Gallus unveils Gallus 5 and Gallus Alpha presses at Labelexpo

Urbinati explained that the launches stem from years of development and consultation with the industry. “Four years ago we made it our mission to innovate from the outside in,” he says. “We listened to customers, partners, analysts and researchers, and we learned that many early adopters of digital were disappointed by adoption and profitability. Others did not find the right path into digital. We decided to remove those barriers and create a new printing landscape.”

The Gallus 5 is positioned as the company’s flagship industrial press, combining digital and conventional in an integrated hybrid platform. It runs at speeds up to 100 metres a minute and is built for mid and short run production, which now dominate the market. “Eighty per cent of jobs in our sector are below 10,000 metres running length,” Urbinati notes. “With the Gallus 5, high speed is now available for all printers in our industry.”

At the heart of the Gallus 5 is the new Heidelberg Safira UV5 ink set, which delivers 95% of the Pantone colour space, including the 32 most specified spot colours. It is a high-pigmentation LED-curing ink that reduces consumption, lowers energy use and complies with the latest safety regulations for health, beauty and other sensitive markets. Urbinati says the new ink allows converters to achieve exceptional throughput with lower costs and improved environmental performance. The press also incorporates a high-speed semi-rotary die-cutting system that matches the 100 metres a minute print speed, removing bottlenecks in finishing.

Urbinati was clear that the Gallus 5 is not intended as a standalone revolution but as part of a wider modular ecosystem. “We are not only bringing a new press, we are delivering a holistic, practical approach,” he explains. “We focus on removing barriers, accelerating digital adoption and creating tangible opportunities for converters worldwide. It is designed to be future-ready at industrial performance, and it is part of our System to Compose.”

System to Compose is Gallus’s modular architecture that allows customers to configure presses from building blocks. Urbinati says this approach answers one of the biggest questions from converters. “One customer once asked me, how can I buy a press to depreciate over 10 years if I do not know what I will print in three years? We solve that problem with investment security. You can add modules if your business changes, or remove blocks you no longer need. You can retrofit or upgrade, for example, adding a digital print unit to a Labelmaster to create a hybrid press.”

The Gallus Alpha, presented alongside the flagship, is aimed at converters who are entering digital for the first time. Urbinati described it as a sheetfed press that provides operational simplicity without compromising on quality. “The Gallus Alpha is here to ensure that on the way to digital, no business is left behind,” he says. “It is agile and intuitive, an ideal entry into digital printing underpinned by the global Heidelberg service network.” The Alpha is targeted at growth markets such as retail, pharma and logistics. Delivery times are set at three months, with the Gallus 5 available on a five- to six-month schedule.

Pricing was not disclosed, but Urbinati emphasised that each press is effectively tailor-made. “Since customers select from technology modules and building blocks, every press is essentially configured for the customer’s business. It is very challenging to give a list price, but we are very competitive.”

Partnerships remain central to the Gallus strategy. Urbinati highlighted collaborations with more than 20 partners at the Gallus Experience Centre in St Gallen. “If you work together with a common vision to truly transform the industry and give it a new modular print landscape, you need partnerships. It has been shown that this approach is successful, with cross-functional and integrated systems creating new opportunities,” he says. Among the partnerships is Kurz, whose metallised and overprintable effects were demonstrated on samples in Barcelona.

Urbinati confirmed that existing products such as the Labelfire remain part of the portfolio. “The Labelfire has unique components, especially in low migration ink and security labelling. We have many customers running that press who want a second machine, so it will remain available for the foreseeable time.”

Gallus also used the show to launch the Gallus Sprint Academy, a training initiative to support customers during their digital transition. Trainers will provide on-site sessions at converters’ plants, reducing travel costs and downtime while helping operators build practical skills. “We need to support customers not only with technology but with expertise, skills and process knowledge,” Urbinati says. “The Gallus Sprint Academy is a value-add service to unlock the next generation of digital print.”

He concluded by positioning the dual launch as part of a broader roadmap. “With the Gallus 5, the Gallus Alpha and the Gallus Print Academy, we continue to deliver on our vision for true industry transformation. We deliver a robust portfolio for every converter in every market segment. With System to Compose as a foundation, we set the stage for the next wave of digital transformation and equip our customers for long-term success. The future of the industry is now.”