Revolutionizing Folding Carton Production: Highlights from a VIP Customer Day at Bobst Firenze
European Digital Press Association (EDP) award for the DIGITAL MASTER 55, presented to the BOBST team during the event
On July 1st, 2025, Bobst Firenze opened its doors to a select group of Italian printers and converters for an exclusive VIP Customer Day. The event was a celebration of innovation, a glimpse into the future of folding carton production, and a powerful demonstration of how BOBST`s technology is shaping the packaging world.
A Grand Unveiling: The DIGITAL MASTER 55
At the heart of the event was the grand unveiling of the DIGITAL MASTER 55, BOBST's latest breakthrough in digital printing and converting. This All-in-One solution is designed to revolutionize short-to-mid-size folding carton runs by integrating printing, embellishment, quality control, and die-cutting into a single, seamless process.
Operating at speeds of up to 100 meters per minute, the DIGITAL MASTER 55 delivers "one go" production, particularly for personal care and cosmetics as well as pharmaceutical and OTC applications. Its capabilities promise same-day delivery, drastically reduced production times—up to 60% faster at break-even volumes—and significant cost savings on short runs. With just-in-time production, converters can minimize inventory and waste, while 15-minute job changeover for complex jobs, including die-cutting, offers unprecedented agility. The modular design ensures that the system can evolve with business needs, allowing for the integration of additional flexo or digital units, making it a truly future-proof investment.
BOBST has recently been recognised with a European Digital Press Association (EDP) award for the DIGITAL MASTER 55, presented to the BOBST team during the event.
Live demonstrations: Innovation in action
Live demonstrations featured other standout technologies. The DIGITAL MASTER 340, an All-in-One, All-in-line label press, showcased its capabilities in label production, combining versatility with speed and inline quality control. The performance of the highly automated inline flexo press, MASTER M6, impressed with its rapid changeovers, while BOBST Connect, a cloud-based digital platform, illustrated how digitalization and connectivity are streamlining workflows and enhancing operational efficiency.
Expert insights: Pushing the boundaries of possibility
Beyond the machines, presentations delved into transformative innovations such as Zero Patching, which eliminates manual interventions to boost productivity, POWER REGISTER, a technology that ensures perfect register accuracy even at high speeds, and the latest tooling advancements that are reducing setup times and enhancing precision.. Digital solutions took center stage, with Packitoo presenting the future of quotation for carton packaging which dramatically accelerates new order turnaround speed,, followed by a presentation exploring BOBST Connect, the platform that brings data and digital services together to enhance and improve packaging productivity.
Reflecting on the day's significance, Ludovico Frati, Sales & Marketing Director DIGITAL at BOBST, remarked, "Consumer tastes are evolving faster than ever, and brand owners demand greater agility to respond to these shifting preferences. In this high-pressure environment, converters need flexible, responsive tools to adapt quickly, ensuring client satisfaction while delivering secure, traceable packaging. Achieving zero-fault packaging through agile integrated processes is the foundation of our printing and converting strategy for the folding carton industry. This is fully embodied in our DIGITAL MASTER 55, and today this prestigious recognition from EDP is an exciting validation of our strategy, both for our team and our clients."
As the packaging industry continues to evolve, BOBST remains a driving force behind smarter, faster, and more sustainable solutions.