Kongsberg Ultimate wins Best Wide Format Cutting Solution at Drupa's EDP Awards in Dusseldorf, Germany; cutter can reach 2.74G acceleration rate and 168 m/min cutting speed for corrugated materials

The Kongsberg Ultimate has been named Best Wide Format Cutting Solution at the EDP Awards, taking top spot at the awards ceremony held at drupa 2024.

Launched just six months ago, the groundbreaking new cutting system made its global debut at the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition, where it has wowed crowds daily with demonstrations of its unprecedented levels of productivity, precision and safety.

“We are delighted to have been named Best Wide Format Cutting Solution in these prestigious awards,” said Stuart Fox, President and CEO of Kongsberg PCS. “We launched the Kongsberg Ultimate with the promise that it would set a new industry benchmark, enhancing operations and providing a significant competitive advantage to corrugated converters, and we are thrilled that the judging panel has wholeheartedly endorsed our claims.

“Engineered for precision and built for productivity, it is no exaggeration to say that the Kongsberg Ultimate is a groundbreaking new platform,” he said. “With its innovative new drive technology, an impressive acceleration rate of up to 2.74G and a remarkable cutting speed of 168 meters per minute, the Kongsberg Ultimate is set to transform the corrugated production industry, and has already made a huge impression on those who have seen it in action at drupa.”

Organized by the European Digital Press (EDP) Association, the EDP Awards were presented at an evening ceremony held at drupa on 29 May. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Austria, the EDP is an independent non-profit organization that represents digital printing companies and professionals across Europe. It serves as a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy for publishers of trade magazines in the digital printing industry.

In its written report declaring the Kongsberg Ultimate winner, the EDP judging panel said the new cutting system “addresses the specific challenges faced by corrugated converters in continuous, high-volume, multi-batch production. It offers high levels of productivity, precision and safety with its new PrecisionDrive technology and impressive acceleration and cutting speed.

The Kongsberg Ultimate could change the corrugated industry.

“The Kongsberg Ultimate could change the corrugated industry,” the written report continued. “With its carefully designed carbon fiber beams, the Kongsberg Ultimate ensures unparalleled rigidity and exerts a constant pressure of 50kg. The tool head camera ensures even greater precision, so that every cut is perfectly aligned to the highest industry standards.”

David Preskett, Vice President of EMEA and APAC at Kongsberg PCS, was presented with the award for the Kongsberg Ultimate in the Digital Cutting – Knife/Die/Laser: Wide Format category.

“We know the Kongsberg Ultimate represents a quantum leap forward in technology,” he said. “To have this recognized by the judging panel of the EDP Awards - and in front of the global industry at drupa - is a testament to the leading technical innovation and incredible work of the entire Kongsberg team involved in developing and launching the Ultimate.

“This remarkable achievement reaffirms Kongsberg PCS's position as an industry leader and underlines our dedication to delivering innovations that empower businesses to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.”