Innovation in industrial digital inkjet
Introducing Kento Hybrid®
A single-pass solution that brings together in a single line the advantages of inkjet digital printing and high-quality flexographic printing, specially designed for corrugated cardboard.
New in 2023: As an enhancement to its printing capabilities, Kento offers the world’s first in-line rotary die cutter on a digital printing machine, adding several advantages in terms of efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness, precise and accurate cutting results, and amazing versatility for various shapes and designs. A true end-to-end print and die cut solution.
New in 2024: Kento Hybrid becomes the low-capex option to go into single-pass with a modular and scalable approach, with a starting price tag similar to a multipass inkjet machine. The basic configuration includes a feeder, a flexo unit, the digital single-pass module, and an optional stacker, and it may grow with your business by adding up to two more flexo units, primer and OPV modules, and an inline rotary die cutter.
On this page you will find information about our proposal and our company:
Best Innovation • Silver Award 2021
In its first public presentation, Kento Hybrid® was recognized as one of the most innovative proposals of the FEFCO Technical Seminar 2021,for integrating analog flexo printing with digital printing in a hybrid solution, combining flexibility with reduced printing costs.
Two demo sites
- Europe: In a state-of-the-art plant near Valencia, Spain.
- North America: At an innovative plant near Chicago
Request a demo today, on-site or online.
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Kento Hybrid®… Inkjet + flexo
Kento Digital Printing’s hybrid single-pass printing technology is a milestone in the digital transformation of the packaging industry into corrugated cardboard.
- Digital single-pass inkjet printing line, equipped with one or more flexo bodies for printing backgrounds, direct colors, and other added value applications.
- New: The world’s first and only in-line rotary die cutter on a digital printing machine.
- Designed specifically for the corrugated cardboard packaging industry.
Technical specifications
These are the features of the Kento Hybrid line®:
- Print format up to 2,10 m wide by 1,30 m in the direction of travel (82.7″ x 51.1″).
- It fully complies with the requirements of packaging manufacturers in corrugated cardboard.
- Total length below 30 meters (98.5 feet), easily installable in any factory.
- Productivity at the level of high quality flexographic printers.
- Up to 80 linear meters per minute (262 fpm).
- Up to 10.000 square meters per hour (100 MSF/hour).
- Total non-stop automation, with lower feed and stacking up to 1,8 m (6 feet).
- Ease of operation, minimum personnel requirement.
- Full integration of all components, with own line control software.
- Peripherals conceived and manufactured by a team with more than 30 years of experience.
- Unique electronics, with Siemens brand components.
► Download the Kento Hybrid® PDF brochure.
Application
Kento Hybrid® is a printing line designed to handle efficiently short and midsized projects on corrugated cardboard
- Prints on all types of papers and waves with thicknesses from 0.8 to 12 millimeters.
- Open ink system, approved by the most important manufacturers on the market.
- Inks complying with the highest food safety standards (Nestlé, Swiss Ordinance).
- Inks with certificate of recyclability and repulpability.
An excellent choice for printing runs up to 10.000 m2 (100 MSF) for existing corrugated plants and for new facilities
Also check out our FAQ section.
Profitability
Kento Hybrid® technology allows a large majority of orders to be printed at lower costs than high-quality flexo printing, regardless of size.
- Savings of up to 80% over standard digital inkjet printing.
- Higher margins: products with more added value and lower investment.
- Lower TCO total cost of ownership.
• Contact us to know a business case and receive commercial attention.
New capabilities
A hybrid print line presents opportunities for immediate use:
- New products for well-known customers and expansion of the lead base.
- Attention to volume jobs that are not cost effective with Flexo HD, offset, or inkjet.
- New opportunities for massive customization and creativity for the customer.
What to expect from Kento Digital Printing
A revolutionary proposal that accelerates the digital transformation of the packaging industry and introduces new rules of play in corrugated cardboard printing.
- Immediate commercial attention and deliveries of Kento Hybrid®.
- Complete solution from installation to commissioning, meeting all technical requirements in quality and productivity.
- Training at all levels: operators, technical office designers, sales team and maintenance staff.
- Technical service sized to ensure maximum availability of print lines.
► Contact us for more information and specialized business attention.
A new company with more than 30 years of experience
Extensive management experience of founding partners and intense professional experience in the key aspects of the corrugated cardboard packaging industry:
Knowledge of market trends and needs.
Operational handling of digital and analog printing.
Manufacture of high performance printing machinery.
Javier Quesada
CEO - Founding Partner
Career developed in management positions in the packaging sector in multinational companies such as Saica and DS Smith, in several countries in Europe and North Africa.
Extensive knowledge of the corrugated cardboard packaging market and the different printing techniques on corrugated cardboard, including flexography, offset and inkjet.
Pedro Benito
CTO - Founding Partner
Professional career dedicated to the development of industrial inkjet technology on various materials and applications such as ceramics, textiles and corrugated cardboard since its inception.
Responsible for the engineering and R&D teams of a Silicon Valley-based multinational that has driven the digitization of printing globally.
Santiago Arnáiz
COO - Founding Partner
Expert in lean manufacturing, supply chain and technical assistance with more than 15 years of experience in the automotive manufacturing sector (Renault-Nissan Group).
He has been in charge of operations, purchasing and after-sales of multinational groups, reaching the position of global vice president of operations.
Rodolfo Celotti
Industrial partner
More than 30 years of experience in the design and manufacture of the highest quality machinery for the handling of corrugated cardboard.
Founder of Celmacch, a firm especially recognized for its lines of high definition flexographic printing on this substrate.
Its passion for innovation and investment in technological solutions, the exclusive use of first-class components, the simplicity of design and the robustness of its equipment are the foundations of its recognized prestige.
A Teal Organization: Our Management Approach
We believe in the self-organization of teams, total transparency in what we do, and people’s ability to make their own decisions and grow with the company.
We work together for a common purpose and that encourages us to go further: Avoiding hierarchies and niches, favoring the flow of information and autonomy of our collaborators, aiming to develop the maximum potential of each of us.
We want to manage ourselves in a different way, according to the Teal principles.
Downloadable: Packaging Industry Information
Periodically our team generates documents that concentrate statistical data, trends and projections of the corrugated board market. You just have to write to us to receive them in your mailbox.
Digital printing on corrugated cardboard: What stops it
Using an analytical method, in this 4-page article we explore the factors that have slowed down the large-scale adoption of digital printing on corrugated board and come to conclusions that set the tone for the future.
► Complete this form with your data and we will send you the 4-page PDF shortly.
Corrugated cardboard: 7 trends that will change the industry
Focused on the topic of corrugated cardboard packaging, this document:
- Highlights 7 trends in consumer and trade behavior
- Points out 5 statistical data from reliable institutional sources
- It presents 7 conclusions on which the future of digital and analog industrial printing equipment is built.
► Complete this form with your details and we will send you the 3-page PDF shortly.
Etiq&Pack: Presentation “Industry Trends”
We invite you to know the content of the conference made by our CEO, Javier Quesada, in the most recent edition of the Etiq&Pack forum in Paris, in February 2021.
Among the points of its presentation are:
- The current size and evolution of the wavy digital printing market
- Covid’s impact on delivery services demand for corrugated cardboard
- The challenges facing industry and the visions that are in development
- The presentation of Kento Hybrid concepts®,a new paradigm that promises significant savings in digital printing costs
Do you want the content of this presentation? Write to us to receive a PDF with the summary.
Kento Hybrid® brochure
A comprehensive summary of features, advantages and benefits of this innovative printing line, specially designed for the new corrugated packaging markets
The Kento Hybrid® concept technical innovations, the value proposition, and technical specifications.
FAQs about Kento Hybrid®
Additional details about our products and our organization. And we invite you to resort to the contact form if you want commercial attention or if your doubt does not appear in this section.
What is hybrid digital printing?
It is an original proposal from Kento Digital Printing, designed specifically for the corrugated cardboard packaging industry.
Kento Hybrid® is a digital single-pass inkjet printing line, equipped with one or more flexo bodies to print backgrounds, light colors and other high value-added applications.
Where can I see installed machines?
The first Kento Hybrid® entered into operation in 2022 at La Plana Group facilities near Valencia, Spain.
The first Kento Hybrid® in the United States was installed in Bettendorf, Iowa, in early 2023 at the CP Supply plant.
Request a personalized live demo
at either location, remotely or online.
Kento Hybrid® for large volumes?
Because of their combination of inkjet and HD flexo, Kento Digital Printing equipment is competitive in jobs so far unthinkable for standard digital printing.
Kento Digital Printing’s solution could cover the vast majority of orders that are acting manufactured using analog technologies.
What are the available options?
Besides the single-pass module, a new Kento Hybrid may include up to 3 flexo units, and the new rotary die cutter option.
In addition to the machine, what other services does Kento offer?
Kento Digital Printing proposes a complete solution ranging from installation to commissioning, including training, advice and maintenance, meeting all technical requirements in quality and productivity.
Why invest in Kento Digital Printing equipment?
A Kento Hybrid® printing line is the ideal solution for those looking for:
- Replace analog equipment that has already fulfilled its lifespan.
- Enter digital printing with high flexibility equipment and low TCO.
- Increase high-quality printing capability with the versatility of the hybrid concept.
- Expand your market with high value-added options.
How does a Kento Hybrid® equipment save costs?
Mainly with saving the cost of ink. By combining inkjet with flexo HD, Kento Hybrid® can save up to 80% on ink value without compromising the quality of the result.
How is your TCO compared to other brands?
The acquisition cost of a Kento Hybrid® line is comparable to that of other printing equipment but achieves significant advantages due to its longer availability time, ink savings, total automation, and lower demand for personnel.
What brand and type of ink does Kento Hybrid use®?
Kento Digital Printing proposes an open system, with approval of the most important ink brands on the market.
The manufacturer will find options that comply with the most stringent food safety standards (Nestlé, Swiss Ordinance), and with a certificate of recyclability and repulpability
How is your performance in environmental terms?
Digital equipment has virtually zero ink waste, and cleaning water consumption is significantly lower than in analogue equipment.
To find out more…
Ask for more details on Kento Hybrid®, our flexo + inkjet printing line, designed specially for corrugated
You may also ask for a live demo, either remote or on-site, with full biosecurity protocols
Contact us
SME Digitization Project (Digitize CV-Telework), project for the visualization of systems and securization of remote connections – IMDIGB/2020/175
Project carried out with the help of the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) under the Digitaliza-CV program – Teleworking subsidies for SME digitization projects 2020
The project has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the ERDF operational program of the Valencian Community 2014 – 2020
