Demanding It All
Shorter print runs, green technology, the emergence of flexible packaging and UV inks, shorter makeready times, globalization—we’ve heard them all of late. Talk to almost any converter or print industry manufacturer and these buzz terms are likely to come up. Whether you’re a high- or low-volume converter, these issues impact the packaging industry in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most important result is that they push press manufacturers to continually evolve their products to keep up with the rapidly changing package-printing market.
The challenges are the same for narrow- or wide-web press users. Shorter print runs are converters’ new realities, making shorter makeready times critical to the success of their businesses. Presses used for narrow-web applications must operate at high efficiencies with the shortest amount of downtime. They must be able to print on a variety of substrates and be up to the task of integrating digital printing technology—especially for packaging applications where the package is the label. In such applications, a press must be able to employ a variety of inks and drying techniques. Flexibility, it seems, is the key.
Roger Pellow, managing director, labels group, Tarsus Exhibitions & Publishing, Ltd., stated in his Labelexpo Americas 2006 welcome that the North American label industry was predicted to grow 5 to 7 percent by 2007, with global label consumption increasing by 15-20 percent each year.
RFID’s emergence has placed a hi-tech emphasis on labeling, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. As the printed electronics market expands, labeling and narrow-web presses will enjoy expanding roles in the package printing arena.
Market demands
Besides the omnipresent pressure to adapt to an industry that demands shorter print runs, the package-printing market has become more sophisticated, and so have its demands. Recent press introductions represent various companies’ initiatives to meet these demands.
“Our customer base has become considerably more sophisticated over the past several years, and it is demanding quality, performance, and competitive pricing, as well as the latest in technology,” says Andrew Colletta, president/CEO of Nilpeter, USA. “Additionally, customer support has become extremely important, not only for servicing of their presses, but as a consultative resource in addressing the applications needs of their own customers.” Joe Posusney, marketing manager for Gallus, Inc. concurs. “[The] number one [demand] is support after the installation —training of the pressman, and training of the sales teams.”
To that end, Posusney says Gallus representatives will bring a converter’s press team to the Gallus facility in Philadelphia, Pa., and train them before their press arrives. “We’ll get their orders, so the press will be made in Switzerland or Germany, and we’ll bring their pressmen here so they hit the ground running when the press arrives. But then we still have training on the site with the press that they’re getting.”
According to Gerben van Wijk, PR manager, Drent Goebel, “The demands of our customers are enforced by the demands their customers have: they want the highest quality against the lowest possible cost within lightning fast reaction times. So our customers want us to deliver a press that has easy and fast set-up features, low prepress and running costs, and easy change-over capabilities.” He continues, “Another demand is the possibility to enclose different printing technologies within one press line, which is also possible with our modular construction. One can even integrate other printing techniques after the press is installed at the customer’s site.”
Huib van Heuvel, president, Drent Goebel North America, Inc., adds that customers demand a piece of equipment that enables them to make money. “First of all,” he says, “the equipment needs to be fit-for-purpose and extremely reliable. Then we see a trend toward higher quality graphics and efficiency for shorter production runs and the ability to react fast.”
Meeting demands
Nilpeter’s new presses and press enhancements reflect its efforts to meet market demands. Nilpeter’s FA line is a flexographic press that incorporates full servo technology with sleeve technology for anilox rolls and plate cylinders. “The FA line produces premium quality dot reproduction while offering [fast makeready],” says Colletta. The sleeve technology used on the anilox rolls and plate cylinders permits a complete change of an eight-color job in a matter of minutes, with minimal waste generated once start up is achieved.”
The company’s FB line has been enhanced with servo technology and offers the same performance at the same pricing as traditional lineshaft presses.
Steve Leibin, sales manager for Matik North America, the distributor for Omet flexo presses, comments that “customers are demanding reduced waste, rapid changeovers, enhanced capabilities such as multi-substrate, combination printing, as well as ease of use and very high print quality.
“Omet’s 13-inch FLEXY-S dual servo press features Omet’s Twin-Cut die-cutting system, and offers combination print capabilities including flexo, screen, and hot/cold foil. It also offers multi-substrate capabilities from 3/4 mil unsupported film to 16-pt. board. Dual servo design allows for two servo motors on each print station.”
The Varyflex LTF press features an automatic register control system featuring a vision-based system. This automatic register control system provides very fast printing preregistration automatically, both longitudinal and cross register adjustment. “This greatly reduces waste and enhances performance,” says Leibin.
Enhancements to Omet presses include the Twin-Cut diecutting system, and a Holo-Foil King hot foil and hologram insertion unit. “This unit allows up to six independent streams of hot foil or holograms to be inserted across the web at any station in the press,” he says.
According to Paul Teachout, product development manager for Aquaflex, Inc., “Our customers have the same demands as always—they’ve just bumped them up to another level of performance. Industry advancements in prepress and consumables have allowed us to make higher performing machines.” Teachout explains that Aquaflex’s new presses offer better dot reproduction, tighter registration, higher running speeds, and multi-process features such as rotary screen, hot and cold foil, and gravure. “Today’s presses can be changed over faster with shorter makereadies. They have less downtime, and require less maintenance. Many of these benefits are a direct result of our servo technology,” he says.
Aquaflex’s servo-driven presses include the FC 100 percent servo-driven, multi-substrate press available in 16- to 32-inch web widths. Also introduced recently is the ELS, available in 10- to 13-inch widths and specifically designed for the tag-and-label industry. Besides the usual tag and label substrates, the ELS also prints on film.
The updates Aquaflex has made available on its new presses are also available as retrofits for existing presses. These include improved inking systems, recirculatory dryer packages, and cold foil applications. “We build robust presses and they last a long time,” says Teachout. “So where practical, we try to provide upgrade paths for existing Aquaflex presses.”
Mark Andy used its “Voice of the Customer (VOC)” program to pinpoint the unique technical and machine needs of the film and flexible packaging printer, resulting in Comco C2. Comco C2 uses I-Drive™ (Intelligent Drive System), which brings together servo technology and advanced controls focused on precision print management and simplified operations. I-Drive offers full servo motion functionality (shaftless and gearless); continuous tension management and control; anilox and plate roll sleeves that change out in one smooth move; fully automated registration system; automated preregistration and re-registration; and improved ergonomics at every press station. Mark Andy’s 2200 press line has been completely redesigned and reintroduced as well.
van den Heuvel explains that the most important press development within the Drent Goebel group is sleeve offset technology, or the Variable Sleeve Offset Press (VSOP). “This is a true web offset press with all the advantages of a flexo press, a high degree of flexiblity to run all kinds of substates, and change to various repeat sizes cheaply and in the shortest possible time.” The web offset sleeve technology is mainly targeted at label printing and packaging applications.
van Wijk describes two enhancements to the compnay’s presses that are of interest to the label printing industry. The first is the company’s flexo-insert, which allows an offset printing unit to change into a flexo printing unit. “This creates enormous flexibility within the press line and takes away the need to invest in ‘pure’ flexo units,” he says. The second is Drent Goebel’s staggered offset plate, which enables the printer to cut an offset plate in any shape that is most economical for the image he has to print.
Heeding the customer’s call
No matter how press manufacturers get their information on what the market calls for, all are more than willing to work with their customers and enhance their products to meet emerging trends and needs. Along with more complex enhancements comes the necessity of providing product support in the form of technical support, sales training, operator training, and warranty coverage. The Gallus warranty program, for example, features a twice a year fitness press check where Gallus representatives will go on site, run through the whole press, and remove/replace worn parts. Gallus also has a remote diagnostic program whereby a customer’s press can be checked from Gallus’s headquarters to see if anything needs to be serviced.
Simplicity is also key. “Even with this focus on continuous improvement, we must remember that the most sophisticated computer-controlled press must run as easily as an analog press built 10 years ago,” says Teachout. He explains that, though high-tech, these machines run better, smoother, and faster. They’re more productive and generally easier to operate than legacy analog presses. “The learning or un-learning curve is very manageable and the productivity gains are well worth the effort,” he says.
Ultimately, heeding the customers’ calls will enable press manufacturers to enjoy continued success. As Teachout sums up, “What are our customers demanding today? They want it all, and we’re working hard to give them exactly that.” pP