GE07: Sheetfed/Web Offset Presses — Windy City Wonders

WITH THE massive Drupa exhibition in Germany just seven months away, Graph Expo 2007 held in Chicago last month won’t go down in graphic arts history as a watershed event from a jaw-dropping new product standpoint. But that didn’t stop more than 20,000 upbeat attendees from filling the aisles at what was the largest Graph Expo event since 2000, and the second largest ever.

Despite the Drupa effect, from a traditional offset printing standpoint there were a few new presses introduced, several automation and makeready advancements on display and, of course, a sprinkling of press sale announcements. An emphasis on environmental sustainability and improved service offerings for existing customers also garnered attention.

For example, Heidelberg—Graph Expo’s largest exhibitor with a 31,300-square-foot booth—reinforced its “Hei Tech” theme by capturing a “Must See ’ems” award for its new Web-based remote service called eCall. It automatically generates an alarm to the Prinect CP2000 Center console of a Heidelberg press when there is an impending service issue. With the touch of a button, the press operator then has the option to send the pertinent data directly to the Heidelberg systemservice organization, where a preliminary diagnosis is performed. A technician will then call the customer with a detailed analysis, saving printers the time they would normally spend calling to explain their problem.

With eCall and remote diagnostics, reportedly 70 percent of calls related to electrical press problems can be solved without an onsite visit. The service will be available in pilot markets beginning next January.

Telling a Short Story

Among the five sheetfed presses running in its booth, Heidelberg showcased a four-color Speedmaster SM 52-4+LX with the Anicolor zoneless short inking unit with dampening system. The environmentally friendly technology typically reduces paper waste down to 20 or less sheets and slashes makeready times for short-run printing. A representative from the first U.S. Anicolor user, North Mankato, MN-based Taylor Corp., was on hand in the booth and during a customer panel to discuss the printer’s success with its first four Anicolor SM 52 presses in operation, and why several more are on order.

Heidelberg’s flagship press, a Speedmaster XL 105-6+LX, was equipped this year with Prinect Inpress Control, the first in-line device for sheetfed presses that uses spectrophotometry to measure color and control registration on-the-fly, even at press speeds to 18,000 sph.

During Heidelberg’s press conference, Dr. Jürgen Rautert, director of product management for general commercial print at Heidelberg USA, reported that the 56˝ XL 142 and 64˝ XL 162 large-format models slated to debut at Drupa will begin shipping next year, with almost all production for 2008 already sold out. Two of the initial press installations will reportedly be in the United States.

Under the banner “Think Creatively. Thrive Environmentally,” Komori focused on sustainability. With the help of “Green Team” vendor partners Fujifilm, Toyo Ink and Sappi Fine Paper, Komori demonstrated its Spica 429P perfector running Brillia Pro-T processless plates, HyPlus 100 eco-friendly ink and a new FSC-certified stock made with 30 percent post-consumer waste.

Waste reduction was also a selling point for Komori’s demonstrations of its new LSX29 half-size press, which can handle up to a 24x291⁄2˝ sheet. Features such as its hi-speed start function at 12,000 sph to reduce waste; console-driven makeready functions, including one-touch blanket and impression cylinder cleaning; fully automatic plate changing of each plate in under 40 seconds; and a redesigned dampening system that allows for non-VOC printing all contribute to the environmental friendliness of the new press. Komori ran several jobs on the LSX29 continuously for 90 minutes each day during the show to illustrate its fast job changeover capabilities.

On the service front, the manufacturer announced KomoriCare 911, whereby Komori technicians are now available nationwide 24/7 to help customers troubleshoot press problems over the phone.

Although MAN Roland elected not to display a full press, it did exhibit a single unit from its new Roland 700 DirectDrive press. Winner of a 2007 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology Award, sheetfed presses equipped with direct drive technology cut makeready times by as much as 60 percent. Ideal for short-run printing, all of the plates can be changed at the same time while washup is taking place.

Making its trade show premier was availability of MAN Roland’s 4x4 Euroman commercial web press. Euroman replaces the traditional double-web, 38˝ commercial press with a more efficient single-web, four-unit design. Hi-Liter/Inland Graphics, Burlington, WI, is the first U.S. Euroman installation.

Promoting sustainability, a new line of solvent recyclers that clean used blanket and cylinder washup fluids is available through MAN Roland’s printcom program. In addition, the manufacturer has published a how-to guide on making pressrooms more eco-friendly. It is available for download as a PDF at www.manroland.com/eco.

An eight-color, 40˝ Diamond 3000LS press equipped with SimulChanger technology was the center attraction at the Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses stand. SimulChanger allows plate changing on all printing units at the same time, without the operator being present at the printing unit. The system can complete a plate change on all units in approximately one minute, regardless of the number of units involved. That alone can reduce makereadies on a 10-color press by almost 15 minutes.

Also demonstrated on the Diamond 3000LS was the Symphony automated print inspection system from DAC Engineering. The real-time system consists of a special light and up to four color CCD cameras mounted above the impression cylinder. The camera inspects printed images for dirt, scratches, missing ink and other imperfections. Any printed sheet containing defects is tagged for removal, recordkeeping and as a hard copy for correcting defects.

xpedx Printing Technologies used Graph Expo to introduce its larger format 920 Series (the four-color Ryobi 924 and five-color 925) into the U.S. market. The 24x36˝ platform enables eight-up printing of both A4 and letter-sized work at speeds to 16,200 sph on stocks up to 24-pt. Standard and optional features include semiautomatic plate changing; automated blanket and ink roller washup; programmed inking and ink density control; and CIP4-JDF connectivity. The press series is said to be ideal for printers that produce book work, pocket folders, posters and other specialty jobs—without the higher costs of a 40˝ press.

The Wizard of Printing

Represented through a network of 50 local dealers, the national distributor also revealed plans to open its new 20,000-square-foot Ryobi press demonstration and learning center on October 22 in Lenexa, KS. Aside from housing various Ryobi presses on a rotating basis for demonstration purposes, the new center will provide detailed information on the latest technologies such as UV, chemical embossing, spot metallic color and lenticular printing.

Sakurai USA also debuted a larger size press: the 25x38˝ SD Series Model 96. The 16-page 96 Series is available in four- to six-color configurations, plus coating and perfecting, and can run at 16,000 sph.

“Automation Affordable” was the theme of the ADAST booth, where its new AdaRegister automated registration system was shown on a four-color ADAST 707 Series press. The AdaRegister system can cut makeready time by 20 percent and reduce paper waste by about 50 press sheets per job.

Akiyama used its booth to showcase Micron F and S Series paper cutters manufactured by S.W.D. Ltd., the second largest producer of cutters in the world. More than 900 units reportedly have already been installed in the United States. And Hamada extolled the benefits of combining a Hamada four-color press with Mitsubishi Silver DigiPlate polyester plates for an affordable workflow solution.

Commercial web offset starred at the Goss booth, where the company announced that its DigiRail digital inking technology—originally developed for newspaper and insert presses—is now offered as an option on new M-600 and gapless Sunday commercial web models, or as retrofit for some existing Goss presses.

The technology replaces traditional analog “open fountain” ink delivery with digital ink pack devices housing low-torque, in-line gear pumps. The pumps feed ink pulses to the ink train through individual valves, which are controlled digitally. The series of ink pack devices are mounted on an aluminum rail against the first ink roller. Each ink pack for commercial web applications has a synchronous AC motor and 12 individual ink metering valves that operate in a binary on/off fashion. The valves are each pulsed by separate digital signals, and varying the “on time” of the pulses allows precise ink volumes to be delivered.

During the show, Goss announced the sale of a second C550 insert press to Atlantic Press in Bedford Park, IL. The four-unit model will feature DigiRail digital inking and a full complement of Goss Contiweb auxiliaries. Panama City, FL-based Boyd Brothers ordered its first web press, a four-color Sunday 2000.

Manugraph DGM promoted its DGM 440 single-width web press with UV curing capabilities. Aside from high-quality coldset operations, the model is also suited for both heatset publication and commercial UV applications for printing on coated stocks. Typical configurations include a combination folder producing up to 40,000 16-page signatures per hour, in addition to a finishing system outputting 160,000 flat 4’s per hour.

Web Press Corp. described how its Quad-Stack (UV capable) web offset units can be configured as complete press lines when combined with a WPC 4130 folder, or used to add color capacity to most existing comparable press lines. And Tensor Group talked up its T-500 press designed for the short-run commercial and hybrid newspaper markets. Drent Goebel showcased a printing unit from its Vision line of servo-driven web presses for commercial, direct mail and business forms applications. Matik North America featured Edelmann Graphics’ hybrid web presses for film, label, folding carton and commercial printing; Omet’s narrow and mid-web flexo presses; and Codimag’s semi-rotary label presses.

For those wanting to see the state-of-the-art in offset printing technology—all in one venue—Graph Expo 2007 in Chicago surely did not disappoint. Now, just wait to see what surprises are in store for Drupa. PI