“My journey in the corrugated industry did not begin with Kento,“ — Javier Quesada, CEO and Founder of Kento. It began years earlier, inside real production plants where you smell warm paper, hear steel moving, and understand how strength is engineered into every sheet.
During my years as a plant executive at companies like Saica and DS Smith, I repeatedly saw a pattern: market demand was evolving faster than the capabilities of conventional systems.
That’s when I realized something fundamental: We didn’t need a faster press — we needed a smarter one.
This thinking shaped the creation of the Kento Hybrid system, where flexo and digital do not compete — they synchronize. Our machine does more than print: it transforms corrugated board into a medium of brand identity and visual communication.
From Printing to Choreography
But once we integrated an inline rotary die-cutting module, the story changed: printing was no longer the whole story — it became the overture.
Because after die-cutting, the real choreography begins:
- cleaners / vibrators
- breakers
- bundle formers
- turners
- palletizers
These components are not accessories — they are the nervous system of the line. They determine whether production moves like a coordinated orchestra — or collapses into noise.
And so the key question emerged: “Who do we trust with this essential part of the process?”
For me, the answer came instantly: Alessandro Bersanetti, President, and Alberto Fioriti, CEO. I didn’t know Emmepi Group through catalogs — I knew them through uptime, through reliability, through real-world performance in real-world factories. They don’t provide machinery — they provide solutions.
So I called Alessandro and said: — We’ve built a fast machine. Now we need a partner who can make it truly intelligent.
And that call didn’t start a transaction — it started a collaboration.
The Emmepi Group Perspective — by Alessandro Bersanetti
When Javier calls you, he calls with purpose. He said: — We don’t want the peripherals to follow the machine — we want them to anticipate it.
He described the line like a living organism. That immediately resonated with us.
At Emmepi Group, we don’t see “peripheral equipment.” We see industrial cognition — the way motion, timing, and material flow create productivity.
Specifications
Format of the KENTO HYBRID machine:
- 🟦 print & die-cutting width: 2100 mm
- 🟥 advance length: 1300 or 1600 mm
That aligns perfectly with our systems:
- automatic prefeeders
- conveyors and transfer tables
- breakers
- bundle formers
- stackers
- palletizers
And everything communicates through a shared Siemens electronic platform, ensuring:
- seamless integration
- unified sensor logic
- synchronized motion control
- predictable performance
Real-World Insights
I remember a moment during installation in Italy. A new operator said: — It feels like the machine already knows what I’m going to do. And Javier replied: — That’s because it does.
Another time, during a high-speed calibration test, one of our mechanics joked: — If we go any faster, we’ll have to hire pilots instead of operators.
Behind the humor was the breakthrough: We were designing machines that reduce human compensation for system imperfections. The system compensates for itself.
The Collaboration Agreement
In November 2025, Kento Digital Printing and Emmepi Group signed a technical and commercial collaboration agreement — bringing together two forward-looking companies with complementary strengths.
Under this agreement, Kento will integrate and recommend Emmepi Group’s automated handling solutions as the natural complement to the Kento Hybrid platform.
Core Areas of Collaboration
- Feeding: Automatic prefeeders that optimize material flow and minimize downtime.
- Transport: Conveyors and transfer systems that ensure precision and stability between stages.
- Outfeed automation: Stripping, stacking, palletizing — all engineered for lines with inline rotary die-cutting.
Together, these solutions create a synchronized production environment where every component works in harmony.
Beyond Technology: Shared Philosophy
Kento brings: ✔ hybrid flexo + inkjet + inline die-cutting ✔ flexibility for short- and mid-range runs ✔ new opportunities for brand personalization
Emmepi Group brings: ✔ reliable automation and logistics ✔ smart movement of corrugated board ✔ systems built for uptime as a doctrine, not a target
Together, they deliver: ✔ higher OEE ✔ stronger ROI ✔ reduced waste ✔ smoother material flow ✔ precision that scales
Final Words
Javier Quesada: What matters is not only what the machine can do — but who stands beside you while it does it.
Alessandro Bersanetti: Engineering is built on trust. And trust is sometimes more valuable than blueprints.
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