Defining an Industry

Terms define technology, but for package printers, wide-format presses are enabling them to define their industry.

by Joy English, Assistant Editor

THE PACKAGE-PRINTING industry is filled with numerous terms and definitions, spelling out the processes that form its daily functions. Although these definitions help with understanding and categorization, in the end, it's the equipment that must perform. Today's wide-format presses do this well, providing the converter with everything from ease of operation and increased speeds and widths to customization.

Functionality

Multifunctionality, especially in regards to press capabilities, is vital to a converter's ability to add value to its customers' printing jobs. And top press manufacturers are offering wide-format presses with wider widths and increased speeds that accomplish an array of functions.

Windmoeller & Hoelscher's Novoflex® CM and CL presses combine wide printing widths and long repeat lengths to create wide-format presses with diverse functionality. The Novoflex CM, available in 8 and 10 colors with repeat lengths of 49-1/4˝ (8-color) and 34-1/4˝ (10-color), and the 10-color Novoflex CL press, with a 49-1/4˝ repeat length, both offer speeds up to 1,300 fpm. An optional speed enhancement package increases speeds to 2,000 fpm. Both of these presses include the ProControl® TS Windows-based operator panel with full-order menu, along with an advanced high-precision deck positioning system for reliable, high-quality printing at any speed.

The Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 press offers "one-pass productivity," printing on both sides of the sheet in a single pass. Coupled with this, the press' functionality is increased with such features as a preset feeder with an automatic monitoring/detection system to ensure reliable, smooth sheet travel; a stable, high-quality print inking unit; and a modular blanket washup device, a self-contained system for reduced material consumption, disposal, and maintenance costs. The 70˝ by 100˝ press, available in 2 to 12 colors, also prints on stocks with a thickness range of 0.03-0.8 mm.