Value Added Printing in Small Format

　　International Technology Forum in Offenbach demonstrated convincing value-　adding applications

　　How can production with small-format presses achieve added value? At manroland, international print experts could see how production efficiency and product value in the format classes 35/50 and 50/70 can be increased through Value Added Printing.

　　The Technology Forum held in Offenbach on November 26 and 27 demonstrated the fundamental strength of manroland’s small-format portfolio, a format class that has had a high priority in the company for more than three years. Production efficiency and product value have nothing to do with press format or the size of a printing company – manroland illustrated this with the inline applications of its Value Added Printing strategy. The ROLAND 50 (35/50) which recently won the 2008 German Printing Industry Innovation Award took centre stage during the event. This is a press that opens up completely new business opportunities in its format class. Can it for example print a wine carton 0.75 mm thick? No problem. With double-diameter impression cylinders and transferters and markless sheet travel, the ROLAND 50 processes substrates up to 0.8 mm thick. And after the carton job is finished, the feeder and delivery can be quickly converted from sheet printing mode to process envelopes in the same high quality.

　　New: inline inkjet system on a sheetfed press

　　Often requested by printers and now presented by manroland: an inkjet system for a sheetfed offset press, namely the ROLAND 50. A wine carton printed in accordance with Process Standard Offset using printcom inks was imprinted with consecutive numbering and a text by an inkjet system with two printing heads located in the delivery. This new inline inkjet system now makes it possible to add personalisation or batch numbering for example to products printed on an offset press in one pass.

　　New enhancement possibilities in the 50/70 format

　　The ROLAND InlineCoater smart provides smaller printing companies in particular with significant economical and financial advantages. The flexible coating module is very suitable for occasional and simple applications of protective and matt or gloss coating on paper and cardboard. This enables an additional printing unit to be used for either printing or coating. A brochure was printed on the new ROLAND 200 with a high-pile delivery, high-gloss coated with the ROLAND InlineCoater smart, and dried in the extended delivery by the new, energy-efficient ROLAND SelectDryer IR/TL. In this case the ROLAND SelectDryer IR/TL was supplemented with two additional TL (hot-air) modules to boost productivity. During production of a greeting card job on the proven ROLAND 200 (50/70), the guests could see how die-cutting and perforating can be carried out inline in a printing unit. The ROLAND 500 (50/70) sets the standards in automation, application versatility and production volume in its format class. The ROLAND 500 is also known for its UV capabilities and this was demonstrated during the Forum where it printed a poster with matt/gloss effects. A ROLAND 700 HiPrint equipped with the ROLAND InlineFoiler Prindor module showed the visitors the impact provided by cold foil enhancement. Since drupa 2008 this module is also available for the ROLAND 500.

　　PRINTVALUE for added value

　　Value Added Printing helps printing companies to develop effective business models. Besides groundbreaking technology this also includes a comprehensive portfolio of services. The manroland PRINTVALUE team and high-profile guest speakers provided practical insights into current topics such as ecology and financing. How can I as a printer identify weaknesses in my organisation? How can I quickly and effectively correct these and with which simple measures can I improve my efficiency? In his talk, Wolfgang Hollender from Carpe Dies Consulting explained how this can be done on the basis of a pragmatic business analysis. With the aid of an extensive (360°) scenario, the current situation and sustainability of a printing company can be determined within a few hours. And which environment protection measures are eligible for funding in Germany, and how can a printing company make use of these funding programmes? Markus Schlömann from the KfW Bankengruppe provided detailed answers.

　　The speakers made it very clear how manroland examines the situation of a printing company as a whole, going beyond the printing system per se, and provides concrete support for improvements. The corresponding service products are bundled under the PRINTVALUE umbrella. manroland’s objective is to ensure optimal efficiency for the entire production process. printservices directly involves the printing system and ensures a high level or reliability over its entire life cycle. The printcom brand covers certified and coordinated process-compliant system components. And the printnet solutions provide effective printing plant networking. Furthermore manroland offers with printadvice advisory services for streamlining processes in the pressroom.

 
Visitors who saw the print demonstrations in manroland’s Print Technology Center were convinced about the quality.

 
Cardboard printing in small format with a ROLAND 50: the substrate used for this wine carton is 0.75 mm thick.