Landa and Komori cement hardware partnership

The companies had collaborated during Landa’s development of nanography, with Komori providing sheet-fed platforms for Landa’s launch units at Drupa 2012. The two companies have now formalized their long-term strategic alliance by entering into multi-faceted agreements in which Komori will be the global supplier of all sheet-fed Landa Nanographic Printing press platforms, while Landa will provide Komori with technology and NanoInk colorants for incorporation into Komori-branded Nanographic Printing presses.

At the time of launch Landa announced a series of industry partners to develop their own-branded presses featuring Landa’s Nanographic Printing process. As well as Komori, this included Heidelberg and manroland.

Since Drupa, Landa engineers have been evaluating proposals from the industry’s leading press vendors, both European and Asian, for the supply of sheet-fed platforms for Landa Nanographic Printing presses. In making its assessment, Landa took into account the caliber of engineering, robustness of design, automation, reliability and cost effectiveness. It said a culture of innovation, technical resources, commercial success and financial stability were also important criteria.

The outcome of the evaluation has led Landa to place orders with Komori for sheet-fed platforms for Landa’s S10 Nanographic Printing presses, which will start to be delivered to customers in the fourth quarter of 2014. Presses developed in collaboration with industry partners will come after this, as well as the web-fed Landa Nanographic Printing presses.

Landa recently outlined quality enhancements and machine architecture upgrades to its S10 folding carton variant, including a newly-designed “operator cockpit” and the addition of optional in-line coating. This will be supplied by Komori as part of its sheet-fed platforms.

Landa founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) Benny Landa said: ‘Since we first started our collaboration with Komori, we have been deeply impressed by the company, its people and its culture.

‘Komori is an outstanding partner for Landa, bringing an extremely high caliber of engineering expertise, second-to-none quality and performance, together with a fervent commitment and willingness to invest in the future. It is gratifying to have as our strategic partner the one global press vendor that continues to thrive despite the challenges faced by the industry.’

Yoshiharu Komori, Komori president, chairman and CEO, added: ‘It is a great honor to be able to cooperate with Landa in bringing nanography to market. Our teams have been closely monitoring Landa’s development and have been amazed with the progress made so far, which exceeds our expectations.

‘We believe that the impact of Benny Landa’s new invention, nanography – with the Komori platform – will have a far greater impact even than his introduction of the first digital printing press.’