H-UV PEPIO Series Impremia Series KID

H-UV
Innovative Curing System
PEPIO Series
Gravure Offset Press for Fine Lines
Impremia Series
Full Color Digital Printing System
KID
Komori Info-Service Display
ONPRESS79
en
JPN
36P
Aug. 2013
11K
HP
Next Generation
Printing Technologies
Thanks to our customers around the world, Komori is celebrating our 90th anniversary.
This is a year of the refounding of the company as we inaugurate three new businesses
— digital printing systems, overseas security printing presses, and printed electronics —
centered on our core offset printing press business. As a print engineering service
provider, the Komori Group presents optimum equipment and configurations that meet
our customers’ wishes and needs. Seeking to inspire kando for our users everywhere,
we will continue to work for your prosperity.
Yoshiharu Komori, President, Chairman and CEO
Feature
90 Years of Komori Spirit and Presses
The Komori machines and the men who made them — starting with handfed manual
presses in the early 1920s and quickly evolving through nine turbulent decades into
the automated, ultra-high-precision printing systems of today. The printing revolution
par excellence in pictures.
Feature
The First H-UV Installation: The Atomi File
Atomi, a Tokyo printer, invested in the first H-UV press ever shipped
from the Tsukuba Plant. That press became the first of four H-UVequipped machines ordered by the company as it became known
for doing art museum work and then began developing its own
special products.
Feature
Komori Digital Now
4
6
10
Komori’s launch of a range of digital machines is gaining steam, as more
Impremia C80 digital printing systems appear in the pressrooms of offset printers
and the Impremia IS29 sheetfed inkjet digital printing system enters its final stage
of development. Meanwhile, the IW20 is at a critical juncture. Plus, the rundown on a
satisfied Impremia C70 user in Japan.
User Profiles
Unique Lithrones for
Unique Market Opportunities
16
Eight users on four continents, each with a particular market
opportunity and a unique Komori press or two that exactly meets
their needs and provides a competitive edge for the years ahead.
Flexibility, versatility, automation, robust engineering and advanced
technologies. Plus, the invaluable factor of Komori backup.
Topics
Service and R&D Programs in Action
32
Sketches of the service programs at three of Komori’s leading overseas subsidiaries
— Komori UK, Komori America, and China — and an outline of H-UV development at
the Printing R&D Center of the Komori Graphic Technology Center.
Show Reports
Komori Takes the Stage
Pictures and details from the Komori booth at five recent printing
exhibitions in China, Mexico, the UAE, Turkey and France.
Also, a heads-up on the upcoming Print 13 show in Chicago.
34
79
no.
Printing specification of this issue:
All pages printed by four-color process H-UV.
Cover laminated with matt polypropylene film.
Komori On Press
3
90 Years of Komori
From a handfed single-color lithographic stone press to multicolor sheetfed offset, web offset, gravure,
intaglio and digital. All in nine decades. The Komori spirit and the machines that it produced.
1923
1924 1930
Genesis of the Komori Spirit
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1924
Lithographic hand press released in 1924
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1946
Baby Offset manual feed press in 15-inch
format released in 1946
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OKL two-color automated
press with Dexter feeder in
44-inch format released in 1950
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Komori’s first four-color offset press, the UM-4C in 44-inch format, was released in 1957 and used
unit construction and a stream feeder to attain a maximum printing speed of 100 sheets per minute
4
Komori On Press
Komori Corporation was born amid
the worst natural disaster ever known
in Japan — the Great Kanto Earthquake
of 1923 that devastated Tokyo and
Yokohama and killed more than
140,000. One of the company’s two
founding brothers barely escaped a fire
swirl that claimed the lives of 38,000,
and the Komori family was separated
in different parts of Tokyo, unaware for
more than a week of who had survived.
This calamity (accompanied by a
tsunami and a typhoon) was followed
in the next year by a period of intense
reconstruction that concentrated on
providing Tokyo with a modern network
of roads, trains and public services.
The economic tailwinds from this
infrastructure building would brighten
the fortunes of the Komori Brothers’
workshop, and 50 days after that awful
tremor, they finished construction of
a building for the Komori Machinery
Works, where they would both live and
work for the next few years as they sought
to build a name in the nascent printing
machinery manufacturing industry.
Although their first original machine
was a lithographic stone press, the
brothers had already set their sights
on offset technology. But that was for
the future. The first problem was that
their lithographic stone press didn’t
work very well. Shipped to Ibaraki,
the components were made without
Spirit and Presses
the precision machining required for
a printing press. The brothers realized
that Japanese precision machining
technology lagged behind that of their
foreign rivals. But they persevered.
Repairing presses damaged by the
earthquake in the Tokyo area provided
a source of income for the company and
the opportunity to become familiar with
offset presses made in Germany and the
US. By 1929 the original machine with
a redesigned gear system was winning
high marks. And the brothers were well
on their way to launching their first offset
press. But then that performed poorly
too. This time, though, they knew how
to deal with failure. They studied the
reasons. They fixed it. They improved it.
They rectified the process. They took the
customer’s point of view. They acquired
better manufacturing equipment.
They closed the technology gap. They
invented things. Then they patented
them. And they never stopped.
More disasters lay ahead. A recession
became a depression. A war that
started in north China ended only in
Nagasaki. One of the brothers was
drafted. And Tokyo was once again
razed by a firestorm — this time from
the sky — that consumed the Komori
factories. They still didn’t stop. They
began to export. And exhibit at printing
shows. And innovate. Then they built a
global network.
Ninety years have passed since the
terrible earthquake and the decision
of the brothers — against the advice of
many around them — to return to Tokyo
and start manufacturing. As Komori
once again begins a transition to a new
paradigm of printing, the pioneering
spirit forged over these many turbulent
decades sustains a special confidence.
We will make it. We will improve it. We
will support it. And we will never stop.
1923
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1973
System 35 four-color 546-mm cutoff
16-page web offset press released in 1973
1923
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1981
1990
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1981
Four-color Lithrone 40, a 40-inch sheetfed
offset printing press, released in 1981
1923
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1990
Five-color Lithrone 40 sheetfed offset printing press equipped with
world’s first Fully Automatic Plate Changer debuted at Drupa
1923
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Eight-color Lithrone GX40RP front/reverse multicolor offset printing
press equipped with Asynchronous Automatic Plate Changer
released in 2013
Komori On Press
5
Interview with president of Atomi Printing
The first H-UV installation:
The Atomi file
An interview with Masashiro Arita, President of Atomi Printing in Tokyo, Japan
Atomi Co., Ltd. was the first
company anywhere to invest
in an H-UV-equipped press,
a four-color Lithrone S32 that
Komori debuted at JGAS
2009. After acquiring the
32-inch Lithrone, Atomi quickly
expanded its business horizons
and then re-engineered its
business model to leverage
H-UV technology. Over the next
few years, the printer invested
in three more H-UV-equipped
Lithrones. On Press spoke
with President Masashiro Arita
to learn of the company’s
pathbreaking experience with
H-UV presses and to find out
why one H-UV machine led to
three more.
Masashiro Arita, President
6
Komori On Press
first H-UV press
On Press: Would you describe for us the
background to your purchase of the first H-UV
press to hit the market?
President Masashiro Arita: I’m not a press
operator myself, but I knew that the biggest
problem in the pressroom was powder and
smears on printed work. When work was
passed to the finishing department, scratches
and smears due to printing with conventional
inks were common, so I thought that instant
drying would be an extremely good solution to
these headaches. When I first saw the instantdrying presses at drupa 2008, I thought this
was the right direction for us.
Your company frequently printed on papers that
are difficult to dry, such as vent nouveau, and
handled designs that used FM screening and
thick applications of ink. After installing the
H-UV press, what was your initial experience?
In changing from conventional oil-based
inks to H-UV inks, it was my expectation that
there would be a certain amount of trouble
in switching to a new technology. In fact,
I ordered the machine equipped with the
powder spray device just in case we needed
to print with conventional inks. But it turned
out that there were almost no problems at all.
What sort of things were you actually printing?
Did your business grow once you had the LS-432
on line?
We began to do some work in-house that we
had been outsourcing such as large posters
and we started printing on heavy stocks.
Actually, price competition in printing on light
stocks was so fierce that I sought to avoid this
dead end by specializing in work on heavy
stocks and special substrates. And since this
machine could handle sheets up to 0.6 mm in
thickness, it widened our capabilities in terms
of jobs on heavy stock. In printing posters, the
rather small number of copies meant that ink
costs could be covered because the volume
of ink used was small.
New capabilities draw art work
One day we had a job from the Contemporary Art Gallery of
the Art Tower Mito in Mito City. I said to our designer, ‘H-UV is
powderless and even solids dry instantly, so why don’t we take
advantage of these characteristics?’ So the designer and I worked
on putting this into practice. This piece used a great deal of black
solids on vent nouveau paper, which normally would have been
quite difficult, but we encountered no problems at all.
Using large quantities of H-UV ink does not have many cost benefits,
does it?
No, but this led to increased orders from art museums, and
our capabilities gradually resulted in more work in this field. A
representative from the Setagaya Art Museum in Tokyo happened
to see the catalog we printed for the Mito museum and ordered
something that was similar. From that point on, we took advantage
of the high quality that can be achieved by using FM screening and
implemented a business model that concentrated on art museums.
Publications for art museums were a lucrative field for us because
the customers were focused on quality. Had this not been the
case, the business would have become simply price competition.
Wasn’t it around this time that you started test production of clear files?
We wanted to start producing clear files because they require
UV printing, but productivity was very poor. Since opaque white
is used, efficiency is quite low because after process four color is
applied, washing must be performed. In other words, printing just
clear files on a four-color machine is simply not very profitable.
Clear files are produced by many printers, but we developed
design elements that gave us differentiation, such as products
where the effect changed when paper was inserted or removed,
similar to scenery seen from a window. Designs that used the front
and back sides of clear files in three-dimensional ways allowed
Komori On Press
7
Interview with president of Atomi Printing
companies didn’t want to do. Doing work that
called for the use of special colors with a fourcolor press was very inefficient. Laying down
opaque white and a special color with the twocolor machine raised our overall efficiency
tremendously.
For an H-UV press, a four-color and a two-color
are the ideal combination, aren’t they?
That is certainly true. Around this time, we
could allocate the printing of special items such
as clear files to three presses. And the types
of clear files we then produced developed in
new directions. For example, half-size, or A5
size, clear files were rather rare, but we made
them for our New Year’s cards. We discovered
that this size is very appealing to women. It fits
easily into a handbag. We tried to grow our
business by placing our designs at customers’
premises to encourage them to order similar
products from us.
us to produce unique products. Since these designs required two
applications of opaque white, however, they involved quite a bit
of work. But we grew using our own designs and our order book
became full. Printing clear files using three passes through the
press was still an inefficient mode of operation, so we installed
our second H-UV press — a four-color Lithrone S26 — in October
2010. We used the LS-432 for printing on heavy stock because
the diameter of the cylinders is greater and focused the LS-426
on short turnaround jobs.
Optimum combination: two- and four-color presses
In the clear file market, there were very few items that used solid
colors over the full surface, so we created designs that used solids
from edge to edge with H-UV and high screen frequency as well as
special colors such as fluorescents and gold and silver to get ahead
in this field. As clear file production using special colors increased,
producing all of our work with just two four-color presses became
a heavy load. I began to consider adding a two-color machine and
asked Komori to make us an inexpensive two-color press as long
as it was H-UV. Because we foresaw quality issues if the cylinder
diameter differed from the press we had, we ended up installing
a two-color Lithrone S26 in March 2012. We knew by then that
efficiency would not improve unless we had a press that we could
dedicate to the application of opaque white and special colors.
We had long followed a policy of taking on jobs that other
8
Komori On Press
Just recently you installed your fourth H-UVequipped Lithrone. Why did you install this press?
Actually, the combination of a four-color
half-size Lithrone and a two-color Lithrone
in the same size takes care of all our clear
file production as well as four-over-one and
four-over-two work on heavy stock. This of
course meant less work for the Lithrone S32,
so I thought about how to increase this, but a
32-inch machine is not cut out for pamphlets or
page work. It’s just not competitive. To boost
our working efficiency, we needed a press
with a maximum sheet size of 640 x 940 mm.
However, since our plant is rather small, a
40-inch Lithrone would not fit. But the Lithrone
A37 fit perfectly. And since we print clear files
and jobs on heavy stock without raising the
printing speed, the LA37 is perfectly adequate.
A business model for today’s reality
What is the direction of your business model
for Atomi?
Rather than taking on every challenge, my
view is to take the back roads as much as
possible since competition between the other
first H-UV press
“
Today the market no longer requires the printing of massive quantities of work. This is the
age of producing printed work in just the right volume. Small-lot work will no doubt grow in
the years ahead. The times have changed, and unless companies like Atomi rally by testing
the possibilities with new equipment and new ideas, other companies will leave us behind.
”
— Masashiro Arita, President
consideration. Unfortunately, the cost of lenticular printing means
that it is still out of range for our customer base.
Atomi’s company guide, printed using various
techniques, including Kaleido UV and H-UV inks
Clear file changes in appearance when the card
(center) is inserted or removed
players in our market is just getting more severe.
Going after work that is characterized by short
runs, high print quality requirements and
special substrates is our way of steering clear
of competition. Today the market no longer
requires the printing of massive quantities
of work. This is the age of producing printed
work in just the right volume. Small-lot work
will no doubt grow in the years ahead. The
times have changed, and unless companies like
Atomi rally by testing the possibilities with new
equipment and new ideas, other companies
will leave us behind.
Due to limitations of financing and personnel,
we cannot attempt to be a supermarket
that dominates business. We have in mind
competing as a convenience store — providing
good printed products in small lots with
short turnarounds.
As the first printer in the world to make the leap and invest in an
H-UV-equipped Komori Lithrone, could you recap your experience
with these presses?
We had used only 26-inch half-size presses until we invested
in the LS-432+H-UV. Since we did a lot of work for museums
and universities, this 32-inch press was ideal for posters and
similar products for these clients. A great deal of our high quality
printing work was on A-size sheets, so we added the LS-426+H-UV.
Then there came a shift to printing with special colors on special
substrates that prompted us to request Komori to develop a twocolor H-UV press in the 26-inch format. Once we introduced
this system, further consideration of efficiency brought about a
transfer of the clear file printing to the LS-426 and LS-226, which
were well matched to these jobs in terms of size. This meant that
the Lithrone S32 was used only for jobs on heavy stocks and
posters; however, this work alone was not sufficient to occupy
this four-color press. Thus, we replaced our first H-UV press, the
Lithrone S32, with the new LA37 with H-UV, which is well suited
to page work. Throughout these years, H-UV technology was
our means of prevailing during a period of intense change in the
printing industry.
Recently Atomi displayed samples of lenticular
printing and we’ve heard that your employees
now use lenticular business cards.
Yes, H-UV is very well suited to printing
lenticular jobs because register accuracy is
critically important with lenticular, and the
very low heat emission of the H-UV lamp
means that stretching of the substrate is not a
Komori On Press
9
Komori dig
At drupa 2012, under the DigitalOnDemand
concept, Komori announced to the world its
intention of launching a full-fledged entry into
new markets — by exhibiting a toner-type digital
printing system and two digital inkjet printing
systems. Further, the announcement of a strategic
partnership with Landa Corporation drew the
attention of people throughout the global printing
industry. The company’s CEO is Benny Landa — the
renowned developer of the Indigo liquid toner
digital printing system, the forerunner of today’s
production printers.
As Komori marks the 90th anniversary of its
founding, the company is marketing digital
printing systems for professional printers. Based
on its cumulative development technology and
experience in the fields of offset and security
printing, these digital printing systems will be an
important pillar in the refounding of the company.
And Komori OnDemand — the combination of
offset and digital put forward at drupa 2012 — will
be manifest.
H-UV makes OffsetOnDemand a reality
The underpinning of the digital initiative at
Komori has been the success of its innovative
H-UV curing system. As is now well known,
10
Komori On Press
H-UV was developed as a low-power, high-efficiency drying
system for offset printing. Since the release of this system in
2009, many printing companies have adopted it for its instant
drying, and a significant number run multiple H-UV-equipped
presses. With H-UV, printed sheets are dried instantly and can
be sent to postpress immediately, allowing offset printers to
execute orders on a real ‘on-demand’ basis for the first time.
The development of H-UV translated the OffsetOnDemand
concept into reality, bringing the performance of offset and
digital printing very close.
So, why digital? What advantages does digital bring to the table
of the professional printer — the target of Komori’s initiative?
Komori understands that printers with offset presses supported
by CTP systems and postpress equipment will gain little by
simply switching regular work to digital systems. These printers
will benefit by transforming themselves into one-stop printing
services, capable of handling both work optimally printed
by an offset press and jobs for which digital systems are the
better choice. In other words, installing a digital machine will
expand the lineup of services that can be offered, gaining
a wider range of orders from current customers as well as
attracting new clientele. Digital is ideal for certain needs:
small lots with a deadline of a few hours, variable data printing
that facilitates the customization/personalization of printed
products, such as graduation photo albums, and color matching
with offset presses.
igital now
Digital printing systems are to join Komori’s range of offset
presses under the DigitalOnDemand banner unveiled at
drupa 2012, and the future is suddenly looking very exciting
for a number of reasons. Dry toner-type digital printing
systems, sheetfed UV digital inkjet printing systems, and
webfed aqueous pigment digital inkjet printing systems.
Plus the potential of Landa Nanographic Printing technology
on Komori chassis. All aimed at a specific target: solutions
for the needs and issues of professional offset printers.
Impremia Series
Komori unveiled Impremia last year as the exclusive brand
name of its digital printing systems. Impremia machines
incorporate four basic performance features. First, high print
quality (image quality of more than 1,200 dpi), achieved by
means of superb gradation production, high resolution,
excellent color reproduction, and high-precision sheet
transport. Second, the systems allow the use of ordinary printing
paper. There is no need for precoating or special paper, and
the systems are well suited to offset printing paper and heavy
sheets. Third, these printing systems are from Komori, meaning
they embody high print quality, reliability and consistency. And
finally, these systems provide digital color reproduction that
matches the colors of Komori offset presses. They work well
in the pressroom with the simple and easy K-ColorSimulator.
An important concept in using digital printing systems in
commercial printing is the ability to print both sides of the
sheet in one pass. Considering the automation of the entire
workflow, printing one side and then flipping the sheets and
printing the reverse side would result in mistakes in a process of
digital printing that is driven by digital data. Therefore, Komori
insisted on a product specification that calls for double-sided
one-pass printing.
Why Komori?
From the many offerings of various vendors
in the digital space, what does the professional
printer gain by purchasing from the Komori
lineup? Komori’s long history as a manufacturer
of offset presses and longtime partnerships with
customers in major markets mean that printers
who primarily produce offset work and have
a good command of offset know-how need a
digital vendor who shares this knowledge, speaks
this language and is ready to do the tuning and
adjustment of the digital machine that will give it
near-offset performance for color matching and
also for meeting the expectations of customers
who order both offset and digital work and are
looking for a one-stop service. Simply put, this
approach and thinking are not available from
office equipment makers that merely offer a digital
printing system. Another factor is that certainly
in Japan but also in many other markets, Komori
machines are the de facto standard for high quality
offset lithographic printing. Printers taking a long
view of their business are sure to give weight to
these factors.
Komori On Press
11
OffsetOnDemand+DigitalOnDemand=
Komori OnDemand
Impremia C80 dry toner-type digital
printing system
Three Impremia Series digital printing systems
were shown at drupa 2012. The first was the
Impremia C80 dry toner-type full color digital
printing system. It is being sold on an OEM basis
through a tie-up with Konica Minolta, where it
is known as the bizhub PRESS C8000. In Japan
Komori installed more than 40 of these systems
last year. In the US Komori and Konica Minolta
have jointly sold nearly 20 of these systems. The
Impremia C80 has won high marks for its precise
color matching with offset printing by using the
K-ColorSimulator, the core of the Komori CMS,
and the company expects that the number of
systems shipped this year will rise.
Impremia IS29 sheetfed UV digital
inkjet printing system
The second system exhibited was the Impremia
IS29, a four-color 29-inch sheetfed inkjet printing
system that is being developed jointly with Konica
Minolta. Komori took charge of developing the
sheet transports, while Konica Minolta undertook
development of the inkjet heads, ink, process and
RIP. The sheet transport mechanism is equipped
with a new cylinder array and a new sheet reversal
mechanism that Komori developed for digital
printing systems to allow the machine to instantly
switch between single- and double-sided printing.
Konica Minolta developed a new High-definition
Single-pass (HS) UV ink for single-pass printing
applications, high-performance inkjet heads, and
an image processing system. The current version is
a four-color specification, but the printing system
is planned to allow specification of up to six colors.
Depending on the state of ink development, the
final form is expected to permit the use of four
colors, opaque white, clear varnish and some PMS
colors. The maximum sheet thickness specification
12
Komori On Press
is 0.6 mm in single-sided mode and 0.45 mm in double-sided
mode. Komori considers this capability sufficient for package
printing applications. Because inkjet is a non-impact printing
technology, the IS29 has exceptional substrate versatility and
will be able to print on papers with a rough surface texture
such as art papers, perhaps even exceeding offset presses in
this regard. Color reproduction is also superb, and the color
gamut is greater than that of conventional offset, approaching
the sRGB color space. These wider color possibilities make it
ideal for producing very high quality art books of 100 pages
or so. Komori expects to begin shipments of the IS29 in 2014.
Impremia IW20 webfed aqueous digital
inkjet printing system
The third machine on exhibit was the Impremia IW20, a
four-color 20-inch webfed inkjet printing system that utilizes
an aqueous pigment ink. Komori is pursuing the independent
development of this system in cooperation with the inkjet head
manufacturer and the ink maker. Development and testing
in single-sided printing mode is currently under way, and the
ability to print on ordinary printing paper with no precoating
has been confirmed. The final product will offer double-sided
printing. The printing system will initially be provided with a
special sheet-output delivery that employs a rotary cutter,
and the addition of an optional slitter specification is planned.
The potential of Landa Nanographic Printing technology
The development of the IW20 presents challenges that are
peculiar to aqueous inkjet technology, and Komori is currently
considering whether or not to proceed with the present
Specifications
Number of colors
Max. resolution
4
1,200 x 1,200 dpi
Max. sheet size
330 x 487 mm (13" x 19.2")
Print speed
Max. paper weight
80 ppm (A4/Letter, single-sided)
Up to 300 gsm
specification. This machine could conceivably be developed
using Landa Nanographic Printing technology. Nanographic
Printing technology sets the newly developed aqueous Nanoink
on an image conveyor blanket. The water content of the ink
evaporates before the ink is transferred to the substrate. It is
thus different from a conventional aqueous inkjet system, and
the range of usable printing substrates is broader. Considering
this advantage, the adoption of Nanography is one possible
direction. However, Landa Nanographic Printing technology
is being developed for commercial use, and it will be some
time before this product is released. Thanks to its strategic
partnership with Landa Corporation, Komori will soon be able
to provide information on development progress.
Fusion of offset and digital: Komori OnDemand
In the digital domain, Komori exists to support printing
companies with innovative ideas. This will enable them to
withstand enormous changes in business conditions by meeting
diverse needs and pioneering new business. To achieve this
goal, Komori is advancing a product strategy that tracks both
the high-quality, high-efficiency OffsetOnDemand concept
and the ‘one click from a computer and the job is done’
DigitalOnDemand concept. It is building a system that can
provide the optimum printing system — either offset or digital —
that meets all needs as a solution to the future advancement of
the printing industry. Komori OnDemand will be truly realized
as printers eventually fuse offset and inkjet or toner digital in
Specifications
Resolution Ink
Number of colors
Printing speeds
Max. sheet size
Sheet thickness
1,200 x 1,200 dpi
HS-UV ink
4
3,300 sph (single-sided)
1,650 sph (double-sided)
585 x 750 mm (23" x 29.5")
0.06 ~ 0.6 mm (single-sided)
0.06 ~ 0.45 mm (double-sided)
their pressrooms by sorting out these technologies
in hybrid production models.
In the years ahead, Komori will leverage to the
limit its strengths as a longtime manufacturer
of offset presses, develop and integrate offset
and digital technologies, and concentrate on
product development that presents an entirely
new business model to the printing industry.
Workflow and CMS infrastructure
As a manufacturer of printing presses with deep
insight into the real issues of the printing workplace,
Komori is also taking care to develop the workflow
management and CMS infrastructure. A new
K-Station workflow management system with
enhanced efficiency that accommodates the
needs of a digital printing business — including
the small-lot, high-volume web-to-print model
— will be introduced. Further, a next-generation
K-ColorSimulator, the core of the Komori CMS,
configured to support a hybrid offset/digital
workflow and provide standardization of colors
from all output devices, will soon debut. These
and the latest printing systems will be exhibited
and demonstrated at PRINT 13 this September in
Chicago and at JGAS 2013 this October in Tokyo.
Count on Komori.
Specifications
Resolution Ink
1,200 x 1,200 dpi
Aqueous pigment ink
Number of colors 4
Printing speeds
Paper width
Cutoff
75 m/min @ 1,200 dpi
150 m/min @ 600 dpi
155 ~ 530 mm (6.1" ~ 20.9")
166 ~ 325 mm (6.5" ~ 12.8")
Komori On Press
13
On-demand machine for Japan’s ‘wrapping culture’
Impremia C70 at Yana Pack
Koreyuki Ishida, President
Founded in 1963 as a supplier of packaging and wrapping materials, Yana Pack
Co., Ltd. is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Using its know-how and
flexibility, the company gives shape to its customers’ needs with a total system
that starts with package planning and ends with finished products. The first floor
of the company consists of a packaging specialty store and a package workshop
that shows the planning and production of packaging products and printed
items. All sorts of people — consumers, staff from shops and representatives
of makers — visit the package workshop. The workshop installed an Impremia
C70 full color digital printing system in January of this year. On Press spoke with
President Koreyuki Ishida and Wrapping Advisor Masami Ishida.
Package production and launch of wrapping material sales
Operating since its founding based on the key ideas of packages and wrapping,
Yana Pack conducts a range of activities to sustain Japan’s unique ‘wrapping
culture.’ The company plans, designs, prints and finishes packaging, of course,
as well as wrapping paper, papers bags, bookmarks and labels.
Yana Pack is located in the commercial distribution district of Kumamoto
City, on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, amid many confectionery
companies and plants, and for this reason mainly manufactures packagingrelated materials for Japanese and Western sweets. Planning and design of
packages are done at the head office, while printing and finishing take place
at the company’s Jyonan Plant, where a four-color Enthrone 29W was installed
in March.
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Komori On Press
Masami Ishida, Wrapping Advisor
Impremia C70 to strengthen the company
Mr. Ishida spoke about the reasons for the wide range of the
business: “Yana Pack manufactures a full line of packaging
materials. Our experience makes us capable of doing just
about anything, and now we want to promote our ability to
develop more lines of business. It is important to facilitate a
stable flow of orders that does not rely on just one type of
business. We are making every effort to function as a trusted
proactive enterprise.”
In January, a Komori Impremia C70 was installed in the package
workshop as the company’s newest tool. Ishida explains
the background to this investment: “Today consumers are
purchasing candy and other treats in more variety and smaller
amounts. And confectionery makers also have the ability to
plan their own packaging. Our sales staff told us that all of our
competitors were getting on-demand machines, so we decided
to strengthen ourselves by installing on-demand equipment.
We wanted to encourage more orders of printed work, and we
felt that the Komori digital offering was particularly persuasive
since we were using a Komori press. When we considered
color matching with offset presses in the future, we decided
on the Impremia C70.”
Leveraging original items in small volumes
Ishida describes the way the company is using the C70:
“Requests from confectionery makers to make 20 or 30 of
their original cartons have recently become quite common.
We handle design and printing, and then create a variety of
gift boxes by gluing the printed paper onto the box. We also
print bound page materials by using the binding function
— confectioners typically order short runs of pamphlets to
promote their products. An on-demand machine is perfect for
this work. Recently customers have been taking photos of their
products with digital cameras and then we do the planning
and design for the pamphlets and catalogs. Also, since we can
print on heavy stock, we can make POP items by using a CAD
system for materials that we have designed and printed as well
as articles for demonstrations and a variety of other goods. We
can give shape to the wishes of our customers.”
Ms. Masami Ishida of the package workshop
says, “Many potential customers come to the
package workshop with the idea of making a
small volume of some original product. We
couldn’t respond positively in the past with an
offset press, which is optimized for large lots,
but since installing the on-demand machine
our strength has become our ability to respond
right away, whether the query comes from a
store or an individual. Our existing customers
are also very happy with being able to create
original items that will be used only for a certain
time, such as Valentine’s Day or Christmas.
Since customers can easily change the design
of the display according to the season, they can
become proactive without too much effort.
The touchpanel operation is very easy and
photographs are reproduced wonderfully, so
I can recommend the Impremia to customers
with confidence.”
Ishida assesses the company’s experience
with the Impremia C70: “It’s been three months
since we installed the C70, and I think that
we’ve promoted on-demand capabilities to
customers rather well. We still haven’t gotten
completely used to using it yet. The installation
of the C70 has changed the consciousness
inside our company quite a bit,” he adds, taking
a long view of the shift.
His approach to the future of his business is
similar: “I think it is vital to always take up the
challenges posed by new things with great
vigor. I think that issues even more severe than
we faced in the past 50 years will emerge.
I want to cultivate people with the ideas
and vision to prevail in such times,” he says
with a smile, as though setting his sights on
new possibilities.
Komori On Press
15
User Profile
‘We just do it!’ Now with H-UV.
Schröerlücke, Ladbergen, Germany
From left: Eckart Stork and Markus Pieper, General Managers
Tecklenburger Land is a region in the very north of the German
federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It’s the lush green
countryside between Münster and Osnabrück, two cities
with a great history: here, the Peace of Westphalia treaties
were signed in 1648, putting an end to the Thirty Years’ War.
The small town of Ladbergen is also located here, home to the
printer Schröerlücke. The company was founded in 1985 by
Eckart Stork, today the general manager. The trained mechanic
took a roundabout way to become a printer. He started with
a small AB Dick copy press in a basement room. He and a
couple of friends worked as volunteers, printing eco-political
brochures. A few years later, the volunteer business turned
into a well-resourced small print shop and Stork’s liaison with
the ‘black arts’ never ended. Today, the successful self-taught
entrepreneur runs a company with 14 employees, producing
high-end products with state-of-the-art equipment in a
modern facility on 730 square meters. Since February 2013, the
equipment lineup includes a new Komori five-color Lithrone
S29 with coater and the innovative H-UV system, replacing
two older presses, one Heidelberg and one Manroland. Quick
installation was taken care of by Komori’s German distributor,
Hubertus Wesseler.
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Komori On Press
Environmental-friendly production
Eckart Stork is a down-to-earth guy who is in
touch with nature. His eco-political activities
that were the beginning of his business still play
an important role in the company today. In
2010 Schröerlücke was awarded the Eco-profit
Label, an honor given by a regional initiative to
companies producing in an environmentally
friendly way. The idea behind the eco-profit
project is to reduce environmental impact
and save money at the same time. Mr. Stork
explains: “It depends on the right technology.
For example, we invested 13,500 euros in a new
platemaking system. Just by reducing the use
of chemicals, we save 6,400 euros per year.
We decreased waste material by 1,100 kg per
year and we lowered our water consumption
significantly. Moreover, we improved the
quality of platemaking. Our new LS-529 with
H-UV is also an investment in environmental
technology that benefits our business and the
environment as well.”
User Profile
“We don’t have
any problems on a
huge variety of substrates, including plastics, and we have lots of new options for
more added value.”
— Eckart Stork, General Manager
Schröerlücke feels responsible for conserving
energy and resources. The production facility
is heated by renewable resources, 100 percent
of the electricity used comes from renewable
sources, and the company has been Forest
Stewardship Council-certified since 2008.
‘We just do it!’
A n impressi ve f ull- ser v ice pr inter,
Schröerlücke is uncompromising on producing
only the highest quality. The print production
is PSO-certified (ISO 12647) for quality and
meets even the highest standards. The product
portfolio includes everything from small
business cards to high-gloss brochure printing
with added value and large posters or digitalprinted extra-large ad banners. On top of all
this, Schröerlücke offers a lettershop service
and many postpress services, such as cutting,
embossing, foil stamping and some traditional
handcrafted added value features, which are
hard to find in today’s industry.
Its customer base consists of industrial
companies, advertising agencies, public
institutions and other regional printers. As Stork
puts it: “Our high standard of quality is one
of the reasons most of our clients have been
loyal to us for decades. Our other advantage
is our versatility. No matter how exceptional
the client’s demands, we find a solution. As
our company’s corporate slogan goes: We just
do it!”
More productivity thanks to H-UV
The year of drupa, 2012, was a year of change
for Schröerlücke. Stork and his employees had
to face facts: Their capacity and productivity
were insufficient in times of growing demand. They needed new
and more productive technology, and they came to Komori
for the very first time.
Stork explains: “Hubertus Wesseler, Komori’s distributor for
North Germany, is in Georgsmarienhütte, which is just around
the corner from us. We had been in touch with them for many
years. We thought about Komori presses many times in the
past. And when we saw Komori’s H-UV technology at drupa last
year, we were very impressed. This technology makes a definite
difference. We also took products from other manufacturers
into consideration, but eventually we decided to install the
LS-529+C+H-UV. The productivity with H-UV is enormous,
along with stunning print quality, which more than compensates
for the higher H-UV ink prices. The sheets leave the press
dried and ready for postpress. H-UV is clean, environmentally
friendly and productive — and very cost-effective compared
to conventional UV technology. It was a good investment.”
Stork is convinced that H-UV will be widely accepted in the
graphic arts industry: “Thanks to Komori and H-UV, we gained
a competitive advantage over other printers. We deliver top
quality with very short lead times. We don’t have any problems
on a huge variety of substrates, including plastics, and we have
lots of new options for more added value. These facts will get
around soon — I am quite sure that lots of other printers will
get into this technology in the future.”
From left: Tobias Schurr, Sales Manager, Hubertus Wesseler;
Markus Pieper and Eckart Stork, Schröerlücke; and Dirk Teuber,
General Manager, Hubertus Wesseler, with operators
Komori On Press
17
User Profile
H-UV seduces the luxury brands
Groupe PPA-Mahé, Montreuil-sous-Bois, France
From left: Christophe Debue, Workshop Supervisor, Gilles Sevestre and Eric Broche, Co-chairmen
PPA-Mahé for high-end work
With the genes for high-end creation in their DNA, they
work for the most important luxury brands: haute couture,
perfumeries, watchmakers and jewelry stores. Co-chairmen
of the new company, Gilles Sevestre and Eric Broche bought
PPA-Mahé in 2006. Located in Montreuil-sous-Bois at the gates
of Paris in a 4,300-square-meter facility, the business achieves
a turnover of 13 to 15 million euros, depending on the year.
Luxury: A thriving business sector
Defying the financial crisis, PPA-Mahé is succeeding in the
thriving luxury business sector by demanding excellence in all
areas. Which explains why the PPA-Mahé group invested in
2012 in two Komori presses equipped with H-UV — an instant
drying system provided exclusively by Komori. The first one — a
six-color Lithrone G40 with coater in 720 x 1,030 mm format
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Komori On Press
— was installed in March 2012; the second — a
five-color Lithrone G40 also in 720 x 1,030 mm
format — was set up in December 2012. Both
are the latest-generation presses, equipped
with the H-UV system and a PDC-SII. “The fact
that our conventional presses — a five-color
Komori and a six-color Komori with coater —
are almost obsolete did, of course, influence
our decision. But mostly, with this new H-UV
technology, special substrates have become
our everyday life,” explains Eric Broche.
H-UV: Powderless and faultless
“Komori has always been a groundbreaking
company. Twenty years ago, they developed
the first automatic makeready (AMR) presses.
User Profile
Today, they are the only ones in the world with
this H-UV technology,” says Broche. “Those
who didn’t make the effort to see what lies
behind these three letters probably think these
are hybrid offset UV presses. But that’s not true
at all. H-UV is a very special technology that
has nothing to do with what we knew before.
These presses use very high sensitivity inks
that dry instantly while being passed under a
special H-UV lamp. It is no longer necessary
to let sheets dry, and finishing work can be
performed immediately after printing. And
from now on, due to this new fleet of machines,
we can print on all special substrates and on
all creative papers, including the Arche series,
rubber substrates, plastics and even prelaminated papers. There are very few printing
houses that can compete with us on all these
substrates. Also, we can print with a screen
frequency of 300 lpi, close to photographic
quality,” Broche says.
Quality all along the line
Having adopted the Komori brand since its
establishment in France — the first AMR presses
were installed in what was then known as the
Mahé printing house — the PPA-Mahé group
is a pilot site that welcomes Komori clients
and prospects for printing demonstrations. Its
chief executives discovered the H-UV system
during a preview show at the end of 2010.
“Gilles Sevestre and I have been to Japan and
to the Netherlands several times to take part
in Komori demonstrations, and we were won
over,” Broche smiles. “Of course, one needs solid training to
attain the full potential of these machines. But these presses
allow us to meet our clients’ very high demands. Even though
we already have a very strict in-house quality control system,
our clients check everything once again regardless of the time
and effort it takes. One client might easily order 400 press kits
requiring considerable handwork carried out by our integrated
finishing workshop as well as 500,000 catalogues with intricate
printing. That means that the work must be beyond reproach.
Printing perfection must, of course, reflect the perfection of
the products presented.”
A very busy schedule
These new H-UV presses have allowed the PPA-Mahé group to
increase its turnover with clients. “Some of them had problems
elsewhere, especially drying problems with special papers.
Since we set up these new machines, they have brought their
jobs back to us,” says Broche with satisfaction. “Now we can
print many products that we weren’t even aiming for before.
And nothing thrills us more than intricate creations — printing
on nonstandard substrates, embossing, cutting, folding, gluing —
everything! Also, the workshop is now operating 24/7, including
weekends and holidays.”
While the global luxury market went up by seven percent,
the two leaders of PPA-Mahé haven’t yet started exploring
new markets. But the 38 employees of this company can be
reassured about their future: they will not be lacking work!
Komori On Press
19
User Profile
Aiming to be ‘Number One’
Eutteum Process, Seoul, Korea
Left: Yong-mo Yang, President, with GL-540 crew
Directly beneath Namsan Tower in Seoul, Korea — locally
called N Seoul Tower — lies a print house devoted to printing
nothing but work with a screen frequency of 300 lines per inch.
Eutteum Process (written ‘Top’ in Hangul), true to its name, has
aimed since its founding to be number one in print quality. In
collaboration with Korea’s leading art galleries — the Doosan
Gallery, the Arario Gallery, the Plateau Samsung Museum of
Art, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary
Art, Korea — Eutteum Process focuses primarily on printing artrelated pictorial work. The company has no salesmen. Instead,
designers who care only for print quality have to find their own
way to the company.
Evolution from film output house
Located in Phil-dong, Jung-gu, the heart of Seoul, the company
hung out its shingle as a film output house in March 1987. At
its founding, Eutteum Process specialized in film scanning
and paste-up work. In 2001, however, the company first came
into contact with a CTP system, the revolutionary technology
that would soon eliminate the film output process. Yong-mo
Yang, the president of Eutteum, saw that the company needed
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Komori On Press
to change and decided to directly install and
operate a printing press. This was a viable move
since the company had total confidence in
their prepress capabilities.
The CTP system was installed six months
before the new press, and the technicians
began research into 300-lpi printing. This was
a time when ordinary printers were unable to
perform 200-lpi printing. Mr. Yang says: “We
output plates with a screen ruling of 300 lpi and
carried out research for six months by testing
these plates on the presses of other printers.
At that time I considered methods of color
matching on a color printer, the press and a
monitor. We tested the CMS that we use now at
that time. After failing over and over again and
coming close to giving up entirely, we finally
got results that we could be satisfied with.”
By going through this series of steps, Eutteum
Process became the first printer in the country
to implement 300-lpi printing.
User Profile
is necessary. “Since there are no stacks of printed sheets, I
am often asked, ‘Aren’t you doing any work lately?’” laughs
Yang. And although the press is installed in a basement in
the middle of Seoul, the environment of the pressroom has
become much better because there is none of the odor peculiar
to conventional UV printing and the machine is powderless.
Yang considers the replacement of the previous machine by
the GL-540+H-UV to be a real success.
Lithrone takes Eutteum to the high end
The company’s first Komori press, a four-color
Lithrone S40 with Full-APC, was installed in
September 2003. The machine was specified
with full automation because the company
understood that it was necessary to minimize
tasks performed by people in order to produce
work of the highest quality. Yang says: “Our
prices are high because we specialize in 300lpi printing. We didn’t have much work during
the first year after the press was installed, and
we were advised to take overflow work from
other companies. But I directed our press chief
to concentrate on press maintenance and
theory when there was no work.” Two years
after the installation of the press, Eutteum
had become known among designers as the
go-to print house for work with stringent
quality requirements such as jobs for highend art galleries.
IDEAlliance G7 certification
But Eutteum is not stopping here. The company is working hard
to implement the world’s most sophisticated CMS practices
and technology. Last year it received G7 certification from the
US-based IDEAlliance association. It is also avidly pursuing
waterless printing technologies for differentiation as well as
extremely sophisticated H-UV printing techniques. True to
its name in Hangul — ‘Top’ — the company is determined to
become the world’s number one printing company and is
striving daily with this goal in mind.
Betting it all on H-UV
Last July Eutteum Process replaced the
LS-440 with the latest H-UV-equipped
five-color Lithrone G40. Since the company
runs only one press, a mistake in selection
could have meant the end of the business.
Therefore, careful consideration was required
in specifying their next press. Eutteum checked
with users in overseas markets who were using
H-UV machines to ascertain their results with
the revolutionary new technology and decided
to adopt it after directly visiting a Japanese
printing company. After replacing the press,
changes in the pressroom soon became
apparent. Waste of high quality printing paper
due to set-off amounted to tens of millions
of won every year, but since work is dried
immediately with H-UV, worries about set-off
problems are now a thing of the past. Also,
the reverse side of the sheets can be printed
right away, which not only saves time but also
means no space for drying printed material
Komori On Press
21
User Profile
Offset & digital: a great marriage
United Print and Mailing, Phoenix, Arizona, US
Craig Hauer, Owner
Craig Hauer, owner of United Print and Mailing in Phoenix,
Arizona, is resolute about his business strategy: “If it doesn’t
go into the mail stream, we don’t touch it.” Started as a
family-owned and operated business in 1965, the company
has consistently and effectively expanded its capabilities to
become a cutting-edge printing and mailing house. In addition
to its offset and digital printing capabilities and complete
mailing services, the company offers graphic design and data
management for its clients. By focusing on the print/mail
strategy, the company continues to realize double-digit annual
growth and is the third largest printer in the Phoenix area. “We
put over 60 million pieces of mail in the mail stream in 2012,
and we continue to grow.”
New strategy in 2007
Mr. Hauer said 2007 was a turning point for his company.
“Everyone got desperate in 2007 — if you didn’t change what you
were doing, you were likely to go out of business.” Hauer took
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Komori On Press
a good look at his account base and realized
that the 80/20 rule applied — 20 percent of his
clients provided 80 percent of the company’s
revenue. “We needed more customers who
looked like that 20 percent — we needed more
of those winners.”
This new strategy meant changing his
organization. “I changed the team, let some
people go and added some new blood that
would adapt to our new methodology. We also
fired some customers, which is never easy but
we had to change to survive.”
‘Close it or kill it’
Hauer admits it was a stressful time for him.
“You wonder if you’re making the right choices,
but there was no direction to go but forward.”
And that’s what he did. Hauer knew he had
User Profile
”I’ve watched Komori
over the years and it’s refreshing to see how Komori
adapts to change. Most equipment manufacturers
aren’t as agile. And Komori has always provided the best service.”
— Craig Hauer, Owner
to make inroads into the larger direct mail “All the technology on our new Komori presses will take our
accounts and he used an ‘old school’ strategy business to a new level. I feel empowered by its capabilities.”
to get there — he asked his employees to Why did he choose Komori for his pressroom? ”I’ve watched
bring in the direct mail they were receiving at Komori over the years and it’s refreshing to see how Komori
home. “We still do this today, and we reward adapts to change. Most equipment manufacturers aren’t as
our employees for participating. I take a look agile. And Komori has always provided the best service.”
at the companies that are using direct mail and
then target the ones that are always in the mail. ‘Mix of old and new for expansion’
The future for United Print and Mailing is bright. Expansion
We do our research, find out as much as we
can about them and then we go after them.” will continue to be a mix of ‘old and new’ — adding new direct
Hauer says the cultivation of these accounts mail clients and online ordering sites. “We will continue to
takes time, and that getting to the decision focus our growth in the space we’re great in — print and mail.
maker is no easy task. His mantra is “close it We’ll build the infrastructure we need to support these two
or kill it,” and his sales force uses a variety of revenue streams, and with our new press technology, continue
approaches to break into the accounts. “If we to go after the larger accounts. I feel like we’re in great shape
can’t get a foot in the door, at some point we for the future.”
simply have to move on and focus on another
prospect.” But Hauer says when they do get in,
they don’t necessarily ask for the entire book
of business. “We try to get a piece of the work —
ask customers to give us a try. Once they try us,
they tend to stick with us.” Hauer says United
Print and Mailing has an advantage over the
large direct mail printers. “We can do it faster.
The larger shops tend to have longer lead times,
which can be an issue for some clients. Plus our
onsite postal facility really speeds the process.”
Another growing revenue stream for the
company is their web-to-print business, which
now consists of two order portals. “You have to
mix the old with the new,” says Hauer. “We’ve
got two web-to-print sites that are producing
really well for us, and going forward we will
add more of these opportunities, focusing on
niche markets.”
LSX-529 with H-UV and Spica-529P
To support the print side of the business,
Hauer added a five-color Komori Lithrone SX29
with H-UV in early 2012 and shortly thereafter a
five-color Spica 29P perfector press. He started
looking at new equipment in 2011, but wanted
to make sure his new business strategy was
going to pay off. “I wanted a couple of years
under our belts before we made the investment
in new equipment.” Hauer says the mix of
sheetfed and digital is a great marriage — with
the fast drying H-UV, work can go directly to
bindery or to a digital press for personalization.
Komori On Press
23
User Profile
Innovation drives product quality
Grafiche Milani, Milan, Italy
Printer with a history
Grafiche Milani was founded in 1906, the year the Universal
Exposition was held in Milan. In 1964 the company had the
farsighted idea to expand its organization by building a new
plant in Segrate, in Milan’s northeastern outer city, right where
some ten years later the prestigious Milano Due and San Felice
residential areas were developed. Large multinational industrial
corporations such as IBM, 3M, Fininvest and Mondadori
subsequently moved into these districts. The expansion
helped Grafiche Milani transform itself from a domestic printing
company into a larger international organization.
In the 1970s, the company started printing Casabella, the
renowned architectural magazine, well known in Italy and
abroad. And as productivity increased, the printer established
numerous contacts with international publishing companies
and commercial companies — printing everything from
exhibition catalogs, art books and limited edition books to
advertising material and company brochures.
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Komori On Press
Giuseppe and Nicola Gilardi, the founder’s
grandchildren, have carried on the company’s
tradition by giving the utmost attention to
plant innovation and investing in the most
advanced technologies.
After a strategically important decision made
in 2012, Grafiche Milani’s reputation spread
beyond Italy. Two new Komori printing presses
— one five-color Lithrone G40 with coater and
one eight-color Lithrone G40P perfector, both
with H-UV technology — were carefully chosen
not only to fully meet customer needs but also
to propose innovative ideas and attract new
clients through advanced technology.
The strategic turn
Grafiche Milani’s decision to invest in two new
Komori presses was based on three factors.
User Profile
Advertising companies
and designers continually seek new ways to
boost the communicative power of printed
materials, either with different effects or special substrates. However, from the technical perspective these attempts
sometimes prove difficult to realize. Grafiche Milani was looking for a new technology to produce a different type
of printed material. The H-UV curing system has certainly been the answer to their quest.
difficult to realize. Grafiche Milani was looking for a new
technology to produce a different type of printed material.
The H-UV curing system has certainly been the answer to
their quest. And the effects obtained with special varnishes
on very difficult substrates have helped the company acquire
new and demanding clients.
The third factor that propelled Grafiche Milani toward H-UV is
the efficiency gains resulting from reduced ancillary processing.
Underlying a high-quality print is a series of processes that can
result in longer turnarounds or additional steps. Thanks to the
H-UV system, such steps, which were absolutely necessary
before to improve print quality and reduce the risk of damaged
sheets and customer complaints, are now dramatically reduced.
H-UV has given Grafiche Milani the technology to improve its
production efficiency.
Ready with an H-UV future
With its stellar reputation, a highly qualified staff and Komori’s
H-UV technology, Grafiche Milani has the unique chance to
offer its clients many ways to rediscover the ‘pleasures of printed
paper’ as a fundamental means of communication in today’s
market. And Komori’s H-UV technology is the instrument for
Grafiche Milani to achieve this goal.
The first is the incredible potential unleashed
by their OffsetOnDemand capabilities. Clients
today demand short turnaround jobs without
compromising print quality. This requirement
alone justified the investment in the H-UV
system. Grafiche Milani is now able to produce
any type of printed material on any substrate
because sheets come out perfectly dry from
the press, ready for postpress finishing. Thus,
the printer no longer has to worry about
damage to the printed surface or use protective
varnish. The GL-840P prints very high quality
four-over-four work without any scratches at
all in the delivery.
The second factor is the added value
possibilities presented by H-UV technology.
Adver tising companies and designers
continually seek new ways to boost the
communicative power of printed materials,
either with different effects or special substrates. However, from the technical
perspective these attempts sometimes prove
Komori On Press
25
User Profile
First H-UV Lithrone in Turkey
OFSET YAPIMEVi, Istanbul, Turkey
Refik Telhan, Technical Expert and Board Member
“We did our homework long before the installation of our fivecolor Lithrone G40 with coater. What we needed was more
efficiency, greater productivity and impressive innovation, and
we started benefiting from Komori H-UV on day one,” says
Refik Telhan, board member and technical expert, at Turkey’s
OFSET YAPIMEVi.
The company was founded in 1982 as a prepress house and
produces a vastly varied range of promotional items. Yearly its
5,000 jobs include such differing work as catalogs, brochures,
posters, leaflets, point-of-sale materials and books.
Special projects range from annual reports to prestigious
limited edition books, and its customer base currently spreads
over eight countries, including the US, UK, France, Holland
and Denmark. “International development is very high on our
list,” says Mr. Telhan, “So much so that our entire production
process is designed around international standards.”
OFSET YAPIMEVi’s printing department was established
almost 25 years ago and has attained a highly regarded
reputation for utilizing the latest technologies both in print and
in prepress. Since 1999 it has operated from a 40,000-squarefoot facility in Istanbul. And the company has invested heavily
and constantly in new and upgraded prepress, printing and
finishing equipment to ensure that it always delivers innovative
and leading-edge solutions to its customers.
26
Komori On Press
Its latest investment, the Komori five-color
Lithrone G40 with coater and H-UV, joins a
Heidelberg CD102-5+L to form the core of
OFSET YAPIMEVi’s production facility.
Komori H-UV instantly impressive
Explains Telhan: “We’d been considering
Komori for ten years and had been very close
to ordering a conventional Komori S40 just
months before we first saw Komori H-UV at
the IPEX exhibition in the UK in 2010. From that
moment, we were attracted by the immediate
processing capability of the printed sheet and
the instant final colors.”
“After that, we attended one of Komori’s Open
House demonstrations at the Komori Graphic
Technology Center in Utrecht where we saw
that Komori not only had developed the H-UV
process to a stage of maturity but also had
introduced the new GL40 series as well as
the PDC-SX Spectral Print Density Control SX
Model. Together, these innovations created an
attractive and harmonious proposition for us.
On our visit to Holland, we also went to see a
User Profile
Komori customer using Komori H-UV and this
helped to verify how successfully the system
operates under production conditions.”
Blending perfectly into existing processes
“Through Komori’s Turkey distributors,
Aras Grup, we then organized a private
demonstration on our own jobs so that we
could assess in detail how this new technology
might blend into our current production and
data image processes. Indeed, the processing
of image data has always been a key service
at OFSET YAPIMEVi. And while print runs are
getting shorter, the number of pages we need
to process daily continually increases, so that
we have extended our pre-media workflow
and color management chain outwards toward
our clients. I’m pleased to say we correctly
evaluated that we would not need to change
any of our business practices or workflow
systems to accommodate the new Komori,”
Telhan says.
Hamdi Kaymak, managing director at Aras
Grup, notes: “OFSET YAPIMEVi already had
two Heidelberg CD102s — a five-color with
coater and a four-color with no coating unit.
They recognized that by replacing the fourcolor Heidelberg with a Komori H-UV press
with five units and a coater, they could improve
efficiency and productivity and, at the same
time, maximize flexibility. The configuration
enables them to print with either H-UV or oilbased inks, using the fifth color and coater on
jobs requiring, for example, PMS colors, golds,
silvers and overprint varnishes.”
OFSET YAPIMEVi was also influenced by
the accuracy and speed of the GL40’s fully
automated plate-changing system and the
low wastage rates. Telhan adds: “The low
start-up wastage attained through the Komori
KHS-AI quick makeready system is especially
important when using unusual, high-cost
substrates and on our shorter-run limited
edition jobs.”
Instant color verification
Telhan, a trained automatic control engineer,
is also clear on the importance of the color
measurement advantages integral to the H-UV
process: “I believe that nobody appreciates the
benefits of instant measurability of color more
than I do! With H-UV, the color of the printed
sheet landing on the delivery pile stays true to
the final color. You can measure it, compare
it with a contract proof, with a previously
printed sheet or with a book printed months
or years ago. You know right away whether
any adjustments are needed.”
H-UV also benefits print clients
Telhan points to a whole host of benefits that H-UV provides
to its print clients: “It definitely helps with meeting delivery
deadlines as sheets can be processed as quickly as digitally
printed sheets. The quality of the image is enhanced both in
terms of increased dynamic range and rub resistance. H-UV
creates pleasingly strong colors even on uncoated and mattcoated papers, which become much easier to handle. Visually,
the contrast between the coarse structure of uncoated paper
and the saturated color image creates a punch that print on
coated paper cannot achieve.”
“We also obtain excellent results on nonabsorbent substrates
such as plastics and tracing paper. In fact, we’ve created our
own sample kits to display the outstanding features of H-UV
on different substrates. We offer consultation during the initial
stages of print design and we’re finding new ways of using H-UV
almost every day. We know that with H-UV we can present
ideas to stimulate new jobs from existing clients and also bring
in business from new clients.”
Operational viewpoints on H-UV
What do the operators think of the GL-540 and H-UV?
Observes Telhan: “It certainly keeps them on their toes! They
have to act and react quickly in every sense and now that
they’ve picked up speed, all of them have become happier.
The automation levels of the GL-540 have helped them reduce
makeready times and waste, and the H-UV technology has taken
many of the hard-to-control parameters out of the production
process. With the help of the instant visual feedback on the
printed image, our operators are able to react to changing
conditions almost immediately.”
Concludes Telhan: “While we’re reluctant to translate
H-UV production into monetary terms, we believe that the
combination of the process and the new Komori GL gives us
the flexibility to face even the most challenging jobs a designer
can imagine. H-UV is a technology that offers a solution to
many of the long-standing problems of offset lithography. We
believe that it will ensure that OFSET YAPIMEVi will be one of
the very last printers to switch off the offset lithographic lights!”
Komori On Press
27
User Profile
GL-1040P for Ancient House
Ancient House Press, Ipswich, UK
From left: Michael Underdown and Allison Berry, Joint Managing Directors
Ancient House Press, based in Ipswich, UK, originally opened
its doors in Ipswich’s landmark Ancient House building back
in 1845 as a bookseller and printer. There it remained into
the 1890s, when the company made its first move to larger
premises. The current owners took over the business in 1971,
and by 1985 their sustained investment and growth led to a
further move to its current 60,000-square-foot site.
A Komori System 20 eight-page heatset web offset press was
introduced in 1994. Says Joint Managing Director Michael
Underdown: “The Komori web helped us gain business from
clients who had been placing longer-run business elsewhere
and the press firmly established us in the web offset market
and familiarized the factory with the handling of web reels.”
As the longer-run work grew, Ancient House Press (AHP)
found itself competing against 16-page and 32-page webs.
So in 2004 it added its own 16-page web — its first Komori
System 38S. A second, similar System 38S 16-page web was
introduced five years later.
The need for the latest technologies
Among its clients AHP counts many blue-chip businesses
ranging from international media publishers to local authorities,
national charities, government departments, regional
28
Komori On Press
companies and international insurance groups.
Steady year-on-year growth has lifted its annual
turnover to £18 million with a target of £20
million for the next 12 months.
To help achieve this, the company has installed
a ten-color Komori Lithrone G40P perfector,
and Joint Managing Director Allison Berry
explains why: “We had the right balance on
the shop floor between sheet and web presses.
But we needed to ensure that we continued to
deliver outstanding quality print to our existing
client base and also create the capacity and
the competitiveness to attract new business
that we know is on offer. Our KBA ten-color
perfector had ten-year-old technology so the
time had come to replace it.”
“With Komori’s ver y latest portfolio of
technology, the new GL-1040P will enhance
production efficiency, improve print quality
and lessen the environmental impact of the
process by dramatically reducing makeready
waste,” Ms. Berry says.
User Profile
Green credibility crucial
Environmental issues are very high on AHP’s
agenda, and it sees the green features of the
new GL-1040P playing a major role in furthering
its eco-goals. Adds Berry: “Across areas such
as recycling, energy conservation and waste
management, we are continually striving to
improve performance. Our achievement in
attaining ISO 14001 accreditation underlines
our commitment to enhancing our all-round
environmental performance. The company
has also been awarded the highly prized
Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody
certification — further highlighting those
practices that minimize the impact of print
on the environment.
On the quest for new business, Berry says:
“Our run lengths are usually between 25,000
and 40,000, so the Lithrone G40’s 16,000
sheets per hour production capability will free
up some capacity on our web presses. Its paper
saving and fast makeready characteristics will
ensure that we will be competitive on run
lengths down to a very few thousand, creating
new opportunities with existing clients and
opening new markets for our nine-strong sales
team to approach both locally and nationally.”
The ten-color Lithrone G40P perfector is the
first in the UK to be specified with the Komori
Asynchronous Fully Automatic Plate Changer;
it also features the latest generation PDC-SX
Spectral Print Density Control SX Model
with automatic register feedback control and
automatic front/back register adjustment and
the KHS-AI with self-learning quick start-up
system, technologies that combine to enable
five-minute makereadies.
AHP has also decided to equip the press
with a Mabeg reel-sheet device — which it
had previously specified for its Mitsubishi and
KBA perfectors.
As Underdown explains: “We rationalize our
production by running primarily on B1 material.
In practice, over ten years, we have found that
reel sheeters give us several benefits — we make
a 20 percent saving on paper cost by buying
reels instead of sheets; we can vary the cutoff
length, optimizing paper usage; additionally,
and very important for us, reel sheeters give
us the flexibility to print on the same material
as our webs which means we can maximize
the use of our stock and also use the web and
sheet presses together on the same jobs.”
Choosing Komori
Tony Carter, director of Distributor Sales at
Komori International Netherlands, comments:
“Having run two 16-page System 38S Komori
web presses for many years, both of which form the mainstay of
Ancient House’s production output, the company has gained
hands-on experience of Komori durability, efficiencies and
productivity. This includes the time- and waste-saving benefits
of the Komori KHS makeready systems, which were introduced
initially on Komori web presses before being offered on the
Komori sheetfed range. Furthermore, as AHP has firsthand
knowledge of running presses from three other manufacturers,
they have been in an unusual position to draw up detailed
analysis and comparisons on output, and, in particular, cost
of ownership.”
“For all these reasons AHP drew closer toward the latest
Komori Lithrone G40 series presses, incorporating, as they do,
a whole host of Komori’s most recently developed technologies,
such as KHS-AI fast makeready. We’re looking forward to
seeing their highly specified new Komori sheetfed press, with
its Mabeg reel-to-sheet system, running alongside the two
Komori 16-page webs,” Carter says.
Underdown confirms: “Before making the decision, we looked
at a number of manufacturers and carried out various print tests
with KBA, Heidelberg and Komori, all involving the production
of five jobs we’d already printed. While the trials themselves all
delivered satisfactory print, our past experiences on the shop
floor were also taken into account. We’re blown away by the
latest Komori sheetfed technology — the quality of print and the
increasingly high efficiency levels are two of the main attributes
required by existing and new clients. The new Lithrone G40P
perfector provides a perfect fit with our existing two Komori
System 38S five-unit 16-page web presses, and its new levels of
automation will enable us to appreciably increase production
capacity without increasing our personnel overheads.”
Steve Turner, director of Sheetfed Sales at Komori UK, notes:
“I think the long-term reliability AHP has experienced with
its Komori System 38S web presses and our service support
played a significant role in the decision-making process. We
are, of course, thrilled that AHP chose to move to a Komori
sheetfed press for this important investment — this is a flagship
installation for us,” Turner concludes.
Ancient House Press’s original home, a 15th-century building in Ipswich
Komori On Press
29
User Profile
LS-429 H-UV to tackle Bollywood
Viraj Prints, Mumbai, India
Front: Asvin Shah, Chairman; back, from left: Saurin and Viral Shah, Directors
Viraj Prints was incorporated in 1982 by Asvin Shah as a
letterpress shop, but before long the entrepreneur focused
his sights on offset printing and the company quickly evolved
into an offset printing house. “Viraj Prints’ first clients as a
letterpress shop were primarily financial institutions such as
insurance companies and banks, but once empowered as an
offset printer, we started taking printing and fabrication jobs for
the advertising industry,” says Chairman Shah. “From there we
paved a path into the Indian entertainment and film industry,
which is centered in Mumbai. We undertook all sorts of printing
jobs for music and film production companies, including CD
and DVD inlays and film publicity. Now there’s no looking back
as we are a full-fledged printer of film publicity and specialized
CD/DVD and Blu-ray covers and packaging.”
Viraj Prints has evolved further and now also produces
specialized rigid board packaging and point of purchase
materials such as floor-standing units, display units and
countertops. The company is also increasingly known for
its ability to develop original creative concepts and unique
finishing treatments. Its constant focus on innovation has led
30
Komori On Press
to the development of a patented reusable
package for CDs and DVDs known as the Viji
Pack, which the company calls ‘the ultimate
solution for the music and video industries.’
The printer has also broadened its horizons to
cover FMCGs — ‘fast-moving consumer goods’
such as cosmetics, jewelry, and stationery items
— and develops specialized packaging and endto-end POP/POS solutions for these products.
Enlightening visit to IGAS 2011
When the time came to add more capacity,
Shah sent his two sons, Saurin and Viral Shah,
to the IGAS 2011 printing exhibition in Tokyo
to survey the various options on the market.
This show was where they saw a Komori H-UV
machine in action, and there was soon little
doubt in their minds that this was the ideal
press for Viraj Prints’ needs. But first Chairman
Shah had to investigate this revolutionary
User Profile
technology and decide on the optimum
specification for his growing company.
Shah explained his thinking in deciding on an
H-UV-equipped four-color Lithrone S29 with
coater and Extended Delivery: “We chose this
configuration — four colors plus coater in the
29-inch format — mainly because of our space
limitations. Secondly, 80 percent of our jobs
require the coater. And this press is capable of
conventional printing in addition to UV work.
Most importantly, however, our selection of
this press allows us to provide an overcoat and
give extra protection when printing on plastics.
And lastly, lamination can be omitted by doing
full UV coating, thus saving time and cost.”
It will definitely also be useful in developing our own products.
By adding the LS-429 to our infrastructure, Viraj Prints will be
able to expand our markets by targeting all kinds of specialized
printing on nonabsorbent materials as well as advanced
structural packaging and 3D lenticular printing,” says Shah.
In fact, 3D lenticular printing is a major field for Viraj Prints,
which the company recommends ‘for enhancing the beauty
and effect of advertisements, interiors and photographs since
lenticular printing brings pictures closest to the look of the
original objects, making them most attractive and visually
appealing in terms of color, sharpness and depth.’
The LS-429+C+Extended Delivery+H-UV was installed on
February 24th, 2013, by Komori’s distributor in India — Insight
Communication and Print Solutions. Shah reports: “The
installation of the machine was quite smooth, although we
face some issues in mastering the technology. Komori and
its distributor in India are truly dedicated to the customer,
winning our trust with quality support from an experienced
engineering and service team.”
The mission statement of Viraj Prints says that the printer
‘invests in new technology and constantly looks for innovative
ways to work.’ Armed with the new H-UV-equipped LS-429 and
eager to use this advanced press on everything from original
packaging to lenticular printing on a range of substrates, the
printer’s clientele — Bollywood and a host of other industries in
the megametropolis of Mumbai — can look forward to exciting
innovations in print communication.
Reasons for switching to Komori
Shah also accounted for switching to the
Komori brand: “There were a number reasons
for choosing the Lithrone, in addition to its
effective space utilization. We appreciate
its budget-friendly initial cost, the simple
operating system, its energy saving, the single
lamp UV curing system, the immediate drying
of the inks that enables shorter turnaround
times, the minimal ozone emission that
contributes to environmental protection, and
the advantages when printing A4 size work.
The design of the machine is similar to that of
other international brands, which is convenient.
The high quality of printing produced by the
Lithrone is also worthy of mention.”
Multi-role future for the LS-429
“The new Komori Lithrone S29 with coater
plus Extended Delivery and H-UV will help
us in developing special packaging and POP
materials not only for the entertainment
industry but also for medical and educational
institutions, hotels and various other industries.
Komori On Press
31
Tokyo
[Komori service]
Topics
Komori Service
Three markets. Three approaches.
100 percent Komori.
Three different major markets with different characteristics, different geographies and different approaches
by Komori to meeting the service needs of customers. The common factor is speed, efficiency and kando
on demand.
Parts for EMEA
KomoriKare in the US
Komori One Service Team in China
The main Komori spare parts center
for the Europe, Middle East and Africa
(EMEA) region is located in Leeds,
UK. The center includes sophisticated
logistics equipment to enable highly
automated, high-speed stock movement,
management and dispatch. And this
supports fast delivery across the globe
With road and air courier services close
by for fast, and if necessary, emergency
response, the state-of-the-art facility is
designed to answer all requirements. As
part of the Komori global spares network,
it also has immediate visible access to
stock availability in all Komori spares
centers, including those in the US and
Japan. These are also geared for roundthe-clock express action.
The Leeds center is staffed by trained,
experienced personnel who have on
file full specifications of all models
of Komori presses. Parts for all press
specifications are available. This makes
it possible to immediately identify the
correct components, thereby ensuring
fast arrival of the required new parts.
In the United States, KomoriKare helps
Komori customers keep their equipment
operating at peak efficiency through
a variety of hardware and software
upgrades and specialized service and
training programs. KomoriKare is also
expanding into K-Supply consumables
as well as offering ancillary products
such as finishing equipment and offline
coating systems. “Suppor ting our
customers and ensuring that they are
achieving peak performance of their
Komori presses is extremely important,”
says Kosh Miyao, Komori America
President and COO. “In the US, the
printing market is extremely competitive
and our customers must be operating
at maximum productivity to stay
profitable. The objective of KomoriKare
is to ensure that our customers achieve
these efficiency goals.” To stress the
importance of this key initiative, Komori
America has dedicated a team of sales
and service representatives to focus
solely on KomoriKare — and to ensure
that ‘kando’ is being delivered in every
customer interaction.
When the Komori brand first entered
the Chinese market, after-service was
carried out by the service teams of the
distributors in their own areas. As the
brand rapidly penetrated this market
more deeply, the number of Komori
users in China grew to more than 2,000
companies, operating in every province.
It soon became evident that this service
model was not up to the job of meeting
all users needs. In 2009, the Komori One
Service Team was launched by integrating
the resources of the service teams of
Komori Hong Kong, Infotech and AFA,
setting up various systems and sharing
assets based on reciprocal cooperation.
The benefits are a countrywide 24-hour
service hotline, standardization of prices
for services and parts, standardized
maintenance contracts, classification
of engineers’ skill levels by rank, and
standardization of engineers’ uniforms
and tools. Four years after the launch
of the team, it regards ‘ensuring kando
for Komori users’ as the team’s own vow
to win over the hearts of customers by
providing unsurpassed service.
Hong Kong Parts Centre Opens
Komori’s new Hong Kong Parts Centre opened on April 1st, 2013. Previously located
in Singapore, the increased demand from subsidiaries and distributors in China for
parts resulted in the move to Hong Kong and an increase in inventory and supply
capacity. The new facility will serve China, Asia and Oceania.
Address: Office Tower, NWS Kwai Chung Logistics Centre, 2 Tat Mei Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories, Hong Kong
32
Komori On Press
Tsukuba
[KGC]
Komori Graphic Technology Center
Printing R&D Center:
Seeking answers to today’s issues
Implementing the H-UV system across a broad swath of the Komori product lineup and testing the materials
and articles that will drive Komori’s PESP initiative have made the R&D Center a hub of trusted know-how.
The Printing R&D Center endeavors
to find answers to the new needs and
issues confronting users. The results of
its research and development include
collaborating with various other
manufacturers and developing printing
software. In the past three years, the
Center has worked principally on
creating the H-UV system and promoting
standardization based on printability tests
aimed at optimizing printing materials
such as blankets, inks, varnishes, coater
plates, wash-up solvents and dampening
solution additives. Research results are
communicated both throughout the
Komori Group and to outside parties.
The H-UV Innovative UV Curing System
is a technology that arrived just as the
Komori Graphic Technology Center
was inaugurated, and the development
of this system and the growth of KGC
have been inseparable ever since. In
just three and a half years, Komori has
shipped more than 200 H-UV-equipped
presses to users in Japan and more than
100 such machines to printers overseas.
Currently many new orders consist of
H-UV-specified machines.
H-UV’s wide-ranging benefits
This exciting technology is outstanding
in its advantages for the environment —
using a low-power lamp that emits no
ozone, offering powderless operation
that is free of VOCs, and affording
recyclability of printed work. The
system also overcomes bottlenecks in
printing such as the inability to offer
short turnaround due to the oxidation
and polymerization (natural drying)
inherent with conventional oil-based
inks. The print quality attainable with
H-UV is outstanding because there is no
damage to the prints as a result of ink setoff in the delivery. And since the process
is powderless, machine maintenance is
effortless. Furthermore, changes of colors
are nonexistent because there is no dry-
down. And work can be sent to postpress
immediately for cutting and folding.
Structurally speaking, the equipment
is incomparably simpler than existing
dedicated UV presses. In fact, in every
respect, H-UV has been a hit product
that is revolutionizing print culture
across a wide range of applications.
Users report great satisfaction with
H-UV’s many benefits. For example, the
productivity improvements that result
from installing an H-UV-equipped press
allow some customers to bring work that
was previously outsourced in-house.
KGC headed the company-wide
project that kick-started this technology
and brought the entire company
together. KGC has also taken charge
of implementing technolog ic al
improvements in collaboration with
manufacturers and directing the transfer
of technology to overseas subsidiaries
and distributors. The results of these
efforts were recognized by honors
such as the Technology Prize of the
Japanese Society of Printing Science
and Technology and, within Komori,
the President’s Special Award.
Komori On Press
33
Show Reports
China Print in China
China Print 2013, held in Beijing, China, from May 14th to 18th, was bigger than ever, with more visitors and exhibitors than ever, and
more international than ever. But one thing stayed the same — the Komori stand was the place to go to see the best demonstrations
in Beijing. The recently introduced four-color Lithrone A37 was in fine form performing two jobs — one on light stock and the other
on heavy stock — to show off its flexibility with sheets of varying thickness. Samples printed with a screen frequency of 700 lpi by
the LA-437 were also shown, drawing the admiration of the crowd.
Two Lithrone G40s were demonstrated — a GL-440+Full-APC+H-UV with K-dry that was optimized for fast makereadies and
short turnarounds, and a GL-640+C+H-UV equipped with K-dry, the Komori chamber coater system, and a coating circulation
device. The GL-440 printed work that was immediately cut and folded for distribution to the members of the audience. The GL-640
conveyed its suitability for special applications and package printing by laying down the same image on two different substrates,
metalized paper and PET.
The Impremia C80 digital printing system was on hand to display its usefulness in color matching, and a virtual demo of the IS29
digital inkjet printing system was presented by video. A DoNet area with a KID-equipped PQC and spaces providing information
on web offset presses, perfectors and Chambon machines rounded out the presentation.
Expográfica in Mexico
From May 22nd to 25th, Expográfica 2013 was held in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco. This
exhibition has become the most complete graphic arts show in Latin America, displaying
trends exhibited at drupa 2012 in offset and digital printing, prepress, finishing equipment,
large-format printing, and all supplies and materials for offset, flexo, and screen process.
Grupo Sánchez, the Komori official distributor, exhibited a Komori five-color Enthrone 29
as well as prepress and digital printing equipment.
Gulf Print in UAE
As the only dedicated commercial and package printing exhibition for the Middle East and
North Africa region, Gulf Print and Pack 2013, held from April 8th to 11th at the Dubai World
Trade Centre, attracted record-breaking attendance from 93 countries. Jabir Jabbar of
Prestige Graphics Trading, the Komori distributor for the Middle East, pronounced the show
“very successful.”
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Komori On Press
Printtek in Turkey
Aras Grup, Komori’s distributor in Turkey, displayed a six-color Lithrone G40 with coater at
Istanbul’s Printtek show and reaped considerable benefits in orders. Says Aras Grup Managing
Director Hamdi Kaymak, “We ran the Komori several times each day, showing drip-off varnish
effects and printing on medium and heavyweight materials. At every demonstration, the Komori
theatre was packed.”
Also happening in Istanbul, Komori International (Europe) B.V. will promote the latest Komori
technology innovations under its Printology banner on October 8th, where the focus will be on
Komori H-UV technology.
Graphitec in France
Graphitec 2013, which took place in Paris Porte de Versailles from June 11th to 14th, was a real success
and welcomed more than 10,000 professional visitors from the French-speaking printing world. The
Komori France booth was one of the major attractions among the 160 exhibitors. This time it was decided
to exhibit the fruits of Komori’s exclusive H-UV instant drying technology rather than printing equipment.
For that, the most interesting and innovative H-UV realizations of Komori French and Belgian H-UV
users were selected and hung in an H-UV Gallery that featured an interactive floor. An H-UV dedicated
touch-table created a buzz as well. Graphitec was also a good opportunity for Konica Minolta Business
Solutions France and Komori France to officially sign their partnership agreement.
Coming up
Print 13
CHICAGO
Sept. 8–12
McCormick Place Exhibition Center
Booth 1251
Chicago’s lakefront McCormick Place Exhibition Center will
play host to Print 13, the most comprehensive US graphic arts
trade show held this year. From September 8th to 12th, Print 13
will display products and services from all segments of the
printing industry. In booth 1251, under the Komori OnDemand
banner, Komori will feature a variety of OnDemand solutions,
from on-demand offset printing to on-demand marketing.
In addition, Komori will have the only fully automated offset
press on the show floor, exhibiting a six-color Lithrone SX29
equipped with KHS-AI and H-UV.
OnDemand world
“We live in an OnDemand world,” says Kosh Miyao, President
and COO of Komori America Corporation. “For printers to
succeed in today’s marketplace, they need to be extremely
efficient in all their processes. That means making smart
production decisions from workflow through bindery. And
that is exactly what visitors will see at the Komori stand.” In
addition to the LSX-629, a variety of software solutions and an
Impremia C80 will be demonstrated. Displays for Komori web
and Chambon products and Komori America’s KomoriKare
service offerings will also be on the stand. “Visitors to the
Komori booth will walk away with a greater understanding of
how Komori can help them thrive in an on-demand world.”
Komori On Press
35