FuturePrint Podcast
FuturePrint is dedicated to and passionate about the power of print technology to enable new opportunities and create new value. This pod features deep-dive discussions with the people behind the tech as well as market analysis, trends, marketing and storytelling!
FuturePrint Podcast
#279 - Inside IACS’ Industrial Inkjet Modular Playbook
Industrial inkjet is evolving fast, and IACS is one of the companies quietly making it work at production scale. In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, co-owner Jasmine Geerinckx joins to share how this small Belgian firm has become a trusted integration partner for machine builders across multiple sectors – from pharmaceuticals and packaging to wood and logistics.
Jasmine explains how her engineering roots and early exposure to digital print at Barco Graphics shaped her understanding of both the challenges and the long-term potential of inkjet. She describes how IACS, founded by Erwin Kempeneers in 2008, has evolved from consultancy to manufacturer, developing its own modular InkDock (TM) ink supply systems – compact, reliable units that have now shipped nearly 500 times worldwide.
We explore how IACS technology is being used in real-world applications such as cargo straps, pallet marking, and folding cartons, often in harsh environments where reliability is paramount. Jasmine explains why digital printing is displacing hot stamping and flexo in many cases, and how late-stage customisation, traceability, and regulatory pressures are accelerating adoption in packaging and pharma.
The conversation also delves into collaboration – the lifeblood of industrial inkjet. IACS works closely with partners such as RISO, Chemstream, and IST, developing fully integrated, real-world solutions that connect chemistry, hardware, and production.
Whether you’re an OEM, brand owner, or manufacturer exploring digital transformation, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the practical side of industrial print. Jasmine’s grounded, open approach highlights how incremental progress, smart partnerships, and robust design are redefining what’s possible on the factory floor.
Listen on:
Apple Podcast
Google Podcast
Spotify
What is FuturePrint?
FuturePrint is a digital and in person platform and community dedicated to future print technology. Over 20,000 people per month read our articles, listen to our podcasts, view our TV features, click on our e-newsletters and attend our in-person and virtual events.
We hope to see you at one of our future in-person events:
FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany
Well, hi there, and welcome to this week's Future Print podcast. And I'm very pleased to have today's guest. Um Yasmin and I have known each other for quite a long time, and it's nice to actually have a chance to interview her and find out a little bit more. So it's Jasmin Gearinks, who is one of the co-owners of IACS, who are going to be part of the event that we're running in Munich. Yasmin, great to see you and great to be talking to you today.
SPEAKER_00:Hello, Fraser. It's great to be here. Thank you very much. Thank you for having me on the podcast.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, it's it's my pleasure. It is my pleasure.
SPEAKER_00:Um I'm really excited to share you our story with the audience.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that'd be good. Um just tell us a little bit about you and your experience, and then tell us a little bit about uh the company at IACS.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so as you probably know, I'm an engineer. I have been working for over 30 years, mostly in international business-to-business environment. Um, my focus has been on product management and business development, uh, so mainly in technical and often in decorative markets.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:I first came across Injet in the late 90s when I was working at Barcographics. Um at that time, I was responsible for a software product called Arabasque. Arabask was an editing and production tool for the decorative printing market. Um and even back then, especially in the wallpaper and in the flooring market, companies were already dreaming of replacing grevure printing, so with full speed and full width width to digital printing. So, I mean, it's more than 25 years ago that they are already thinking about printing 400 meters a minute, and this on 2 meters 20 wide digital printing machines.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So for me, this was really the moment that I realized how challenging it is to meet the industry's expectations within child.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's 25 years. 25 years just has gone, hasn't it? And and it's evolved into where we are today. Um, so IACS, UNO in set this business up. Um, explain a bit more about the company and where it comes from.
SPEAKER_00:So IACS was founded in 2008, as we mentioned already, uh, by my husband, Arwen Campaniers. Uh, he is the former uh RD director of Barque Graphics. Um his team developed the first single pass, roll-to-roll, drop-on-demand ancient machine. Wow. So they showcased this um at Drupa 2000. So although it's 14 centimeters printing width and 24 meters a minute speeds are low for today's standards, it uh attracted at that time a lot of people. Yeah, so I'm proud to say that even today, many of the industrial inkjet systems uh you see at print shows are still built on this original single pass development. And then after management buyout and the acquisition of dot rigs by AGVA, Erwin has um decided to go into a new direction and he started up IECS. So ICS stands for industrial ingjet integration and consultancies.
SPEAKER_01:What a long, a long, long title.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, a long, yes, yes. So initially the company focused on helping other companies integrate inkjet in their production lines. So really we did a lot of consultancy, but then we uh we had to transition from consultancy to development of our own system. So early 2020, um we decided to develop our own system, it's called uh Inkdoc. And Inkdoc is a compact, modular, and highly reliable recirculating ink supply system, yeah, and this for industrial applications. Yeah, so since that time we've shipped almost 500 systems worldwide. Wow. So for us, this is really a milestone, and we're definitely going to celebrate it with the whole team.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And um, I guess there are certain applications and certain types of customers that you have ended up working with in terms of the ink doc systems.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes. Well, most of our ink doc systems, uh, about 95% of the installations are delivered through production line and machine integrators.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So unfortunately, as you can understand, I can't share the names of these integrators. No, yeah. But what I can do is talk about the industries and the applications where these printers are installed. So I would start off with the first example in the cargo strap market. So cargo straps are used for fastened goods in uh airports and uh airplanes and trucks and containers.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, these companies all want to print their own logo or safety information or other text uh onto the textile straps. Um, so in this case, digital printing is really used for branding and for safety marking.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, about two years ago, a machine integrator specialized in this narrow web automation contacted us through our website, and um, they were already searching for quite some time for a reliable and a low maintenance inkjet solution. So we started off with some initial UV printing trials on the cargo straps, and then after a few iterations, we achieved a good print result. So, since that time, the integrator has installed several UV printing systems from monocolor to dual color to even CMYK configurations, and this in printing widths of 53 millimeters up to 60 uh 106 millimeters printing width. So, depending on one or two heads that are integrated in the system. Yeah, so we deliver the print hats, ink doc, the head drive electronics, and the ink, and the integrator does the rest. So of course it's an issue market, but you would be amazed how many companies are involved in cargo strips. Um, the potential is there, and it's exciting to see our technology helping this business to create better branding and and also safety uh solutions.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely. Um I wonder a little bit about hot stamping on on wood.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes. Well, another application we were uh we act as an OEM supplier is the pallet industry. Yeah, yeah. So wooden pallets need to be marked, yeah, like HT heat treatment codes. Um traditionally, this is done with a hot steel stamp that uh is uh burnt onto the wood. But um this is this this looks like an ideal solution, of course, for um digital printing. Yeah, definitely. But um it's actually a very tough production environment. Pallets they move at high speed on conveyor belts. Yeah, nails can stick out, uh, wood fibers are loose, so the environment is very, very dusty, dirty, and dirty, and dirty, yeah, yeah. And the wood is often wet and some in some cases even frozen.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00:Uh and nevertheless, we have to print on this reliable, so it's uh an ex it's really printing under extreme conditions. So that's why we have put a lot of effort into the designing both of the system and in the interface to be very user-friendly. Um so we use, for example, simple icons so uh anyone can operate it safely, no matter their background or their expertise.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So in this case, the integrator delivers a complete system uh to new palette manufacturers or repaired pallets, press blocks, or any other wooden objects, and we supply the ink dock, uh, and the integrator handles the rest.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:The industry, the palette industry is massive. Yeah, we are really talking about billions of palettes, yeah, yeah, sure. So, and it's exciting to be part of this uh transformation from hope stamp to digital printing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, quite interesting now. Um, I guess I I mean I'm always interested in in your relationship with your customers and how you support your customers. And you know, you've been talking about pallets, but I mean tell me a bit about how you work with your customers generally, obviously with pallet companies, but also other companies. You know, you work with integrators and developers and OEMs. So just tell us a bit about how you work with companies, your customers.
SPEAKER_00:Well, um, as mentioned, 95% of our customers are integrators. Yeah, um, so that's uh uh that means that they are the ones in direct contact with their end customer. Of course. So in most cases, we don't know who the end customer is or where they are located, even. Uh so the integrator he handles installation, training, and all the first line support. But of course, to make sure that he's fully prepared, we give them an advanced training course where they learn how to operate and to maintain the machine. And then for day-to-day questions, we also provide online support uh via our website. So we have uh installation videos, uh component replacement guides and other helpful instruction.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:But of course, when uh a specific question arises, we do the second-line support. Uh in most of the cases, then we log in via TeamViewer to provide system diagnostics. And we provide also other guidance, for example, to replace components or and even in uh some cases ask them the system to be shipped back to us for repairs.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, of course, of course. Um let's just break down your customers into applications and sort of groups. Now, you you know, you and I have talked before. I know that you've worked with pharma and with corrugated. Did you just let's start with the farmer, the farmer market, the pharmaceutical market?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, yes, we also uh work in the pharma sector. Uh, a good example is the para pharmacy market, which includes like beauty and body cage, uh vitamin supplements and other um products. Yeah, so these products are stored in large warehouses. Um, and when an order comes in from a pharmacist, um, the products can be personalized at the last minute. So this means they can add branding and special tax directly on the pre-filled folding cartons.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So it allows the pharmacists to promote their shop and um also give extra information to their customers. So this creates really added value for them.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:So, and another example uh for the from the pharma market is the vaccine labeling. Yeah, so uh an integrator of ours delivers to customers like GSK in this case. Here, the labels require last-minute variable data, often in very small text. So precision, consistency, and sharpness um are critical. That's why we have integrated a 600 dpi printhead in our ink doc to deliver the required small text. Yeah, yeah. So both of these cases uh show how high quality, reliable, and modular inkjet systems uh can make the real difference in the healthcare and the pharmaceutical logistic market.
SPEAKER_01:Sure.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. We see a great opportunity there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I think you're right. It's uh it's an interesting market. Um we know also that uh digital's good for things like corrugated packaging. Um, and I know you have some interest in that space. Tell us a bit about that.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, well, digital Link Jet is of course ideal for the corrugated packaging market. Uh, it allows on-demand variable data printing at high speed with minimal down times, and it removes the complex uh complexity and the cost of managing pre-printed boxes or labels. So I have a great example there uh of a customer of ours um in France who produces stoner cassettes.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so with our digital solution, they could reduce their pre-printed flexo box designs from 80 till uh just four boxes. Wow, wow, so really yeah, and now they can work with pre-filled boxes and custom them, customize them at the last minute. So they add graphics, barcodes, and product info in multiple languages.
SPEAKER_01:Very clever.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, fast production, low maintenance, and reliable printing were essential, really, for them. So for us, it's exciting still every day to see a technology that was once limited to labs, now is running on massive production lines. Yeah, it makes processes safer, faster, and more precise.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, very interesting.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, in warehouses and distribution centers, track and trace markings are clear and easy to scan. So this is really the future of industrial printing. Um, and it's happening right now.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think you're right. Some good examples there. Um, so I'm always wondering a bit about how you might start a project with someone. If someone comes to you with a uh a particular challenge they have, you know, the the event we're running in Munich, what we're hoping for is that people attend who are looking at the starting point of a project. They have a challenge, they have an issue they want to deal with. Um, they're in a manufacturing environment, they're kind of, you know, they're trying to solve a problem. How do you find that people come to you with the projects? And and how do you know if this will be, you know, this will work? And do you turn them away if it doesn't? Do you say, listen, we can't do that? So tell us a bit about that process.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so the first thing we do is we evaluate the object itself. Of course, yeah, yeah. So uh we look at how well it can be printed, uh, the surface, the shape, the image, quality, and so on. We test uh which in chemistry would uh work best. Do they need strong adhesion, uh, UV stability, high contrast, and so on? Do we need pre-treatment, or can we print in one step or in two steps? And then we do the first print sample, of course. And as you mentioned already, open and transparent communication is key for us from the beginning. Yeah, so if we can't achieve a good result, we always discuss this very openly.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so you'll be honest with them, yes.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, of course, we can even say that they better choose another technologies. So for us, that's this really key element.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_00:So, and once the print quality is confirmed, we move to the technical specifications. So we define the print speed, the resolution, image quality, and the complete data flow. So is static data enough or do they need fireable data? And then we do the integration phase. Um, with the machine integrator, we design how our system will fit into their production lines. Yep. Uh, this often involves, of course, 3D cat layouts and detailed engineering discussions. Sure. So the process from the beginning until the first installation can take, depending on, of course, the technical specification, between four to eight months for the first installation.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's about the process, isn't it? That makes sense.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and of course, the cooperation and the communication are absolutely essential throughout the whole process. Yeah, a good match between the both teams and the clear communication at every step, it's what turns a project into a real success story.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Now listen, we've got about five minutes left on our podcast, and I do want to ask you about your collaboration in Munich, because you are going to be doing um, well, you mentioned we talked about customers, you talked about the types of customers, but actually what's interesting about what you're doing in Munich is that you are working with uh a couple of other companies, Riso and Chemstream, and you are doing something quite exciting. You're going to showcase uh a project that you're working on. Can you are you able to tell me a little bit about that? That kind of teaming up with your with other partners.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, but I first have to say that we are really delighted to participate in the future print tech fair.
SPEAKER_01:That's very kind.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. The event builds on the success of Nprint and will certainly create a real hub for the industrial print community. Yeah, thanks very much. It's a great place to showcase for us cutting-edge industrial inkjet technology. So, for these, for this event, as you mentioned, we've chosen to focus on partnerships because partnerships are really at the heart of everything we do at IECS. Sure. We work closely with our customer but also with our suppliers, partners. Um, on our stands, you'll find us with RISO. It's uh formerly ToshiPtech injet uh division. So their recirculation inkjet heads are perfectly matched to our ink doc systems. So we know we've known the RISO team for nearly 30 years, so it's a great moment to showcase this long-standing partnership to the world.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's good.
SPEAKER_00:But and you also find us uh on the technology application demonstration area exhibiting again with RISO, but also with Hamstream and uh IST and tech.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So we will be showcasing a 3D printing application. While this demonstration system is still on the drawing table today, it will certainly show how ISES brings together uh technology and partners to deliver fully integrated industrial solutions.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, it's one of the interesting things about the industrial print space, isn't it? That um there's quite a lot of collaboration, quite a lot of working together. That's a positive, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, each partner brings their own expertise and unique uh products on the table.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah, I think that's right. In a way, if you were thinking what why is it important? Well, actually, because they each partner is a specialist in what they do, yeah. And therefore, those that that jigsaw comes together of uh of a final kind of solution, in effect. So it is very clever. Now listen, we're coming to the end. I know that you are at the IPI event uh next week. So just explain what you're gonna be doing there.
SPEAKER_00:We'll have two versions of our Indox system on display, so everybody is welcome to visit our boots. Yep. Um for us, IPI is all about connecting and sharing, meeting suppliers, partners, and hopefully a lot of potential customers. Of course. So it's a fantastic network event, and uh the energy is always inspiring.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, good.
SPEAKER_00:I have to admit it's like a little bit like a family get together. Many of us know each other in the Ingjad world for years, so I'm sure we'll have some wonderful evenings with good conversations, plenty of new ideas, and a nice energy boost to get us through the dark winter.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly that. Yes, man, it's been really good speaking to you. I know that we're doing uh another podcast with you and your collaborating uh partners in a couple of weeks' time, uh, but it helped us to just get a bit of an understanding of IACS and what you do specifically, because I don't know necessarily whether our community knows all about you. So thank you very much for giving us your time. Much appreciated. And I look forward to seeing you both in Düsseldorf and obviously in Munich.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, thank you. See you next week, Verizur.
SPEAKER_01:Take care.
