Horizon and Konica Minolta aim to automate the production line all the way through to finishing. The two Japanese manufacturers have signed an agreement to integrate their production management software and automate operations between printing and finishing. An initial demonstration is scheduled for early November in Japan.
Shorter wait time between printing and finishing
The project is based on the integration of their respective software solutions: AccurioPro Flux, developed by Konica Minolta to manage print jobs, and iCE LiNK, Horizon?s system for managing finishing and binding operations. AccurioPro Flux handles imposition, file preparation, job management, and progress tracking, among other functions. For its part, iCE LiNK centralizes the information needed for finishing operations and communicates with finishing equipment, primarily using the JDF format.
The goal of this collaboration is to automatically link production data across machines. The completion of a print job could thus trigger the preparation of finishing equipment, without requiring operators to re-enter the information.
Automation for routing printed materials through the production floor
The two manufacturers are also working on automated transport of printed materials within the production facilities. The system under development combines Horizon?s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and material-handling equipment with Konica Minolta?s LS-507 high-capacity stacker. Printed stacks could thus be routed to finishing machines based on the progress of the jobs.
The initial results of this collaboration will be presented November 4?6, 2026, at the Horizon Smart Factory event in Takashima, Japan.
A demonstration will showcase Konica Minolta?s AccurioPress C14010S digital press in combination with Horizon?s finishing equipment. Visitors will also be able to see how printed materials are transported between the various stages of production using mobile robots.
A robotic binding line connected to Konica Minolta's new AccurioPress C8100 digital press and Horizon's BQ-300 thermal binder will also be on display.
In this setup, the printed sheets are assembled into book blocks and then automatically transferred to the thermal binding machine by a robotic arm.
Automation in printing shops is reaching new heights
This collaboration is intended to address the changing nature of print orders, characterized by shorter runs, ever-tighter production deadlines, and a shortage of skilled workers. According to Seiji Nakashima, head of Konica Minolta?s professional printing business, automation must now extend beyond the operation of the presses alone to include transport and finishing, in order to reduce production downtime.
The Japanese manufacturer has already developed automation for its presses through "The Intelligent Press" concept, which was unveiled in early October alongside the new AccurioPress C8100 series. This concept combines various automatic detection, control, and adjustment functions designed to reduce the need for operator intervention.
The agreement with Horizon should now make it possible to extend this automation to the next stages of production. "Through our collaboration with Horizon, we will expand this approach beyond printing to include internal transport and postpress, thereby helping to reduce disruptions throughout the production chain." , explains Seiji Nakashima.
Konica and Horizon note, however, that the interconnectivity features are still under development. Their release and availability dates will be announced at a later time, following testing and feedback gathered at Horizon Smart Factory 2026 in early November.
