar productivity gains to mid-market PSPs that, until now, had been served primarily by its Vanguard Digital Printing Systems subsidiary, of which Durst acquired a majority stake in 2020. “The P5 X fits perfectly into our platform,” said Christoph Gamper, CEO and co-owner of Durst Group, noting the demand from current customers for a true flatbed model. “It serves our existing customer base, and it allows customers we grew and nurtured with Vanguard to go a step up into higher-volume printing.”

The P5 X features a 3.2 x 2.1-m print area with optional roll printing solutions. Maximum print speed is quoted at 120 sq m/hr, with speeds in typical production of 80 sq m/hr. The printer has ten color channels with ink options including CMYK; white; fluorescent; orange; violet; light cyan, magenta, and black; varnish; and primer.

P5 X Features

Durst technicians set up a job. | Credit: Wide-format Impressions

The vacuum table has 12 selectable zones, allowing up to six different sheet sizes and images to be printed on each side of the print bed. A Twin Printing mode effectively divides the print bed horizontally, permitting operators to set up or take off prints on one side of the bed while the sheets on the other side are printed. Banks of LED indicators show the correct positioning of stock for the job and identify which vacuum rows should be activated, allowing operators to quickly mount magnetic register pins to streamline job setup.

Additional features of the P5 X include:
• Magnetic linear motors on both the X and Y axes
• Ergonomic and safety features including light systems that detect if a press operator is in the path of the print carriage, to prevent injury
• Print mode options that allow white to be overprinted or underprinted from a single printhead, as well as layered, dimensional effects
• White can be printed over or under the image for reverse printing applications using a single printhead. The printer also supports printing layered (haptic) effects.
• A visual status bar that allows press operators to quickly monitor system readiness, remaining print time, ink status, and more.

Durst will show the P5 X at eight trade shows around the world over the next 12 months. Riccardi said the machine will be commercially available in Q1 2025.