SCREEN and Meccanotecnica co-operate for optimised on-demand production of premium section-sewn books

SCREEN and Meccanotecnica are collaborating on optimized on-demand production of premium quality books using Screen’s EQUIOS universal workflow and roll-fed full-color high-speed inkjet press, the Truepress Jet520HD, and Meccanotecnica's automatic book folding and sewing machine, the Universe Sewing Digital print finisher.

Screen’s Australian Managing Director, Peter Scott says: “Section-sewing of bookblocks for hard cover binding is recognised as the most robust way to finish quality books for durability and appearance. By integrating Meccanotecnica’s folding and book sewing technology with EQUIOS workflow, an automated end-to end production line is possible using barcodes to carry the required information through the workflow to finishing.”

The much-awarded Truepress Jet520HD with SC inks achieves quality suited to high-end publication work and is compatible with a wide range of paper stocks including standard offset coated papers. The latest version, 3.4, of EQUIOS provides roll-to-book imposition and variable barcode output functions that support automation with Meccanotecnica's Universe Sewing Digital print finisher. 

Scott adds: “Now that high-definition inkjet digital printing is possible with the Truepress Jet520HD and Screen SC inks, short-run digital printing has moved up to a new level where high-quality finishing is called for. Meccanotecnica is a leading vendor of automatic book sewing equipment, and our collaboration has enabled the automation of a process that provides exceptional durability and quality. The digital on-demand creation of books now offers quality and productivity levels that far exceed standard digital printing.”

Italy-based Meccanotecnica was founded in 1964 and is the world's leading manufacturer of automatic book sewing equipment and lines for book finishing. Globally renowned for its ASTER book sewing machines for offset print finishing, Meccanotecnica has entered the digital print finishing market by developing new solutions to allow cost-effective binding of short runs and the production of high-quality books.



www.screenaust.com.au 

Fujifilm launches getFIT Jet Press comparison App

Fujifilm has launched getFIT, a new comparison tool to show the savings printers can make by investing in a Jet Press 720S. getFIT is a web-based app for potential customers to discover the economic benefits of the Jet Press compared with offset printing. Based on a printer’s specific jobs and requirements, getFIT can estimate the ink usage as well as the cost and speed of printing on both the Jet Press and an offset press, providing a real-life comparison with existing offset printing equipment.

The getFIT tool allows Jet Press sales specialists to process a variety of print files that represent a cross-section of work, as well as entering existing offset costs, to evaluate, job by job, which would be best run on a Jet Press.

Mark Stephenson, Product Manager, Digital Printing and Press Systems, Fujifilm Graphic Systems EMEA, comments: “The Jet Press 720S is transforming an increasing number of businesses across Europe and beyond, but in our discussions with printers, initially they often don’t believe just how much the Jet Press can save them, whether that’s in terms of cost, time or ink usage. This new comparison tool will help us provide a realistic indication of just how much they can save, as it is based on their real-life job requirements. We showcased getFIT at our recent open days at the Fujifilm Advanced Print Technology Centre in Brussels and feedback from visitors was very positive, with a number of prospective customer scenarios showing great results.”

Fujifilm distributors and partners, such as Camporese Macchine Grafiche in Italy, are also seeing the benefits of the app. Director, Enrico Camporese explains: “This is an amazing tool, hugely appreciated by our customers. It allows us to very clearly demonstrate to offset printers the true potential of investing in a Jet Press and the transformative affect it can have on their businesses.”

Printers looking to explore the savings they can make with a Jet Press 720S should visit www.imagineinkjet.com and submit a request for Fujifilm to get in touch.

Fujifilm launches new printbar system

The Graphic Systems Division of Fujifilm has announced the release of the first product in its Samba Printbar System line, the Samba PS4300, for the commercial and packaging printing segments. The Samba PS4300 is a compact printbar system designed to be easily integrated into most existing print equipment or manufacturing processes, adding variable inkjet imprinting capabilities with enhanced print quality at high speeds.

This new printbar system adds an inline digital printing option for a wide range of personalized or data printing applications including text, logos, QR and bar codes and graphics. The system integrates the ultra-reliable Samba Printhead technology paired with fit-for-purpose inks developed by Fujifilm.

The Samba PS4300 has a print width of 1.6”, with each printhead depositing billions of drops per second, delivering a native 1,200 dpi and speeds up to 1,000 fpm. The Samba PS4300 is available with up to four discrete printbars, depending on the customer and application requirements. Each printbar can be easily integrated into an existing offset press or manufacturing line and operated from a single controller.

“The Samba PS4300 is a game-changing, versatile device,” says Mike Barry, product marketing manager, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “This unique product delivers added value to our current and potentially new customers. Most notably, the Samba Printbar Systems leverages reliable, proven, single-pass inkjet technology from Fujifilm to enable the addition of variable information that high speed and high quality digital print into a myriad of applications.”

The Samba PS4300 is designed to bring new capabilities to existing offset presses, flexo presses, mailing tables and more, offering printers more value to their existing manufacturing platforms. Uptime on the Samba PS4300 is impressive, the company says, applying Fujifilm’s patented RediJet ink recirculation system, ensuring printbars are instantly primed, resulting in faster time to print, minimal material waste and improved reliability.

The Samba PS4300 is the first in a series of printbars Fujifilm will be launching in 2018.

Kodak Introduces Predictive Ink and Plate Usage Service for PRINERGY Cloud

Kodak announced its new Decision Analytics Software-as-a-Service offering for KODAK PRINERGY System, a solution designed to optimise the use of consumables on press, helping offset print service providers realise new sources of savings. This new ground-breaking service will automatically analyse and predict ink usage on press, enabling printers to improve efficiencies, lower costs and reduce risk.

The Decision Analytics - Ink and Plate Usage Service allows PSPs to base their business and labor planning, job quoting and consumable purchasing decisions on their own historical and predictive usage data. The ability to monitor results by plant, press, product and/or job, will allow them to uncover business insights quickly and meet customer requirements while reducing manufacturing costs. Commercial PSPs will be able to quote jobs more accurately ensuring a competitive edge without sacrificing profit margin. Packaging Printers and Converters will benefit from inventory controls for process and spot inks, whereby they can reduce hazardous waste disposal expenses and inventory carrying costs. 


Decision Analytics Ink & Plate Usage Service Benefits Include:
- Macro Level Business Intelligence. Gain business insight by viewing historical and predictive ink consumption by company, division, plant location, press, product type and/or job.
- Reduced Labor Costs - Optimize manufacturing planning to allow highly skilled employees to focus on other important job activities.
- Improve Accuracy in Job Quoting - Efficiencies gained from understanding historical ink consumption allows estimating to be much more precise. This opens the door to be more competitive when quoting new work without sacrificing profit margin.
- Reduce Inventory Carrying Costs for Consumables. Ability to move to an on-demand model, reducing the cost and risks of carrying excess inventory. Purchase or mix just the right amount of ink you need to print a job and not a drop more.
- Minimise Hazardous Waste. Reduce surplus ink supplies and the associated disposal costs.
Drive Step Change Growth. Knowledge is power. Utilize historical data to lower costs, reduce risk and increase profitability.

“KODAK’s Ink and Plate usage service opens the door for granular visibility into the actual costs of manufacturing for printers. It affords them the unique ability to optimize the manufacturing process and reduce costs, which ultimately leads to amplified profitability,” said Allan Brown, Vice President and General Manager of Kodak’s Unified Workflow Solutions. “This unprecedented innovation for the commercial and packaging print industry will redefine operational efficiencies and drive step change growth for our customers.”

Fujifilm Launches High-Speed Samba Printbar System for Variable Inkjet Imprinting

The Graphic Systems Division of FUJIFILM North America Corporation announces the release of the first product in its Samba Printbar System line, the Samba PS4300, for the commercial and packaging printing segments. The Samba PS4300 is a compact printbar system designed to be easily integrated into most existing print equipment or manufacturing process adding variable inkjet imprinting capabilities with unsurpassed print quality at revolutionary speeds.

This new printbar system adds an in-line digital printing option for a wide range of personalized or data printing applications including text, logos, QR and barcodes and graphics. The system integrates the ultra-reliable Samba Printhead technology paired with fit-for-purpose inks developed by Fujifilm. The Samba PS4300 has a print width of 1.6˝, with each printhead depositing billions of drops per second, delivering a native 1,200 dpi and speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute. The Samba PS4300 is available with up to four discrete printbars, depending on the customer and application requirements. Each printbar can be easily integrated into an existing offset press or manufacturing line and operated from a single controller.

“The Samba PS4300 is a game-changing, versatile device,” said Mike Barry, product marketing manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “This unique product delivers added value to our current and potentially new customers. Most notably, the Samba Printbar Systems leverages reliable proven single-pass inkjet technology from Fujifilm to enable the addition of variable information that high speed and high quality digital print into a myriad of applications.”

The Samba PS4300 is designed to bring new capabilities to existing offset presses, flexo presses, mailing tables, and more, offering printers more value to their existing manufacturing platforms. Uptime on the Samba PS4300 is impressive, applying Fujifilm’s patented RediJet ink recirculation system, ensuring printbars are instantly primed, resulting in faster time to print, minimal material waste and improved reliability.

The Samba PS4300 is the first in a series of printbars Fujifilm will be launching in 2018. For more information on the Samba Printbar System line, go to www.fujifilminkjet.com/samba.

Gallus unveils Smartfire digital label press in St. Gallen


Gallus introduced its new entry-level digital label press. The Gallus Smartfire, poisitioned as a cost-effective digital solution and an ideal fit for a first-time digital adopter, complement's the Gallus Labelfire hybrid digital press.


The Smartfire had its official unveiling at the company’s headquarters in St Gallen, Switzerland. Powered by Memjet inkjet printing technology, the press allows converters to get into the digital space at a pricepoint  of less than 150,000 euro.  The press reaches speeds up to 9 m/min (25.5 fpm) on a 240mm web width (9 inches).


Gallus says the first Smartfire order will be shipped in September.


Michael Ring, head of digital solutions at Gallus, says the Smartfire is easy to use and an ideal "starter model" for digital labels. He said, “With the Gallus Smartfire, we are focusing on new target groups who are looking for a smart entry into digital label printing. The Memjet technology allows us to offer an inkjet printing press that produces labels with a quality of 1600×1600 dpi while still keeping the investment costs at a low level."


Printing in CMYK with water-based ink, the Smartfire features an in-line finishing unit with lamination, an integrated cutting plotter, and semi-rotary diecutter.  The water-based ink the press uses translates to no VOCs being emitted during operation, thus removing the need for an exhaust system.


Noted during the event was the Smartfire's ease of use, as well as its training and parts accessibilty. Training and the installation process takes place in just one week's time, it was noted, and the complete all-in-one label converting solution features all parts field-replaceable by Heidelberg within 48 hours. Press is ideal for short runs as well as ultra-short runs, Gallus says.


Additional benefits include a compact footprint and low power requirements – only a standard outlet is needed.

Ricoh Aims to Change the Inkjet Game With the New RICOH Pro VC70000

Ricoh USA Inc. announced the newest addition to its award-winning inkjet portfolio, the RICOH Pro VC70000, built to accelerate the transfer of offset print volumes to digital. The new continuous-feed platform empowers commercial printers to produce quality applications, such as high-end catalogs and magazines, traditionally expected from offset presses. Additionally, Ricoh-developed inks enable up to 40% savings in paper costs while also expanding media support to offset-coated papers, untreated papers and more. Commercial printers looking to acquire new technologies that help them stand out from the competition will benefit from these strategic advancements from Ricoh. This newest addition was announced at Ricoh’s sold-out INTERACT User Community Event.

Honoured as the “Company to Watch Out For” by industry thought leaders and customers in attendance at the sixth annual Inkjet Summit, Ricoh’s commitment to inkjet innovations continues to be unwavering. As a pioneer in continuous feed inkjet, Ricoh has repeatedly brought award-winning inkjet technologies to market that help printers produce more advanced applications stemming back to its flagship InfoPrint 5000 platform more than ten years ago.

“We’re constantly hearing from customers that they are looking for lower costs, higher quality and increased productivity. What we’re announcing today delivers, and delivers big,” said John Fulena, Vice President, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc. “We are confident this new platform and new inks are exactly what the industry has been waiting for and will help commercial printers more quickly transfer to digital. It’s been talked about for years, and finally, the breakthrough is here.”

The Pro VC70000 joins the RICOH Pro VC60000, RICOH Pro VC40000 and InfoPrint 5000 in Ricoh’s inkjet portfolio. It touts a wealth of features that help advance inkjet printing including a new engine platform that increases drying capacity. The platform prints at speeds up to 492 ft/min, producing nearly 130,000 A4/letter impressions per hour. It leverages the industry’s most popular and advanced piezo drop-on-demand printheads at up to 1,200x1,200 dpi resolution on uncoated, offset-coated, inkjet treated or inkjet-coated papers. Ultimately, the Pro VC70000 gives commercial printers the flexibility, lowered paper costs and productivity they’ve been seeking.

Initially available for the Pro VC70000, Ricoh’s new inkjet ink technology rivals the output of offset inks with its media versatility and compatibility with gloss-coated stocks. They are designed to make the entire production system more versatile and economical - and less complicated. In addition to a significant boost in color gamut, these latest Ricoh inks take quality enhancements further by enabling operators to print faster on a wider variety of media, including standard offset coated and uncoated papers, all with improved make-ready times.

The Pro VC70000 will be available in Winter 2018.

Mark Andy unveils Digital Series HD


Building on the excitement of the recent Digital Series HD debut, Mark Andy announced a successful preview event of the hybrid label press in San Diego, California. The product showcase was held on March 14 at the company’s Digital Technology Center. The facility is the press manufacturer’s “digital hub”, where engineers who specialize in inkjet, workflow, and programming have been based the past 7 years to support new product development on the digital side of the business.


The attendee pool of the true hybrid press preview consisted of label business owners from the California area, as well as industry-members attending the annual TLMI Converter Meeting earlier in the week. Attendees received an exclusive sneak peek of the press prior to this week’s global launch and enjoyed networking opportunities with other converters and Mark Andy specialists.


The highlight of the event was a print demonstration led by Mark Andy’s West Coast Digital Sales Manager, Ralph Boer. Seasoned Print Technician, Joel Panhorst, ran 17 SKUs on 3 unique substrates- clear PP, white BOPP, and an estate paper in under 14 minutes. All jobs were printed at full speed of 240 fpm and used Extended Gamut printing at Mark Andy’s UV inkjet quality standard of 1200 dpi. Additionally, a job made use of a flexo station directly following the digital print engine to apply a metallic flexographic spot that cannot be reproduced digitally. Proving hybrid versatility, this deck was then used to apply a varnish to a subsequent job with rapid changeover.


Building off the success of its’ predecessor’s 2017 FTA Award Win, Digital Series HD is Mark Andy’s commercial approach to label production. Able to profitability support short to mid run lengths, Digital Series HD is highly configurable and versatile. The press is modular- built to support 5 through 8 digital print head options, as well as integrated in-line or near-line finishing configurations. This is made possible by Mark Andy’s future-proof converting platform.


Those interested in experiencing the new press - can request demos at the OEM’s global headquarters in Saint Louis, MO or at the San Diego Digital Technology Center. In regards to global reach, the press will also be available for demonstrations in Mark Andy’s Polish demo center in June. The machine will accompany the Performance Series, Digital One, Rotoflex finishing technologies, and other new innovations on stand at Labelexpo Americas 2018.


Joe Calmese, Vice President, Digital, Mark Andy reflects on the event’s success, providing “Digital Series HD isn’t Mark Andy’s first pass at digital. It’s built on years of success and our Engineering group’s expertise in UV inkjet. A lot of work went into this launch and i’m incredibly proud of where our digital business is to date.”


“Our digital footing is stronger than ever. We have over 90 hybrid presses in production, and anticipate that number to grow significantly as more members of the print community see the undeniable productivity gains of the technology.” concludes Calmese.

New Developments for Koenig & Bauer High-Volume Commercial Printing Presses


On the one hand there are short jobs, a raft of different orders and high quality products, and on the other hand the focus is on high-volume print runs - customer demands placed on commercial printers are becoming ever more versatile and challenging. Koenig & Bauer has been successfully tackling both of these developments for years. Stefan Segger, sales director Digital & Web Solutions: “We are in constant communication with our customers. On the one hand we develop new products with our partners, and on the other hand we are proactively represented on the market with new innovations.”


New UV coater for C16
The new UV coater from Koenig & Bauer offers production speeds of up to 60,000rph, high automation, simple and self-explanatory operation, the stability of a printing unit, automatic cleaning at the push of a button and anilox roller change within a few minutes. Whether for the full-solid finishing of covers or as spot coating for the partial finishing of printed images, the coating unit is already being used very successfully by customers. A compact UV dryer is integrated into the superstructure after the coating unit to enable the widest possible range of paper substrates to be processed. The UV coater processes substrates with a grammage of between 60g/m² - 250g/m² (38 - 160 lbs). Between 2 and 5g/m² of coating is applied depending on the anilox roller.


Intelligent copy control in quarterfold
Intelligent, patented copy control in the quarterfold makes for a trouble-free folding sequence. Production conditions are therefore always consistent irrespective of operator skill. Copies are slowed effectively and with a minimum of abrasion, and aligned in the direction of fold during deceleration. The automatic copy control system is self-adjusting and exceptionally reliable regardless of production speed and copy thickness. As a result folding is consistently accurate, even during changes in press speed. Stefan Segger, sales director KBA-Digital & Web Solutions: “We continue to be very successful in the market and expect investments to be made this year. Our presses are known for their quality. With our know-how we have worked on many new developments for our commercial presses.”


Superstructure concept with new ribbon lead
The microporous patented turner bars are one of the many proven features that are unique to Koenig & Bauer. They no longer need to be set for different ribbon widths, and operate reliably with a minimal air cushion and superior ribbon guides. A modular design and dedicated drives throughout allow the superstructure to be customised for specific production scenarios. The short and stable web lead allows a more even web tension.

Esko and Asahi partner to streamline flexo platemaking

Esko and Asahi are partnering to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) in flexo platemaking through the combination of their respective technologies.


Stephan Doppelhammer, business development manager at Asahi Photoproducts Europe, explained: ‘In our fast-paced and rapidly evolving industry, efficiency, waste reduction and speed to market are critical.


‘By partnering with Esko, we bring together solutions from two world-class companies to create a faster, more efficient and more consistent workflow in flexographic platemaking. Esko Equinox is ideal for converting separations to fixed palette printing, while Esko’s Crystal technology reduces the number of platemaking steps required and is making the process more consistent. By adding Asahi’s AWP water washable plates with Clean Transfer Technology to the mix, Asahi and Esko customers can take OEE to a brand new level of efficiency while boosting print quality and reducing their environmental footprint.’


Gateway Packaging, a high-end printer and packaging converter, and the largest pet food packaging provider in North America, recently restructured its entire platemaking process with Asahi Photoproducts technology as the core element.


Tharrin Akers, the company’s pre-press manager, commented: ‘When running the Asahi AWP Clean Transfer plates, we were able to run the press at a 17 percent higher speed – 1,640ft/min – and only had to stop for plate cleaning once. And that only required cleaning two plates, consuming 20 minutes.


‘The result was a total production time of 7.2 hours instead of 11 hours in the past and an astonishing 53 percent improvement in OEE over our previous process.’

Kodak Announces Plate Price Increase


Kodak announced it will increase the price of Kodak offset printing plates globally. Plate prices will increase up to 9%.


The price of aluminum, the primary raw material used to manufacture printing plates, has increased dramatically in recent months. Despite internal cost reductions and improved operational productivity, the magnitude of rising aluminum prices can no longer be sustained by the company, as noted in Kodak’s Q1 2018 Earnings Conference Call.


John O’Grady, President, Print Systems Division, Kodak, explained, “With aluminum prices now reaching multi-year highs, it has become necessary to institute a plates price increase. While Kodak has worked diligently to reduce its own costs to lessen the impact of aluminum, the delta has become too great for us to bear, while maintaining our brand promise as a supplier of quality plates to the industry.”


“Looking to the future, we are exploring different business models to reduce the effect of aluminum volatility on our customers,” O’Grady added. “There are also measures that our customers can take to offset the increase in plate prices. Printers benefit from higher aluminum prices when they recycle their used plates, and many customers are saving additional money by switching to KODAK SONORA Process Free Plates to eliminate the costs of plate processing, including chemistry, water, and electricity costs.”


Details of the new pricing structure will be communicated to all customers and dealers across the world in the coming weeks.

Esko and Asahi partner to streamline flexo platemaking


Esko and Asahi are partnering to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) in flexo platemaking through the combination of their respective technologies.


Stephan Doppelhammer, business development manager at Asahi Photoproducts Europe, explained: ‘In our fast-paced and rapidly evolving industry, efficiency, waste reduction and speed to market are critical.


‘By partnering with Esko, we bring together solutions from two world-class companies to create a faster, more efficient and more consistent workflow in flexographic platemaking. Esko Equinox is ideal for converting separations to fixed palette printing, while Esko’s Crystal technology reduces the number of platemaking steps required and is making the process more consistent. By adding Asahi’s AWP water washable plates with Clean Transfer Technology to the mix, Asahi and Esko customers can take OEE to a brand new level of efficiency while boosting print quality and reducing their environmental footprint.’


Gateway Packaging, a high-end printer and packaging converter, and the largest pet food packaging provider in North America, recently restructured its entire platemaking process with Asahi Photoproducts technology as the core element.


Tharrin Akers, the company’s pre-press manager, commented: ‘When running the Asahi AWP Clean Transfer plates, we were able to run the press at a 17 percent higher speed – 1,640ft/min – and only had to stop for plate cleaning once. And that only required cleaning two plates, consuming 20 minutes.


‘The result was a total production time of 7.2 hours instead of 11 hours in the past and an astonishing 53 percent improvement in OEE over our previous process.’

Koenig & Bauer Announces New Measurement and Control Technology for Sheetfed Offset Presses


With QualiTronic NextGeneration, Koenig & Bauer is launching a revolutionary package of innovations for its inline measuring systems on Rapida sheetfed offset presses. QualiTronic NextGeneration provides a foundation for the restructuring of all inline measurement functions and a platform for further developments in the future. As already successfully implemented with regard to mechanical press components and software, a modular principle enables identical system hardware to be used for a variety of applications. Users can now combine:

1. QualiTronic ColorControl (in-line colour measurement and control) with
2. QualiTronic PrintCheck (production monitoring)
3. or QualiTronic PDFCheck (sheet inspection and PDF comparison) without needing to worry about the hardware configuration.

QualiTronic NextGeneration - One basic system

The fundamental benefit of using the same hardware to accomplish several tasks, compared to two or more separate systems, is that it is only necessary to invest in one basic system. Subsequently, there is only one system to be maintained.

Typically, installation space available on the press is limited. If a colour measuring system is installed in a particular printing unit, for example, it is not possible to integrate an additional inspection system. With QualiTronic NextGeneration, the configuration limitations which are unavoidable when using several separate systems have been overcome. The QualiTronic NextGeneration hardware can be installed at any position on the press. Colour measurement and inspection can thus both be implemented at the same location.

QualiTronic NextGeneration - New operating concept

QualiTronic NextGeneration also introduces a completely new operating concept. The majority of the input forms and displays can be found at the same place as for all other functions of the press -- directly on the touchscreen monitor of the ErgoTronic console. Through optimising the layout of the operating elements and significantly reducing the number of operating steps required to achieve a given task, work on the press has become even more intuitive.

Positive effects reported by users include considerably reduced training and familiarisation periods, the exclusion of operating errors, and the user-friendly visualisation of measured values. Important functions and displays can be called up with just two taps on the touchscreen monitor. Simple and clear graphic elements, in conjunction with an absolute minimum of text, facilitate fast and reliable operation.

QualiTronic ColorControl

QualiTronic ColorControl is the basic module of QualiTronic NextGeneration and serves to measure and control colour in an inline process. As already with the previous generation, the camera scans the entire area of every single sheet. The same proven fast inline colour regulation system then provides for especially rapid colour optimisation to help minimise the makeready time between two print jobs.

Many details have been further accelerated in the new version and brought into line with the demands of industrial print production. Functions such as the definition of the colour bars, job-specific data inputs and other previously manual processes have been eliminated. They now run in the background without operator intervention. The new measured value displays, and the reduction of these displays to simple graphic elements, are revolutionary. For the first time, Koenig & Bauer now presents the measured values vertically for the whole press, i.e. in a single view for all printing units.

QualiTronic PrintCheck

The option QualiTronic PrintCheck expands QualiTronic ColorControl by adding powerful sheet inspection functionality. With this unique system, colour measurement can be combined with production monitoring.

Here, too, a new operating philosophy has been implemented. In the past, many inspection systems remained the domain of just a few experts due to their complicated settings and time-consuming operating steps. The new inspection system QualiTronic PrintCheck, by contrast, is readily accessible to every printer, not least because it requires no operator intervention at all. From start to finish of a print job, the system functions completely autonomously. Job data is imported in the background, and the inspection parameters -- once a science in themselves -- are determined automatically. QualiTronic PrintCheck even identifies the correct time at which to start production monitoring itself.

At the end of the job, finally, a simple job report is saved automatically as a PDF file, again without further inputs on the part of the operator. The makeready time for this system is thus effectively zero.

QualiTronic PDFCheck

The alternative QualiTronic PDFCheck incorporates two new functions to complement QualiTronic ColorControl -- sheet inspection and comparison of the printed sheet against a pre-press PDF, i.e. the customer data. This function is especially interesting for Internet printers with their frequent job changes, as well as for production with gang formes.

Timely comparisons enable errors on the sheet to be detected before actual production commences. In the past, separate systems offering such functions were usually aimed at users working in security printing or for pharmaceuticals branch. QualiTronic PDFCheck, on the other hand, is intended to support also commercial and Internet printers.

A user-friendly interface and a host of practical functions assist operators in their daily work. The PDF comparison starts automatically, and it is only when QualiTronic PDFCheck detects any deviations that the operator is called upon to react.

Comprehensive new report functions and options

Alongside these major innovations, the system offers a series of new report functions and options. QualiTronic ColorControl, for example, can be expanded with the following functions:

1. Various colour measurement reports
2. Inline register measurement and control
3. Measurement using significantly narrower colour bars; in medium format, the minimum height for the colour bars is just 3 mm
4. QualiTronic PDFCheck can be expanded with:
5. SheetIdent for sheet numbering or the new PileView function to enable virtual assessment of the good and waste sheets within a printed pile.

The whole range of measuring and control systems can be ordered and supplied with immediate effect.

New Xerox Press Prints Specialty Embellishments in One Pass


Xerox has announced a new a high-speed, six-station digital colour press that combines four-colour printing with up to two specialty dry inks in one printing pass. Called the Xerox Iridesse Production Press, it can print metallic gold or silver dry ink, CMYK and clear dry ink in a single pass.

“Iridesse can do things no other digital production press can do, but it’s what it can do for our customers that’s most important,” says Ragni Mehta, VP and GM of Xerox's Cut Sheet Business. “We created the press to produce these special effects and digital enhancements cost effectively and in a simplified workflow so our customers can seize the market opportunity and grow their businesses.”

With two inline specialty dry ink stations, the Iridesse lets customers create lucrative applications with spot colours, metallic and mixed metallic gradients, and specialty enhancements. Gold and silver dry metallic inks can be used on their own or layered under or over CMYK to create unique iridescent palettes. A layer of clear dry ink can be added for an extra touch of dimension or texture.

Xerox FreeFlow Core’s pre-built workflows enable print providers to automatically and selectively transform text and graphics for printing gold and silver without editing the source documents.

Printing at speeds up to 120 ppm, the press can run stocks from 52 -400 gsm. The High Definition Emulsion Aggregate (HD EA) Toner process results in the optimal particle size to deliver lower gloss, smooth tints and fine detail more consistently.

Two Dual Advanced High Capacity Feeders, Bypass and Inserter options let customers run up to eight different stocks in a single job, or do production runs with a total of 12,500 sheets. The Xerox EX-P 6 Print Server by Fiery enables customers to create customised workflows for metallic applications with advanced RIP capabilities and colour management tools.

Ricoh Unveils New Pro C9200 Series Sheetfed Colour Digital Presses


Ricoh USA, Inc. has unveiled additions to its Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group portfolio that set a new standard for best-in-class price performance in its category. The RICOH Pro C9200 and C9210 Graphic Arts Editions provide an affordable, predictable way for businesses to maximize revenue due to its uptime and reliability. Ricoh’s latest strategic investment empowers customers to expand into new markets with the ability to produce book jackets, six-page brochures and other unique applications that require media of up to 470 gsm.

“When our customers speak, we listen. They challenged us to deliver a press that increases productivity and reliability. The RICOH Pro C9200 series does just that at a price performance never before seen,” said John Fulena, Vice President, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc. “We are redefining the value printers should expect from their presses, even in the most demanding production environments. These are among the most productive sheet-fed presses yet, and they are a direct result of listening to our customers and making strategic investments to help them deliver exceptional customer experiences.”

RICOH Pro C9200

Printers looking to increase uptime, reliability and utilization will see immediate benefits from the RICOH Pro C9200 series. The presses support up to 470 gsm and have the capacity to run the longest paper lengths in the market today: 49 inches simplex and 40 inches auto-duplex. This enables the production of more advanced applications and the ability to drive down the cost per piece. Additionally, the series supports a laser resolution of 2,400x4,800 dpi with a large color gamut without sacrificing speed or versatility.
The RICOH Pro C9200 series also produces consistent, professional output due to its in-line sensors that automatically aid improved front-to-back registration and color calibration, without requiring advanced operator skills. Moreover, the larger 17 inch Smart Operation Panel brings new job- and workflow-management options directly to the device, on a single screen, including the ability to monitor and manage print jobs remotely through either an EFI Color Controller or the RICOH TotalFlow Server.
Both the RICOH Pro C9200 and C9210 are ENERGY STAR certified and carry an EPEAT Silver rating.

What state-of-the-art technologies are available for adding security features to ID documents to make them counterfeit-proof? This question was the focus of the second Security Printing Day held by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site. It was attended by around 120 customers from all over the world as well as representatives from government agencies like the German Federal Criminal Police Office. “If public officials want to recognize counterfeits, they need to know what is and isn’t technically possible today,” explains Joachim Hüber, Product Manager, Security Printing Applications, at Heidelberg. The visitors learned about the latest trends and the best methods at present in workshops, seminars, and directly at a six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 designed specifically for security printing.

Security printing with growth potential

The risk of counterfeits of all kinds is growing in the age of the Internet and the resulting easier access to technologies. Government agencies and manufacturers of sensitive documents therefore place great value on maximum security for unequivocal identification of the holders of these documents. ID documents like identity cards, passports, or drivers’ licenses as well as staff badges and admission tickets for sporting events and concerts are therefore becoming more and more complex in their structure and design. While security printing may be a niche for the print media industry, these signs point to it offering good potential and substantial growth rates.

Intensive cooperation with numerous partner companies is important

Not only banknotes and securities, but also identity cards, drivers’ licenses, and the like feature numerous and very different security features today. Most of these documents are based on plastic cards consisting of several components in the check card format of 86 x 54 millimeters. Adding security features like holograms, very fine lines and writing, or imprints requires a wide variety of competencies from a range of different specialists. “Printing competency” is just one of these. Heidelberg as one of the world’s leading providers of systems and components for security printing therefore traditionally works very closely with highly specialized partner companies. Around a dozen of them were involved in the Security Day with their own presentations. These partners offer technology for all stages of the value chain, from prepress to press to postpress.

“Not just the technologies themselves, but also the counterfeiters are always improving,” says Product Manager Joachim Hüber. “That’s why we and our partners always need to be one step ahead of them with our ideas, competencies, technologies, and solutions.”

KYOCERA Document Solutions America, Inc., one of the world’s leading document solutions companies, today previewed the TASKalfa Pro 15000c, in an exclusive exhibit at the 2018 KYOCERA Innovate dealer conference in Orlando, Florida. The TASKalfa Pro 15000c represents Kyocera’s inaugural product entry into the high-speed cut sheet inkjet market. With print speeds at 150 pages per minute in A4 (146 pages per minute Letter), regardless of media type, this full-color production inkjet printing system delivers unparalleled quality and reliability. Ideally suited for Print Service Providers and customers looking to run medium to large volume jobs in-house, the TASKalfa Pro 15000c delivers the necessary functionality at an attractive price point.

“The TASKalfa Pro 15000c enables Kyocera, and its resellers, greater access to a broader customer audience, specifically in the production print market,” said Yukio Ikeda, President and CEO, KYOCERA Document Solutions America. The TASKalfa Pro 15000c will offer impressive media support and professional paper handling options to handle everything from high-volume variable data printing requirements to shorter runs of custom output. Slated to launch globally in early 2019, the TASKalfa Pro 15000c will be available through select authorized resellers both in the US and on a global scale.

“We are honored to be the first KYOCERA Document Solutions company to publicly show the TASKalfa Pro 15000c at our Dealer Partner conference this week in Orlando” continued Mr. Ikeda. “This product marks our entry into the color production print market in the US and across the Americas, and we are confident that it will be a success.”

The TASKalfa Pro 15000c will be commercially available in early calendar year 2019. Detailed product specifications, and device MSRP will be made available at that time. For inquiries on how to become a KYOCERA Document Solutions reseller and gain access to the TASKalfa Pro 15000c in the US, contact us at integratedmarketing@da.kyocera.com.

Konica Minolta has shared details of a new line of entry-level colour production presses, the AccurioPress C3080 series, which will replace the C2070 series.

There are two models, the C3070 and the C3080, which can run at 71 A4 ppm and 81 A4 ppm respectively, though they slow down with substrates of 216gsm and heavier. That said, the series comes with improved thick paper support for various media types, such as coated and embossed paper up to 350 gsm. They can hold up to 15,390 sheets. There’s also a new large capacity unit for banners up to 762 mm in length that’s suitable for applications like book covers and three-fold menus.

The standard machines come with a new colour dual scanner that is capable of running at a speed of up to 240 ipm. This has a double-feed detection kit to avoid scanning two sheets at once. There’s a ‘P’ or print-only version that doesn’t have the scanner. The actual imaging system appears to be the same as the previous models with the same toner being used.

This series also includes the IQ-501 module, which automates various colour control settings. These presses will work with the same finishing units as previously availalble though there’s also a new GBC Puncher and a new conveyance unit for improved hybrid decurling

André Statkus, Konica Minolta Europe’s product manager for these presses, explains: “As there is no longer the need for measurement or numerical input, high quality print products are constantly available with fewer manual settings and less human errors. In addition, thanks to real-time monitoring and adjustments during printing, high quality is ensured, contributing to cost reduction through less waste but also improving customer trust.”

These presses can be supplied with Konica Minolta’s latest IC-605 controller and there are also DFEs available from both EFI Fiery and Creo.

With the launch of the new AccurioPress 6136 series, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Australia introduces its new monochrome production print systems designed to increase customer profitability with enhanced productivity and increase capability to streamline automated workflows.

The affordable and cost-effective series consists of three models: AccurioPress 6136; AccurioPress 6136P; and AccurioPress 6120. Each delivers greater productivity to enhance job capacity, reliability and flexibility enabling operations to expand their monochrome print capabilities. As a successor model of the bizhub PRESS 1250e series, the AccurioPress 6136 series prints at an exceptional high speed of 136ppm on A4 and 78ppm on A3 sheets.

The Konica Minolta AccurioPress 6136 model can produce a monthly peak volume of up to 3.24 million A4 pages and offers the highest media flexibility in its class. It enables print providers to create more business opportunities by handling a wide range of essential digital printing applications.

The series supports various media types and weights, from 40 gsm up to 350 gsm, and the inclusion of Relay Unit (RU-518) facilitates the elimination of paper curl. There is an intelligent paper catalogue and optional envelope fuser creating greater media flexibility to provide ultimate performance. The addition of the dual side colour scanning on the AccurioPress 6136 and 6120, brings high speed scanning of up to 240opm, for high level archive and copy functions.  

Automatic and real-time density and registration adjustment is delivered by the optional IQ-501, Intelligent Quality Optimiser that enables front-to-back registration, with image centring and zoom to enable the perfect sheet position at the press of a button when loading new media. This unique functionality helps eliminate operator set up time, reducing errors and waste.

The expanded range and finishing flexibility that can be included in these systems, with a vast number different configuration combinations possible, bringing professional finished print output at the press of the print button. These include Konica Minolta developed finishing as well as partnerships with market leading finishing companies such as Watkiss, GBC and Plockmatic.

OpenAPI provides high scalability via a seamless interface between the AccurioPress 6136 series production printing devices and third-party solutions, and seamless integration with AccurioPro workflow solutions. It enables accounting, authentication or scan routing with applications such as YSoft SafeQ and Nuance eCopy Sharescan. A unified UI and remote panel operation help smooth set-up while operations can have maximum flexible control, which makes every day print work more efficient.

The new AccurioPress 6136 series is available now.

Debuting in spring 2018, the Adamas solution demonstrates Agfa Graphics’ continuing commitment to eco innovation. Adamas brings robustness to a whole new level and offers every benefit of chem-free solutions. The most durable chem-free plate available on the market, Adamas boosts efficiency, both in plate throughput, as well as in run length, with optimal press performance, zero water and up to 75% less waste compared to similar products.

Maximising Efficiency and Eco-friendliness

Commercial printers seek cost efficiency and process optimization without compromising on performance. In Adamas, Agfa Graphics brings new technologies to the table that empower printers to deliver high-quality results in less time, and with less waste. To maximize performance, this highly sensitive plate was designed for use with Agfa Graphics’ dedicated Adamas clean-out units. Due to their eco-driven design, they can be simply cleaned with pH-neutral clean-out solution and zero water.

“When we designed Adamas, we kept every need of the most advanced commercial printers in mind. The result shows innovation on all fronts – increased durability, enhanced performance and responses to the biggest market trends, such as low-power curing inks,” asserts Iris Bogunovic, product manager for Thermal Plates. “Adamas is a testament to our ECO³ sustainable innovation drivers, which bring ecology, economy and extra convenience to our customers. With Adamas, commercial printers enjoy every advantage of chem-free printing, combined with new technology, ThermoLink, that takes press performance and process efficiency to new heights.”

ThermoLink: The Ultimate in High Performance

Agfa Graphics’ patented ThermoLink technology is at the heart of Adamas. Run lengths as long as 350,000 copies are no challenge for this durable plate. ThermoLink technology contributes to its chemical and mechanical robustness and optimum plate performance.

Superior Results, Run After Run

Adamas delivers superb results no matter the application, from commercial sheetfed and coldset to heatset printing. Even more, the plate is perfectly compatible with low-power curing UV inks. No matter how abrasive or demanding the conditions are, Adamas guarantees superior press performance and durability.