Tired of “playing the piano,” as Heidelberg’s Jeff Polley puts it, with the ink keys on your press to ensure even colour? Frustrated with the high percentage of waste on short-run offset jobs? If you answered yes to either of these questions, and are looking for a reliable short-run-ready offset press, Heidelberg Canada hopes that you will stop by their booth at Graphics Canada to witness the Canadian premiere of their Speedmaster SM 52 with Anicolor inking units.
The Anicolor is a short inking system (with dampening, so as to retain the advantages of wet offset printing) which uses an ink chamber, instead of the conventional ink zones. The precise, laser-engraved Anilox roller—a version of which is already in use in coating units—means that ink distribution across the sheet is uniform, eliminating the frustrating time that a press operator would normally spend adjusting ink levels in the different fountains. The form roller and plate cylinder are the same size as the Anilox roller, which also makes for greater efficiency. Sheet waste is also significantly lower than that of a conventional press, down to as little as 20 sheets on most jobs.
Correct and even ink coverage becomes a joy instead of a burden with the Anicolor. There are no zonal adjustments. However ink density changes are possible by changing ink temperature.
Although the Anicolor is approximately 15% more expensive than a conventional SM 52, it is up to 25% more efficient due to quick ink unit response, fewer waste sheets at the beginning of each job, resulting in faster makeready. At a recent demonstration at Heidelberg’s Mississauga headquarters, three 250-sheet jobs went from start to finish in less than 35 minutes. Packagers and label printers—for whom consistent colour is paramount—could stand to benefit immensely from Anicolor technology, as could shops worried about the departure of short static runs to digital suppliers. The breakeven for the Anicolor is rated at 500 sheets, but can be as low as 250.
Heidelberg premiered the Anicolor at Ipex in 2006, but has saved the Canadian premiere for Graphics Canada 2007. There are about 50 machines produced, mostly installed in Europe, and 4 in the U.S. at TaylorCorp. Comparable machines include the 20-inch waterless KBA Genius with Anilox.
No Anicolors have yet been installed in Canada—your shop could be the first!
