1.0 Press Technology

Transcription

Press Technology Offset Overview / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
1.0
Press Technology
Offset Overview
he conventional offset press market could
period of technological and trend changes as electronic
not have had it much tougher in the past
substitution switches markets away from print.
few years.
The internet has eroded printing volumes by up to a third
T
over the last 10 years. Printing runs are shrinking as
Research company PIRA International reported that
marketers cut costs or switch to alternative means of
global printing revenues, worth up to $785bn in current
electronic communication.
values, slumped by five percent in the year 2008 – 09
and recovered only marginally by one percent up to
The collapse of German press manufacturing giant
2010. Last year and this are hardly going to be
Manroland, one of the ‘Big Five’ names in press
much better.
manufacturing, didn’t come as a total surprise. Many
manufacturers had been struggling to turn profits for
Whilst the worst may have passed we still face
many years. Whilst Manroland’s sheetfed and web
considerable headwinds. In the Far East, China’s Tiger
divisions have been saved from administration and now
economy is showing signs of weakening,
operate as separate companies, albeit with the same
and the Japanese economy is still suffering the
intellectual property rights, the long term future is far
aftermaths of the tsunami and the rising value
from certain.
of the Yen. Yoshiharu Komori, the chairman, president
and CEO of Japanese press manufacturer Komori
Manroland sheetfed UK Managing Director Adam
summed it up in a recent pre-drupa address when he
Robotham says it has been a difficult period for the
said: “The world has become noticeably cloudier.”
company but it has all the factors in place to continue
trading. Now under the ownership of UK engineering
Closer to home, the Eurozone crisis still looms large,
conglomerate Langley Group means the press
depressing demand for marketing spend and
manufacturer has a sound future. By his own admission,
print products. At the same time as a slump in
not many people have heard of the Langley Group and it
demand, the Western economies are also facing a rapid
prefers to operate below the radar in terms of profile and
www.unity-publishing.co.uk
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology Offset Overview
publicity.“I can’t say it is business as usual in the normal
three minutes and are 30 percent more productive than
sense,” says Mr Robotham.
models manufactured just a few years ago. It seems
“Whenever a company has been through a financial
its conventional press lines like never before. Those that
shock then you have to rebuild customers’ trust and the
don’t will suffer a swift and sudden fall from grace.
every manufacturer is striving to automate and digitise
company name. However unusual it is for a British
engineering company to come in and rescue a German
manufacturer, it has happened this time round and we
People need print
are on a firm footing to continue operating as we were
before.” Nearly all economic trends are cyclical, adhering
But not all is doom and gloom. People still need print and
to the rules of ‘what goes down must come up again’,
always will. Whilst some sectors of print are in serious
but behavioural changes are much harder to reverse.
decline, there are bright spots. So far, digital print has not
been able to match the demands of the mass produced
As Mr Komori wryly observes:
folding cartons market or direct mail printing. Only an
“The printing industry, exposed to severe waves of
estimated 2 percent of all printing is produced digitally
environmental change such as the switch from paper to
and the transition to digital production is taking longer
electronic media, stands at a great turning point.”
than some analysts may have predicted.
The arrival of new technologies, such as Landa’s
Plate manufacturer Agfa says that after an initial dip in
Nanographic Printing, launched at the recent drupa
plate sales in the early days of the recession things have
printing show in Germany, is keeping everyone on their
pretty much returned to normal in the Western
toes. Although the technology is still not commercially
European economies. Although not a completely
available, and probably won’t be until at least mid-2013,
accurate barometer of the industry due to technology
what it represents is the breakthrough everyone has been
changes and trends, it is an encouraging sign that print
waiting for, namely digital output at offset speeds and
need not panic.
qualities. The repercussions for both the digital and offset
In Western European markets, shorter runs are holding up
sectors could be profound.
sales. Plate manufacturers have made significant strides
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Every conventional litho press manufacturer is looking to
in bakeless plate technology, making them more robust
adapt to the digital era. Hybridisation has become the
and able to handle longer runs. But advances in
keyword of every print room as conventional press
platesetting and press automation means it is as
technology strives to match the versatility, short-run
economical to make a plate change on a press as it is to
capability and quick change-overs provided by digital
install a baking oven to produce hardened plates that are
technology. Where once digital technology strove to
more suited to longer runs. Agfa Head of Product
match the performance of conventional press speeds and
Marketing, Pre-Press, Ralph Hilsdon says: “Digital printing
output, the reverse is now true. Many offset presses for
technology has been around for a long time yet still only
instance can now achieve full plate-changes in just over
accounts for a small proportion of all print produced.
Press Technology Offset Overview / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
What people need to remember is that many printers
Adaptability and change
have a ten-year old B2 or B3 press running in the
corner of the factory that is just as good today as
No other industry in history has gone through the number
when they bought it. The investment has been
of changes and adaptations that print over the past 20
written off, so it is a much simpler choice to keep on
years. Rather than showing signs of slowing, the pace is
running it then spending another £1.5m on a new
actually accelerating as press speeds increase, change-
digital press line. It will be some time before that
over times shrink and automation becomes the norm.
situation changes.”
Almost every major manufacturer has invested heavily
in its ‘on-demand’ element on conventional
Smart printers are also reinventing themselves to
press manufacture.
become ‘cross-media’ service providers. Whilst they
still provide ‘print on paper’, they are also adept at
It means the modern press is automated and controlled
providing marketing, database, web and email
like never before. At the front-end, workflows have to
services as value added provision. Most likely
cope with multiple job streams and output engines, while
they are running conventional press lines
colour matching is carefully calibrated and profiled. The
alongside digital printers. They have become
press itself features automatic plate changing and wash-
true hybrid print providers, adept at running a
up features, perfecting units, and sophisticated
myriad of services and providing high-level
registration and checking systems. On the back-end, cut-
consultation services across a number of
sheeters and stackers automatically process sheets for
different disciplines.
finishing. A press minder walking back into the industry
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology Offset Overview
after a ten-year absence would be baffled and amazed
While press manufacturers strive to keep up with the
technological change, print companies too are under
pressure to invest in the latest press kit. Failure to
do so could see them left behind in a fiercely
“
... it is vital for companies to
consider all the options before
investing in new equipment.
“
at the advancements in press-room technology.
competitive market.
KBA UK Managing Director Christian Knapp
KBA UK Managing Director Christian Knapp says it is vital
To cope with the change and these commercial pressures,
for companies to consider all the options before investing
more and more manufacturers are selling service as part of
in new equipment. “Mature operations in a stable
their process – not just to keep the presses running but in
marketplace may seek like-for-like investments with the
equipping printers with the tools to enable them to run
obvious marginal improvements that developing
their presses profitably, search out new markets, sell to
technologies bring. But it has increasingly been the case
customers and turn their investments into good money.
in recent years that markets are changing along with
And good money can still be made in conventional offset
economic circumstances.
press lines. The skill is finding the niche areas, picking the
market, exploiting the potential and utilising the press
“As a result businesses are being forced to reconsider
technology to its best. Printing has never been easy, and
their strategy and in these instances it is necessary to
constant changes make it harder than ever. But picking the
research the market in more depth and examine the
right press for the correct market, with a press partner who
production options that are coming on stream.
can provide on-going long-term support, provides the
ingredients to make it a success.
This is where the relationship with an established world
class manufacturer can be of benefit since they have the
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hindsight into market developments and bring its
Tony Brown
developments to the table.”
www.bizzymedia.co.uk
Press Technology B1 Presses / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
---
1.1
Press Technology
B1 presses
M
odern B1 presses bear no
Perfecting presses perhaps offer the greatest
resemblance to the models of just a
opportunity to enhance productivity for the modern
few years ago. Automation, speed
press room.
enhancements and digitisation have transformed
their productivity and throughput to levels that
Once manufacturers resolved the issue of ink set-
were unimaginable just a few years ago.
off, the development of perfecting technology
Manufacturers are striving to constantly update,
drop in straight-through speed creates huge
presented a perfect solution whereby a small
refine and improve performance in order to
advantages in productivity and ‘one pass’ printing.
provide a competitive advantage to their
Heidelberg has been the dominant player in long
customers. Printers on the other hand are
perfecting presses since it first introduced the
constantly balancing the pressure to reinvest in the
concept to the market.
latest technology whilst facing reduced margins,
shrinking markets and competitive pressures that
Claiming an 80 percent market share from many
stretch their business models to
years of development, it sees perfecting as the way
the limits.
to push the barriers of sheetfed productivity to new
highs. Heidelberg’s B1 and B2 Product Manager
The major B1 press manufacturers have been stretching
Matt Rockley says: “Right sizing is an issue which
their research and development budgets hard to
all printers need to address, looking at whether
constantly introduce new features and technology
the format they are running is the best for
updates. A number of trends influence
their business.
their thinking including the drive towards lean
production, green printing, web-to-print workflows
Greater press speed is important but in terms of
and inevitably, a focus on short-run production even
increasing net output it must be seen in tandem
on B1 press lines.
with developments to reduce make-ready times.
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology B1 Presses
As the long run web offset market has declined, B1
Productivity enhancements
long perfector presses with customised finishing
have secured the lion’s share of this market.”
As with all manufacturers, reducing make-ready
times has been one of the number-one priorities.
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The latest press launch, the Speedmaster SX102,
Most press lines can now achieve full plate change
represents what it categorises as its peak-performance
and wash-ups in less than three-minutes as they
press, reaching speeds up to 18,000sph in perfecting
squeeze all they can from their press automation.
mode. Aimed at the higher end of the print service
Japanese manufacturer Komori has developed a
provider spectrum, it enables one-pass productivity that
concept called ‘Offset on Demand’ to handle short-runs
boosts competitiveness and productivity.
and tight delivery schedules by cutting print
Crucially it represents a 30 percent productivity gain
preparation times, paper losses and print production
over the Heidelberg SM102 and is capable of
times. The key is a module that covers the offset
producing more than 45 million sheets per year.
prepress and post press processes and includes the
There are advances in cylinder jacket technology, the
latest digital printing technologies. Offset on Demand
grippers, bearings, and the overall handling of the
targets the printing of extremely short runs with
paper through the press. Along with new side
short turnaround times primarily by reducing
frames and strong cylinder rigidity, the press is
makereadies, cutting paper waste and shortening
equipped with Auto Pro plate loading and preset
the printing process itself to the maximum
feeders and delivery.
extent possible.
Press Technology B1 Presses / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
The system is being demonstrated at drupa on a
12 printing units in only one minute, regardless of
Lithrone G40P (40 inch perfecting press), one of its
the press configuration. As this process takes place
most popular selling models. High-speed start-ups
in conjunction with the three to four minutes
obtain the correct colour balance within 20 sheets
needed for the automatic washing of the
using an integrated control system, but the H-UV
cleaning and impression cylinders, the company
system passes printed work to the post-press
claims the plate change takes effect in no time at
department for finishing as soon as printing
all, something it describes as eroTimePlateChange.
is complete.
Manroland takes the concept one step further
with the ROLAND 700 HiPrint, incorporating a fully
An asynchronous automatic plate changing system
automated plate changing system, with automatic
also changes plates within 75 seconds regardless of
plate setting controls and pre-set press parameters
the number of colours used. A Komori colour
that provide quick change-overs for different
management system matches the output of a
coatings, air settings, gripper bars, wash-ups and
printed sheet to a digital proof to ensure constant
inks changes.
colour matching throughout the print run.
Manroland’s popular ROLAND700 series of B1
The HiPrint HS (High-Speed) version can also run at
presses features DirectDrive enabling the press to
speeds of up to 18,000sph, making it ideal for
become a true multi-tasker, capable of changing
packaging and industrial scale publishing and
plates automatically and simultaneously for up to
commercial printers.
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology B1 Presses
Integrated digital solutions
Service and support
KBA has developed a new system that takes
No manufacturer is an island. The days when press
hybridisation to a new level. Partnering with Atlantic
providers can sell a customer a press and then leave
Zeiser, together they have developed an integrated
them to their own devices has long gone. Now,
digital module to its Rapida 105 line called the DELTA
printers are looking for an integrated level of support,
105i. As a high-speed digital printer, it integrates with
backup and maintenance to ensure their presses can
KBAs offset-sheetfed line to enable printers to realise
run 24/7 without interruption. In addition, they
a wider range of special applications and open up new
will sell or provide services or support on top that
business sectors. Realising that the combination of digital
includes training, business development, and selling
and offset can significantly enhance productivity, the
strategies that will last the lifetime of the press. It is
Atlantic Zeiser system prints at up to 240 m/min and a
all part of the mix that printers consider before
resolution of up to 600dpi, providing variable data
signing on the dotted line as commercial pressures
printing onto different materials without the extended set-
weigh down on them like never before.
up times. The system provides solutions for the
individual coding and serialisation of products, the
B1 will always be the workhorse of any mainstream
traceability of pharmaceutical goods and forgery
commercial printing company, but choosing the right
protection for a range of products.
format of press and the partner who can help develop
your business plan is the best bet for long
It is a perfect example of the marriage of digital
term success.
and offset to create a highly productive hybrid print
environment. The European debut of this hybrid
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product will soon be available for the first time
Tony Brown
following its considerable success in Asia.
Press Technology B2/B3 Presses / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
1.2
Press Technology
B2 / B3 presses
O
f all the press sectors, B2 and B3 sized
That has put additional pressures on manufacturers to
printers find themselves most squeezed
come up with integrated workflow systems, capable of
from the pressures of dwindling print
running both digital and offset side-by-side. But there
volumes and the increasing competition from
is no doubt that the small jobbing printer, relying on
digital presses, which are competing more
the B2 and B3 format press for the mainstay of their
effectively for short-run jobs.
work, are under pressure like never before.
Digital print providers such as Canon, Xerox, Fujifilm,
The litho press manufacturers are not sitting back.
Kodak, Ricoh, and HP have deliberately targeted their
There are a plethora of providers in this area; the
product development at capturing market volumes
likes of Sakurai, Hamada, Ryobi and Presstek all
from small print jobbing shops with applications that
provide press lines to serve the B2 and B3 sectors.
cater for the short-run, personalised print collaterals.
Without needing the large manufacturing tools to
produce larger format presses, they can manufacture
HP’s latest digital printer launch, the HP Indigo
small-footprint presses that can compete on price
10000, specifically targets the B2 sector
and performance with the more established players
for instance. As does the Jet Press 720 from Fujifilm.
such as Heidelberg, Komori, Mitsubishi, Manroland
and KBA. Most have UK distributors for new build
Canon’s recent report, Digital Directions: Redefinition
presses and there is also a ready market for
of the Digital Printer, forecast that litho and digital
reconditioned second-hand presses that can still
print volumes will reach parity by 2020 with more
perform well but can be purchased at a
and more short-run work migrating to digital format.
premium price.
But what it also stresses it that the most profitable
print shops are those that run hybrid print rooms, or a
If small offset manufacturers can’t match the
combination of digital and litho presses, under the
personalisation and versioning capabilities of digital
same roof.
presses, they can still compete by redesigning their
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology B2/B3 Presses
press lines to be as fast, robust and as automated as
Ryobi’s most popular presses are the B3 size 520GX
possible. They are embracing digitisation from a
Series and the B2 750 Series. Equipped with smart
different angle, with fresh approaches to working
makeready functions and automatic plate and
with Web-to-print ordering and workflow controls or
blanket cleaning, preset inking and test printing for
providing hybrid print systems, with offset and inkjet
superfast changeovers, the presses also come with
combined in the same press unit, to compete more
size variants to suit user demands. The Ryobi 750G
effectively with pure digital press lines.
series comes in two types for instance; the S type
with a maximum printing area of 765 x 545mm
and the XL type with a maximum print area of 765
“
The Trend is towards 5 colour
presses with enhancements
that digital can’t touch.
x 580mm.
There may also be a glimmer of hope around the
corner. “This year has started very positively and we
“
have had the highest level of enquiries and
Neil Handforth, Apex Digital Graphics
quotation requests for B2 and B3 format presses for
the past three years,” says Handforth. Light at the
Neil Handforth, sales and marketing director for
end of a very long tunnel maybe?
Apex Digital Graphics, says the B2 and B3 sector has
been hit by the double whammy of the recession
Not that the established press manufacturers should
and the encroachment of digital presses into the
have it all their own way. There are new kids on the
conventional offset market. As the exclusive Ryobi
block, from the Far East, offering goods that are
distributor for the UK market, he says the B3 sector
highly price competitive and ready to bite into an
has been particularly hard hit, especially on two-
already lean market. Chinese manufacturer Hans
colour presses, as short run jobbing print is
Gronhi is introducing two new B2 presses in
substituted for digital production.
Europe for the first time through UK distributor
Printers’ Superstore.
The trend is now more towards five colour presses with
in-line coaters that can print on heavyweight stocks in a
With claims it has already sold 50 of its B3 presses in
variety of substrates, in areas that digital can’t touch
the UK market, Printers’ Superstore joint Managing
with the same levels of productivity. And of course it
Director Graham Moorby says: “The formula will be
helps if the presses come with all the bells and whistles
the same as for the B3 presses – all the technology
too. “We’ve seen a growing trend towards more and
you expect from a modern machine with high
more automation. All the press lines now come with
standards of engineering and output, but for
semi-automatic plate changing, automatic blanket
considerably lower investment and lifetime costs.”
cleaning, impression cylinder cleaning and
18
ink-roller cleaning as standard features,”
The new GH79 range comes in 74cm, 75cm, 78cm and
says Handforth.
79cm versions, just in case the customer can’t make up
Press Technology B2/B3 Presses / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
their mind what size they want. At drupa it is also
It can be extended with a number of further options
showing two of its tried and tested 52cm (B3) presses,
including inking unit temperature control, or the
the GH525, in five-colours. One will demonstrate its
Color Assistant Pro software for ink-zone calibration
inline UV inking, whilst the other is set up for inline
and optimisation of the colour pre-setting data.
numbering and perforating, demonstrating its
Analogue offset press manufacturers are keen to play
capabilities for adding value to packaging products.
up the advantages of litho ink quality compared to
Steve Cavey, Heidelberg product manager for special
digital output. KBA’s offering in this sector comes in the
applications says buying an ‘off the shelf’
form of the high-end Rapida 76, a technological
press is no longer the way to do business.
advancement to the 15,000sph Rapida 75E, that takes
many of the product enhancements directly from the
Today, each customer comes with a bespoke request for
large- and medium- format presses into the
presses that are highly specific to their end needs. “The
half-format class.
selling process has changed. It is not about shifting
boxes any more but giving customers’ highly technical
The Rapida 76 is capable of running at 18,000cph in
advice about what is and what is not possible and the
straight printing mode, and includes a number of
commercial benefits to each solution.“Configurations
technology enhancements including fully automatic
are increasingly complex and the range of options
plate changing, a sidelay-free infeed, direct drives
more comprehensive. The choices can include
for the plate cylinders, fast and parallel washing, and
printing aspects such as the number of units, to
the online colour measurement and colour control
perfect or run straight, with conventional or UV inks,
system ErgoTronic ColorControl on the new console,
with or without alcohol, to network to prepress or
and the inline colour measurement with the
MIS and so on. But it also extends into added
QualiTronic ColorControl system.
value options such as whether to add coating,
added online.”
The Heidelberg Speedmaster SM52 is the latest
offering for the small- and medium-sized commercial
“
“
numbering, perforating, die-cutting, cold glue
foiling or holography all of which can be
... all the technology you’d
expect but for considerably
less investment.
Graham Moorby, Printers’ Superstore
print shop. It offers a high level of flexibility and
machine configurations can be customised to meet
the exact needs of the print shop. The spectrum
Whilst Komori’s focus is heavily on new digital
ranges from two to ten printing units, with or without
solutions under the banner of ‘Komori onDemand’, it
perfecting. Various coating systems, including UV
has not overlooked smaller format presses entirely. It
technology, Anicolor zoneless inking unit technology,
is introducing the Ethrone 29P as a five-colour
and inline die-cutting are just a few of the possible
convertible perfecting offset press with a relatively
configuration options.
modest straight printing speed of 13,000sph (11,000 in
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology B2/B3 Presses
perfecting mode). Again, the focus is on semi-automatic
Digital print may be creating a new level of
plate changing and print density control. It may not be a
competition, but go into any jobbing printer up
show stopper, but is significant that a company that
and down the land, and the B2/B3
traditionally has put more R&D funds into larger format
press is still banging out the goods in the corner
presses is still investing in the lower end of the market.
of the factory and keeping the money rolling
For those printing houses that are fully committed
in. Which at the end of the day is what it is
Komori users, then it may make commercial sense to
all about.
add another Komori B2/B3 model to the mix.
It is clear that the B2 / B3 sector remains under
Tony Brown
pressure. But crucially when the press manufacturers
are not giving up on it, it means there is a future.
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Press Technology Large & Super Large Format / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
1.3
Press Technology
Large and super-large
format presses
W
hatever B1 presses or smaller variants
sheet pile weighs up to 3 tonnes, then normal rules
can do, then large and super-large
of engineering no longer apply. Large and super-
formats can handle just as well.
large presses need a design specification all of
Whether it is automatic plate changes, perfecting
their own.
printing, wash-ups or colour controls, the press lines
can handle super large stocks at comparable speeds
Thankfully, press manufacturers have been
to their smaller cousins.
dealing with these problems for more than 60
The applications for large format presses are wide
Heidelberg’s XL 162 and XL 145, or the MAN Roland
and diverse. They have established a niche in
900 and 900XXL provide the most advanced
packaging, book and poster printing, for Point of Sale
computer controls, shaftless drives, double size
products, brochures and calendars. With the increase
impression cylinders, automatic grippers and plate
in the use of Web2Print processes to order print jobs
change systems, making presses better and easier
over the Internet, they are also finding an effective
to control and maintain.
years. Market leaders such as KBA’s Rapida, the
use for printing ganged-up jobs in the most efficient
possible manner, providing the speed and versatility
As with all press lines, large and super-large format
that offset provides.
presses come in a variety of configurations to suit
client demands, from straightforward four- or five-
Large format presses have to handle sheets up to
colour versions to special-purpose presses with 12-
3sq m in size, or the equivalent of moving more
units and sophisticated inline coating systems. In all
than 28,000sq m of printed sheets every hour, in
cases, a high-level of automation is included to
exact tolerance, registration and density across the
match the medium and large format presses. But,
page, even when in perfecting mode. Loading and
due to the laws of physics, a totally new approach
finishing systems need to be refined; when a single
to engineering is required.
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The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology Large & Super Large Format
Shaftless technology is the key to operating each
packaging printers. Coating units can apply gloss and
printing unit, enabling them to disconnect completely
matt effects, all-over and spot finishes, single and
from the print process when not needed.
multiple coating applications with dispersion and / or
UV varnishes. Coating forme and anilox roller changes
Dedicated drive motors control all major aspects of
are all automated and sophisticated coating supply
the press, including pile heights, registration, transfer
and cleaning systems ensure no down-time between
feeds, cylinder adjustments and many others.
coating changes.
Gripper systems automatically adjust to suit every
conceivable substrate thickness, whilst an array of
In addition, the double-size impression cylinders and
video cameras and calibration equipment ensures
transfer drums enable an enormous amount of
registration is maintained precisely throughout the
packaging substrates to be handled, including fluted
run. Although measurement and control systems cost
and corrugated board. Inline sheet inspection systems
more, the estimated payback time is within two years
are also able to keep a close quality control check on
in the reduction in wastage and set-up times.
printed output, ejecting defective sheets on the fly.
Books and packaging
New developments
Books are an ideal application for large-format
KBA has revamped its large format Rapida 145
press lines, with the ability to print up to 64 pages
with a host of new features to speed up make-
in a single pass in four-back-four perfecting mode.
ready and production on the press which they
The KBA Rapida 130 – 162a series presses
showed at the recent drupa exhibition in Germany.
accommodate the folios perfectly with an extra
With a format of 105x145cm, the press can now
5cm print length built into the eight- and ten-colour
run at a straight-through rated speed of 17,000sph.
perfector lines. Sheet layouts are arranged with
press operator controls the positioning of the suction
rings and guide elements, and provide precise
powder metering.
If publishers work with a relatively small range of
“
KBA has revamped its large
format Rapida 145 making it
one of the fastest perfecting
presses on the market.
papers, then optional reel-sheeters can save
“
fewer print-free corridors than in the past whilst the
substantial amounts of money for any printer.
With a ‘revolutionary’ three-drum perfecting
22
Packaging is also an ideal product for large format
mechanism, it can also perfect four-back-four
production and Heildeberg reports that 41 percent of
sheets at 15,000sph, making it one of the fastest
all its Very Large Format press sales are to
large format perfecting presses on the market.
Press Technology Large & Super Large Format / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
Automated features are packed into the press
including the in-feed pallet, which can change whilst
y The new Sunday Vpak from Goss, which made a successful debut at
the recent drupa exhibition
the press is running at maximum speed.
The press lines offer the perfect answer to global
The DriveTronic SPC can complete simultaneous plate
market trends such as lean manufacturing as the
changing, blanket wash and loading of new press
market calls for ever larger formats suitable for
profiles in around three minutes. KBA claims make-
processing ever-shorter runs. Heidelberg claims one of
ready time savings of between 40 and 70 percent on
its customers is printing 5 million sheets per month on
competing presses over 1,000 job changes. Heidelberg
a six-colour Speedmaster XL 145 and another is
is a relatively late entrant to the world of large format,
achieving make-ready times of 12 minutes per job on
having started production only in 2009 with the
40 jobs per day, equivalent to 13 jobs per shift. For
Speedmaster XL 162 and XL 145. With that however, it
poster production, presses are running jobs as low as
brings with it the advantages of its mastery of
200 sheets between plate changes.
engineering with a completely new approach to the
design drawing board. Today it supplies the XL 162 and
Heidelberg’s economic assessment shows that, thanks
XL 145 models in four-to eight-colours with coating
to the numerous automated components in the large
unit, dual coating, UV equipment, perfecting technology
format perfecting press, the investment costs account
and material logistics.
for around 40 percent of the machine’s hourly rate.
23
The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology Large & Super Large Format
This is about 10 percent higher than other
materials and ink-fountain cleaning. It seems
press configurations.
clear that the major manufacturers have some clear
water in the market and have achieved remarkable
The manufacturing costs per print sheet are far lower
engineering feats with the productivity and
than other presses, for which the time and material
automated enhancements in large format presses.
savings cannot be reduced to the same extent.
Offering a real advantage in terms of the sheet
MAN Roland’s 900XXL press comes in four formats,
sizes and stock weights they can handle, large
ranging from 1,120 x 1,620mm to 1,300 x 1,850mm.
format presses offer a niche market for applications
Compared to the 3B format, the 7B format (1,200 x
that other areas of the print market just can’t touch,
1,620mm) provides an increase from 16 to 40 DIN A4
but at speeds that put them in the production
pages and goes further, with a large 60 millimetre
Premier League .
step. The 7B plus format offers 20 percent more
multiple-up images than the 7B format and three
Like everything else in print, nothing stands still for
times more than the 3B format. Format 8, the largest
too long and a technological alternative could
press line available, can accommodate 64 DIN A4
snatch away any competitive advantage large
pages on a sheet and is still capable of 12,000 sheets
format presses enjoy in an instant. But for the
per hour. Apart from offering the choice of scalability
moment, large format manufacturers and press
and formats, all provide the automation and set-ups
users can enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.
that are now standard on their smaller offset cousins.
That includes a full automated plate change, and
Tony Brown
QuickChange features enabling swift changeovers
from dispersion to UV coating, coating form
24
Press Technology Packaging / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
1.4
Press Technology
Packaging
P
ackaging is one of the few areas
printing, especially on heavier weight stocks, the
of print that is a genuine good
balance of power still resides with conventional offset
news story.
presses (both sheet-fed and web), flexo or gravure
lines. But as print lengths shorten and pack shelf-lives
Research company Pira International says in 2010
decrease, more and more applications are coming
packaging recovered all 2009 losses, and grew by
within reach of large format or very large format sheet-
around 4 percent in 2011 to reach global sales
fed presses. With straight-line speed and perfecting
of $696bn.
speeds as fast as medium and small format presses,
they can produce highly efficient print volumes on a
The strongest growth came from emerging and
wide range of substrates.
transitional economies, but the more mature
economies also played their part. The next few years
Agfa’s Head of Product Marketing for PrePress,
should be robust, with growth of 3 percent per year up
Ralph Hilsdon says run lengths in the packaging sector
to 2016 to a market size exceeding $800bn. For a print
have been reducing for a number of years under
sector that has seen declines in most other traditional
market pressures for shorter pack-shelf lives and
markets, it seems a relatively safe haven for press
retailers’ special offers. The increases in press
manufacturers and printers alike.So far, digital press
automation and platemaking have increased
technology has not been able to generate the volumes
manufacturer’s abilities to accommodate these
and print quality needed for the packaging sector.
demands. “Even on long runs, it is sometimes more
Digital presses can carve a niche in mono work,
efficient for them to make a number of plate changes
especially labels, but have yet to breakthrough to
rather than produce specially hardened plates as
challenge the established mainstream markets. For
presses become more and more efficient, “ he says.
more on the march of Digital into Packaging (see
Volume 2 of Print Production Handbook out in July).
The demand for anti-counterfeiting measures, Braille
With the emphasis on sheer speed and flat-line
embossing and durable ink adhesion is also as
25
The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012 / Press Technology Packaging
important as ever. Special finishes and embossing also
specific niche markets. Pira International consultant
enhances the look and feel of finished products and coil
Sean Smyth has forecast a strong future for digital
foil embossing presses are specially equipped to add
packaging particularly in the carton market, with
these textures. Food packaging has demands all of its
worldwide growth trend rates of over 30 percent
own to meet stringent safety measures on ink toxicity
between 2011 and 2016.
levels and adhesion.
“Digital technology can significantly help brand owners
“
... shorter runs and the
increase in special offers has
dramatically changed the
packaging landscape.
“
Ralph Hilsdon Agfa
and retailers improve their supply chains and make
packs more appealing to specific groups of consumers,
who will buy more and at premium prices,” he says.
Digital press manufacturer Xeikon has responded to
these trends by developing its established Xeikon
3000 Series press. Based on LED array dry toner
electrophotography, the press is capable of printing
on paperboard up to 350gsm with a web width
With the market segmented into a number of different
ranging from 200mm to 516mm, producing sheets of
areas – labels, folding cartons or flexible packaging– it is
variable lengths to minimise paper wastage. Working
a diverse and fragmented sector that needs specific
in conjunction with a jumbo unwinder ensures high
presses to suit precise job specifications. The number of
levels of autonomy as the cutter unit converts the
press manufacturers spans an entire gamut of
web into the appropriate sheets defined by the
machines and formats – names such as Mark Andy,
imposition system.
Edale, Cerutti, MPS, Nilpeter, Omet, Gidue sit alongside
the more commonly known press manufacturers such
Fujifilm is another entrant into folding cartons with its
as Xeikon, KBA, Komori, Heidelberg and Goss.
B2 digital inkjet press, using core components
All the press manufacturers offer specialist solutions
pioneered within the Jet Press 720. Now adapted to the
to specific packaging needs and are investing heavily
packaging market, Fujifilm has developed new UV
in new developments, updates and enhancements to
inkjet ink to meet the requirements of folding carton
existing technologies on a pace akin to an arms race –
applications, called VIVIDEA.
each is striving to gain the upper hand in the
packaging press battlefield.
It aims to reproduce ultra-high quality images on
thicker paper stocks, whilst being suited to the different
post-press operations this market demands.
Digital press technologies
Both these presses remain confined to fairly specific
26
In a few specialist areas, digital presses have made
markets however and remain specialist players in a
some impression on the packaging sector, but in fairly
much wider hemisphere.
Press Technology Packaging / The Unity Print Production Handbook 2012
Specialty finishes and enhanced
print solutions
print products increased the value of print by 10 to 30
percent and 53 percent said they expected higher value
consumer products to be associated with foiled or
Packaging throws up a number of challenges mostly
coated packaging.
relating to the range of substrates and specialty
absorbent materials. Demand for plastics and films
such as PVC, PC, PS, ABS and PET are increasing for
the jobbing, packaging and label sectors.
The KBA-MePrint Varius 80 offers a solution to some
“
When investing it is
important to consider future
and emerging customer
requirements.
of the challenging stocks packaging producers have
to contend with. It uses waterless technology on a
“
finishes on board and cartons, especially on non-
Greg Norris, Goss
variable-format web-offset in order to print on
flexible non-absorbent substrates. Without having
Its InlineFoiler Prindor is compatible with its ROLAND
to manage the complex water / ink mix used on
700 B1 and ROLAND 500 B2 presses and can be used
most conventional offset presses, it can tackle
with conventional or UV inks. It delivers exact print and
some of the more challenging substrates at what
foil registration to existing print products on a broad
the manufacturer claims to be significantly lower
range of substrates in a single pass.
plate prices than flexographic sleeve blankets. The
keyless and waterless Varius 80 is capable of reaching
full colour production quality after only 100 metres
Gapless, shaftless and sleeveless
running, providing a waste saving of around 80
percent compared to other comparable presses. With a
As run lengths reduce, mainstream press manufacturers
maximum web-width of 800mmm and a
are increasingly seeing the opportunities the packaging
production speed of 400m per minute, the Varius
market provides.
80 handles substrate thicknesses from 30 to 800
microns and accommodates a variable printing
With so many different choices, Goss Marketing and
width between 21” and 34”. An automated plate
Communications Manager Greg Norris says it is important
and blanket-change cylinder function can change
to consider investments carefully. “The everyday cost of
format lengths to suit the end product specification
producing products is far more significant than the
within minutes.
capital investment cost of the equipment.
Manroland also has a range of foiling solutions to
Therefore it is important to accurately assess and
produce ‘stand-out’ solutions, especially for Point of
account for the cost savings, added productivity and
Purchase products. According to its recent survey* of
improved margins that could be achieved by investing
print buyers, more than half believed that enhanced
in new equipment.
27
presses up to 200 percent more productive than
sheetfed presses, with press make-readies on a
comparable level. The VPak is also capable of tackling
a wide range of substrates, ranging from 0.5mm to
30mm in thickness, including a full range of films and
board stock. High-performance infeed, outfeed and
closed-loop tension controls assist operators in
accommodating a wide range of substrates.
There is no doubt a need for sheetfed options however
as run lengths decline. With more than 1,000 printing
units sold, one-in-three units of the Speedmaster CX
102 go to packaging applications. With specific
configuration options for the press perfectly tailored
“It is important to consider future and emerging
to customer needs, the Speedmaster 102 has been
customer requirements. The demands for higher quality
installed at leading packaging companies in the
print, lower costs and faster turnaround times will
luxury, cigarette and spirits markets. It meets the
intensify across a wide range of packaging applications.
needs of all packaging print lines in that it has
This will increase the appeal of web offset as an
consistently high production speeds, of up to
alternative to sheet-fed offset, flexography and gravure
16,500sph, combined with shorter make-ready times
due to the advantages it can offer in all three areas.”
than its predecessor models.
Goss is a relatively new entrant to the packaging sector,
having adapted its newspaper press expertise to tap
The wide range of configurations and equipment make it
into a market that may provide more potential. drupa
possible to adapt the press to any specific requirements
2012 provides the opportunity to give ‘world first’
to suit the relevant business model. From a straight-press
showings to its Sunday VPak 3000 and Sunday VPak
to a dual-coating configuration with ‘offset before
500 packaging presses.
flexographic’ printing, it can be equipped with
numerous surface finishing options, such as UV
As the name suggests, the press line is based on the
coatings and cold foil applications.
ground-breaking ‘Sunday press’ gapless press concept,
providing cassette-style web offset packaging presses
No mention of the packaging industry is complete
with quick-change blanket and plate cylinder sleeve
without mentioning narrow-web flexographic printing
adaptors, making ‘infinitely’ variable repeat lengths
presses, specifically geared to the labels and specialty
easier and more affordable.
sector. A number of manufacturers compete in the
With the VPak running at web widths from 41 inches
British narrow-web press manufacturer Edale
to 75 inches at 457m per second makes the Sunday
in Hampshire.
space, but it is well worth flying the flag for
28
y The star in KBA’s large format range in terms of performance
Its gamma model is typical of some of the
The packaging market may be more robust than
innovative technology advances seen in this
other areas of the printing sector, but it doesn’t mean
field, with its use of servo motors and shaftless
press manufacturers and their customers are resting
technology providing a high-degree of automation for
on their laurels. The message is the same: only the
swift changeovers, pre-registration, auto-registration
most robust and innovative will be in a position to
and print length control features. Job change times
survive to take advantage that the markets
and setup wastage are kept to a minimum, with
may provide.
print-head colour changes performed in less than
90 seconds.
Tony Brown
It proves that all manufacturers, in every sector of the
print market, are heeding the pull of shorter print
runs and faster make-readies in whichever sector
you operate.
30

1.0 Press Technology

Transcription

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