“An excellent collection point
for today’s experts in the world of digital printing.” That is how Stefano
Corradini, Sidel SpA, described ESMA’s inaugural The Inkjet ConferenceTM
(www.theijc.com) held earlier this month and sponsored by enabling partner
drupa, in Neuss (Düsseldorf).
Rick Hulme, Sun Chemical, said it
was a ‘new and exciting conference which has brought the industry together to
discuss inkjet, its capabilities and opportunities both now and in the future’
while Ian Clark of Intrinsiq Materials described it as ‘a varied and
wide-ranging conference highlighting applications and the future’.
The two-day, multi-subject
educational conference brought together industry and academic leaders in their
fields who spoke about the latest advances and future developments driving
digital print. It included a focus on inkjet engineering, a review on fluid and
ink components such as nano particles, conductive, aqueous and UV inks and an academic
track open to all universities and non-commercial research institutes to
present their work.
There were over 30 different
presentations with topics as varied as UV-LED systems, piezo inkjet for
precision dispensing of functional materials, system integration: an ink point
of view, improving inkjet industry by implementing intelligent sensors, and
industrial inkjet for packaging.
Steve Knight, Founder of Digital
Direct, who runs The Inkjet Conference was overwhelmed by industry interest
with more than 300 attendees hungry to learn about inkjet for industrial
applications from 38 exhibitors and 41 speakers. “As well as the updates on the
significant technological steps being made by suppliers and experts in this
arena, the event also presented the wealth of opportunities for collaboration,
inter-industry developments and cross-market adoption.”
“A great starting point to follow the
developmental course of DOD and nano-particles throughout the next exciting
upcoming years,” was the view of attendee Luc Van damme, while Mark Stephenson,
from Fujifilm, said it was: “A good start and hopefully many more to come.”
Jason Remnant, Xaar, welcomed the range of attendees to ‘help broaden customer
opportunities and networking options’ and Yair Kipman, of Imagexpert, said the conference
was excellent ‘with many of the appropriate players in the inkjet market’.
Peter Buttiens, CEO of ESMA
concludes: “The energy and buzz surrounding the first edition of The Inkjet
Conference is indicative of the excitement we are seeing across the industry regarding
the capabilities the new technology is offering. It is so interesting to be a
part of the conversation that is exploring what the next steps could and should
be.”
To see more on The Inkjet
Conference, go to: www.theijc.com.
