One of the most head-turning attractions at Graphics Canada was the Web Connect+ booth, which featured a robot moving back and forth to gather and offload printed pieces. Photos by Carly McHugh
By Tony Curcio
After a four-year hiatus, the biennial Graphics Canada trade show—held this past May—was replete with educational opportunities. With 175 separate exhibitors and more than 1,500 exhibiting personnel, it covered just about every conceivable function of a print operation.
Event director Dan Mustata summed it up best: “We had a successful show by all accounts,” he said. “Most of the exhibitors commented on what a great event it was, and reported solid leads, quality visitors, and interested prospects. The energy and enthusiasm were real after four years. The printing industry came together to network and to be inspired.”
One attraction that turned heads was the Web Connect+ booth, a unique collaboration between Infigo, Significans Automation, Enfocus, Motionalysis, Ronik Inc, and Elitron America Inc. Each day, via live demonstrations, attendees were guided through every step of the printing process—without any human intervention. Company representatives worked their magic at computer stations just outside the perimeter of the expansive booth, as showgoers saw a robot scurrying back and forth to gather and offload printed pieces. From designing a personalized product to pre-flighting, digital printing, and finishing, attendees were able to see an entirely seamless workflow in action and discover its game-changing cost savings and untapped efficiencies.
The collaboration between Infigo, Significans Automation, Enfocus, Motionalysis, Ronik Inc, and Elitron America Inc showed every step of the process, without any human intervention.
How it worked
To begin, attendees created a personalized print product using U.K.-based Infigo’s web-to-print platform. The technology allows users to create 100 per cent customized e-commerce storefronts, even if they have no web design experience. With drag-and-drop functionality, users could either personalize a pre-defined template or create a custom design from a blank canvas.
Next, the job was processed by Significans Automation, a solutions integrator that helps to customize every aspect of a printer’s or converter’s workflow. The Toronto company’s team has a combined 100 years of expertise and hands-on experience with the intricacies of the market’s workflow software providers. Therefore, it was able to tie all upstream and downstream systems from its booth partners together, resulting in a unique, seamless, and integrated process.
With Significans specialists configuring the software to drive the overall workflow, customize it, and make any necessary changes, the job was then sent to Enfocus for pre-flight checks. The software used for this step “automates the flow of information, breaking down barriers between systems, teams, and islands of disparate processes,” said Piet De Pauw, global marketing manager for Enfocus. He referred to the common problem of corporate “silos” in any business (often created with the introduction of “disruptive” technology) where teams work separately rather than in unison. The software also provides simplified connectivity through configurators and apps for tools in production, data manipulation, and more—including fully automated, customer-focused, online PDF proofing and approvals, as well as seamless connections to print management information systems, web-to-print, impositions, and other production tools.
