Like the Olympics, it happens every four years. It would take every issue of this magazine, and then some, to look at the amazing technology that will be showcased at this year’s drupa tradeshow May 3 – 16 in Düsseldorf, Germany. We wish we could include every exhibitor, especially those making an impact here in Canada. Instead, we selected some major manufacturers exhibiting at the largest printing equipment and technology show in the world for our preview. We will, however, be giving ongoing news updates from exhibitors on our website right up to the start of the show – so be sure to visit www.graphicartsmag.com.
HP to introduce 10 new digital printing systems
The innovations will offer printers greater versatility, productivity and quality for commercial and industrial printing applications such as labels and packaging, direct mail, marketing collateral and book publishing. HP will be the largest digital printing exhibitor participating and will have the second-largest booth.
The ten new printing systems, include three next-generation, 29-inch HP Indigo presses, three updated HP Indigo models with higher speeds in Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM), three higher-speed HP inkjet web presses and a new high-speed imprinting solution for adding content to preprinted offset materials.
“At HP, innovation is our lifeblood,” said Christopher Morgan, Senior Vice President, Graphics Solutions Business. There is tremendous growth in digital printing, specifically in the publishing, label and packaging, TransPromo, signage and display markets. And as Morgan affirms, “We’re taking digital from being something that was interesting but not mainstream and moving it to the heart of the printing industry.” HP’s ten new printing systems include…..
HP Indigo 10000
The new breakthrough HP Indigo 10000 platform is a larger format B2 digital press solution for commercial sheetfed, continuous-feed flexible packaging and folding carton sheetfed applications. All three have the 10000 print engine but have been repurposed for packaging applications. All are all capable of printing up to seven colours and employ HP’s one-shot printing technology that collects all colours on the blanket before transferring the entire image to the substrate, enabling perfect registration.
New to many presses in the HP Indigo portfolio is the Enhanced Productivity Mode (EPM), whereby a CMYK job is printed with only cyan, magenta and yellow, resulting in 33% faster press speeds with little to no noticeable quality difference. The B2 sheetfed press (29.5” x 20.9”) has an image size 2.5 times larger than current Indigo press capabilities. It can print up to 3,450 four-colour sheets per hour, 4,600 three-colour EPM sheets per hour or 6,900 monochrome sheets per hour (all in simplex mode). It is equipped with a pallet feeder and two drawers, with the option for two additional drawers. This unique design allows printers to spend less time loading substrate. HP feels that it will be the first to-market sheetfed digital press that will compete with offset not only in output quality, but now also in sheet size.
The HP Indigo 20000
This continuous-feed press is designed for flexible packaging and labels with a printing frame of 29” x 43.” It supports the $50 billion consumer food packaging product market (in the U.S. alone). It will also allow a shorter-time-to-market solution for flexible packaging converters and can print on substrates from 10 – 250 microns with gravure quality. The inline priming unit enables the use of off-the-shelf paper, plastic and aluminum substrates.
The HP Indigo 30000
This sheetfed press for folding carton applications with a maximum sheet size of 29.5” x 20.9” can accommodate stock from 200 – 600 microns and has an inline priming unit that allows printing on any off-the-shelf folding carton substrate. There is zero waste between jobs and the printed product is dry instantly after printing and can be transferred to the finishing processes, dramatically increasing efficiency and productivity. The 30000 is designed to fit into current folding carton operations, including an optimized front-end packaging workflow from ESKO.
HP Indigo W7250
This web-fed digital press is now capable of 33% higher speeds – up to 320 pages per minute in EPM and 960 pages per minute monochrome.
HP Indigo 5600
This digital sheetfed press is designed for prints with medium volumes and a diverse mix of jobs. It delivers versatility with over 2,500 certified substrates, including dark, transparent, metallic, heat transfer, adhesive and synthetics (including PVC, PET, rigid vinyl, etc.). It prints at speeds of up to 272 monochrome pages per minute and 90 pages per minute in EPM.
The HP Indigo 7600
This digital press offers a unique range of finishing capabilities including raised coating (similar spot or raised spot UV coating) and textured effects (similar to embossing and debossing). The 7600 is ideal for short-run work that needs to be completed quickly and more cost efficiently than with conventional processes.
HP T410, T360 and T230 higher-speed Inkjet Web Presses
HP’s improvements to its current high-speed inkjet web press include better print-head technology with rounder dots for more consistent print quality at higher speeds. Both the HP T410 and T360 provide more capacity and faster response times than their predecessors with increased speeds of up to 800 feet per minute in monochrome – an increase of 25% over previous models. T350 or T400 users can upgrade to these latest platforms in the fall of 2012. The latest T230 model has seen a 100% boost in full-colour speed – from 200 to 400 feet per minute. This press will be available by the end of 2012 and will also be offered as an upgrade for T200 press users.
HP Print Module Solutions
Designed for adding variable text and graphics (in monochrome or full colour) to pre-printed web offset shells, this system boasts improved speed, reliability and colour accuracy over its competitors.
Morgan sincerely believes that advanced digital press technology is a key ingredient to succeed now and in the future. “Those who are not investing in digital are at a significant disadvantage… and so are their customers,” he adds.
Heidelberg to showcase almost 60 innovations led by its Speedmaster series
Heidelberg, through its “Discover HEI” campaign, will be presenting its complete new sheetfed offset printing Speedmaster SX press series at drupa, as well as its expanded digital print portfolio, the strengthening of its partnership with Ricoh, and a host of other new products and services to boost print-shop growth.
Heidelberg will be showcasing almost 60 impressive innovations, but the main focus will be on the launch of a new series of its popular Speedmaster SX sheetfed offset presses. This line combines the cutting-edge technology of the existing product series in a new performance class that is tailored to the requirements of commercial printing.
Specifically, the Speedmaster SX is targeted at print shops in emerging markets looking to take productivity to a new level – but also at customers who find themselves under increased pricing pressure. Launched in 2010, the Speedmaster CX 102 sheetfed offset press for packaging printing was based on the same concept. Since then, more than 1,000 units have been sold worldwide.
The company is also expanding its digital print portfolio, bundling all solutions under the name “Heidelberg Linoprint.” For this purpose, the cooperation with Ricoh has been expanded as planned. Heidelberg now offers Ricoh digital printing systems under its own name equipped with Heidelberg software. Heidelberg’s current, wide-ranging solutions highlighted at drupa will include additional innovations for prepress and post-press.
“Along with our customers, we will be providing a positive boost for the print media industry at drupa. We will be using our portfolio of solutions and services to showcase future-proof business models for our industry,” says Heidelberg CEO Bernhard Schreier. “We will show our customers that investments pay dividends by preparing them for future trends in printed communication. The growth sectors of packaging and digital printing take center stage in this regard.”
“We have already introduced the first highlight for commercial printing in the form of the Speedmaster XL 105 perfecting press featuring increased productivity. In the current market environment, trust and reliability are priorities for our clients. We are using our innovations to respond to customer queries and provide guidance that extends far beyond purely technical issues,” adds Schreier.
The Heidelberg portfolio at drupa will focus on seven key market sectors:
• Lean production
• Green printing
• Web-to-print
• Short-run printing
• Differentiation through coatings and special effects
• Future in packaging printing
• Gaining an edge through the latest technology
Konica Minolta to feature new ink-jet system, new bizhub, faster mono press and new cutters
The race into the inkjet market was taken to another level with news that Konica Minolta and Komori Corporation will showcase a jointly developed prototype high-volume inkjet digital printing system at drupa.
Recently, Konica Minolta IJ Technologies announced a new high-accuracy ink-jet print head that can produce ink drops as small as 1-picolitre, and is the first print head to use Konica Minolta’s proprietary MEMS technologies. It expects to begin selling the new print head in sample quantities as early as this spring. The new print head – the KM128SNG-MB – is manufactured with silicon MEMS technologies that utilize semiconductor process technologies. The print head is 67 mm (2.63″) wide and has 128 ink nozzles. It also says it can be used with a broad range of ink types, including low-viscosity inks, as well as for industrial applications. The firm expects applications to include electronics printing.
Konica Minolta is already a major developer of inkjet technology, which so far has been used in the textile industry. The two companies have also entered a global sales agreement, which will begin at drupa, and will see Komori selling Konica Minolta printers, although not in Australia. The inkjet project marks Komori’s entrance into this rapidly developing field. This year’s drupa will see a host of inkjet technologies on display – some now commercially available and some in prototype form.
According to David Procter, General Manager, Production Printing at Konica Minolta, Australia: “The preview of a technology display highlighting the joint development of an inkjet printing system will be an exciting highlight at drupa 2012. This technology development demonstrates our firm entry into the production inkjet market. We have had a long and successful history with inkjet on other media including fabrics. This prototype illustrates a new direction.”
Konica Minolta will also unveil a new colour bizhub press, faster mono presses and an inline three-edge cutting device. Procter insists drupa will be a game-changer for Konica Minolta, which will have the largest booth in its history.
Goss to highlight M-600, Sunday 5000, Vpak Packaging Press and much more
Goss International is investing in a major presence at drupa 2012. Two of its major technologies promoted will be the M-600 and Vpak platforms. The latest-generation M-600 web press now includes automation, operability and integration improvements that result in significant make-ready and waste reduction.
“With close to 2,500 printing units sold since 1992, it may be easy to mistake the M-600 for older technology, but that would be a major oversight,” says Goss International Product Manager Jean-Pierre Moioli. “We have chosen to display a new unit at drupa to showcase the extremely progressive automation, integration and ease-of-use features we have added to this press platform – as well as the reasons web printers continue to turn to the M-600 model for the most advanced print quality, flexibility and make-ready features available from a 16-page press.”
Wider formats – starting with the first Goss 24-page Sunday press, all the way up to the latest 96-page model – have shifted market demand dramatically. Still, the once-standard four-pages-across by two-pages-around format remains the best choice for many applications, markets and operations, according to Moioli. “Product possibilities as well as compatibility with existing presses and infrastructures are factors that continue to steer printers to the 16-page format. Operator experience, capital investment capabilities and the competitive landscape in some regions are also important considerations.”
These market demands have driven Goss International towards continuous investment in the M-600 platform, alongside its development of gapless Sunday presses and enabling technologies like Autoplate, DigiRail, Automatic Transfer and high-speed folders. Agility is everything, the company insists.
The new Goss Sunday Vpak packaging press, Colorliner CPS Compact-Tower Press and 96-page Sunday 5000 Press will be among the featured Goss systems that offer new performance capabilities for current and emerging requirements.
“Drupa is the one place where suppliers can showcase new technology for a worldwide audience and where printers and publishers can evaluate a globally diverse range of solutions,” said Goss International president and CEO Jochen Meissner. “We have a history of introducing groundbreaking Goss technologies at drupa and we will continue that tradition, for example, with the variable-repeat Sunday Vpak Presses that offer a game-changing web-offset alternative for packaging applications,” he explained. “Beyond the introduction of specific technologies, our presence at the show will convey our long-term perspective and our focus on actively exploring new concepts with our customers.”
Meissner projects that attendees will arrive at this year’s drupa show questioning conventional definitions of which printing processes produce which products. He expects printers and publishers to be particularly interested in pursuing how they can use different processes – or combinations of processes – to provide their customers with more powerful and cost-effective printed products.
KBA to unveil new Rapida platform technology
KBA intends to remain active shaping the future of print. That was one of the reasons behind the group’s move into digital print and the merging of digital inkjet technologies with analogue offset print. Drupa will be the company’s opportunity to showcase five sheetfed offset presses in small, half, medium and large format (three of which are completely new), three web-offset installations for commercial, packaging and newspaper print (two of which are completely new) and a new inkjet web press that will be complemented by a five-colour Rapida 106 coater for waterless UV offset, along with a Genius 52UV on the neighbouring stand of Japanese partner Toray Industries.
KBA has also chosen drupa to redefine the industry’s benchmarks for offset printing in large formats. The latest generation of large-format Rapidas will celebrate the company’s official market premiere in the form of a six-colour Rapida 145 with a new coater and automated pile logistics. The maximum production speed of the 41.34″ x 57″ Rapida 145 is 17,000 sheets per hour (sph) in straight printing with the high-speed package, and 15,000 sph in its perfecting mode with the new three-drum perfecting unit. Many of the automation modules of the make-ready world champion Rapida 106 press are now also available to large-format print providers.
For example, the press showcased at drupa will feature the sidelay-free infeed DriveTronic SIS and DriveTronic SPC direct drives for fast, simultaneous plate changing. The CleanTronic Synchro system (two washing beams) for simultaneous washing of ink rollers, blankets and impression cylinders parallel to plate changing, a new program for extremely fast inking unit washing, and further parallel make-ready processes, contribute to higher net production output compared to the predecessor series and presses from other manufacturers.
With the Rapida 105, KBA will also be presenting a completely new medium-format series in Düsseldorf. Based on the same platform as the high-end Rapida 106 press, the range of automation options has been extended compared to the predecessor model. The maximum production speed for presses incorporating the high-speed package has been raised to 17,000 sph (standard is 16,500 sph). The 105 is also available in a four-back-four perfector configuration, with a perfecting unit based on the modern technology of the Rapida 106. The new Rapida 105 thus packs all the features expected of a modern commercial press.
However, the real show highlight, according to KBA, is the presentation of this internationally renowned press in a hybrid offset/inkjet version for personalized imprinting and coding applications. The KBA Rapidas (105 and 106) are currently the only presses on the market to have this option without the need for mechanical sheet guides and print-free corridors.
Fujifilm’s “Power to Succeed” will be its largest ever presence at drupa
Fujifilm Corporation will have its largest-ever exhibit space at drupa 2012 to exhibit a wide range of new printing concepts, technologies, products, services and solutions under its banner “Power to Succeed.” The driving force behind this philosophy is the desire for the company to deliver advanced solutions to its customers to help them achieve success.
At drupa, these solutions will include: advanced inkjet systems delivering benchmark quality and productivity across a wide range of print applications; plate production solutions designed to maximize efficiency, minimize costs and improve a printer’s environmental footprint; and advances in workflow and colour management software that will help a printer better manage work across multiple print processes. Fujifilm will be showcasing these solutions in the following areas:
Package Print Zone
Fujifilm will be demonstrating for the first time a new B2 inkjet digital press for folding carton applications, which takes advantage of the company’s SAMBATM printhead and high-performance VIVIDIA UV digital ink technologies. In addition, Fujifilm will also be showcasing its new FLENEX DLE CTP system. This new system is set to revolutionize the flexo market, offering an incredibly simple and high quality method of producing flexo plates. Fujifilm will also be highlighting the benefits of its UVivid range of narrow-web inks, together with its offset plate and pressroom solutions designed specifically for packaging applications.r
Commercial Print Zone
Here Fujifilm will be showcasing the Jet Press 720 B2 inkjet press, running live throughout the show, along with the latest Xerox SRA3 toner-based digital presses. Fujifilm will also be demonstrating how its plate production solutions can add value to a printer’s business with its new Brillia HD PRO-T3 and ‘lo-chem’ plate production solutions. Finally, at the heart of this exhibit will be the company’s XMF workflow and production management suite. With a an array of new features, including a major new cloud-based module designed to help printers manage cross-process colour consistency, XMF will be a key part of Fujifilm’s demonstrations focusing on how printers can improve the quality, productivity and environmental performance of their businesses.
Wide Format Print Zone
In the Wide Format area of the exhibit, Fujifilm will be showcasing its class-leading range of flatbed and roll-fed inkjet printers. The productivity, quality and performance of the Inca Onset S40 will be a particular highlight, along with demonstrations of the company’s new Acuity LED 1600 hybrid. Completing the range will be the highly successful Acuity Advance platform and Uvistar II roll-fed printers, alongside the company’s innovative euromedia range of media.
Power to Succeed Exhibition Zone
A key display will be a zone dedicated to innovative print applications. Its aim is to provide inspiration to printers attending the show. Fujifilm will showcase many different types of print from around the world, all produced using different Fujifilm digital inkjet, toner, offset and flexo printing technologies.
Technology Leadership Zone
In this zone, Fujifilm will be showcasing the advanced products and technologies from Fujifilm Dimatix, the world’s leading supplier of drop-on-demand inkjet print heads for industrial applications.
