Central Impression Press Buyer’s Guide: Productivity vs. Cost Concerns

Morale Builder

“Productivity is often more a function of uptime, rather than of maximum design speed,” offers Carl DuCharme, print application leader, Paper Converting Machine Co. “Ease of adjustment of equipment and print decks—before and during production—allows the operator to maximize high-quality productivity.”

Driving home the point, he says, “Ease of access, easy-to-use-but-robust componentry, and clear and simple design help to reduce stress throughout the day.” Critical in every design and likely impacting press purchasing decisions are:

• Safety—the design of the equipment should allow appropriate access for maintenance and operation without reducing operator safety. Components used should have appropriate safety ratings, especially within scenarios like printing with solvent-based inks
• Ease of changeover—the ability to easily change from print job to print job helps maintain higher production levels and positive operator morale
• Speed vs. uptime—reliability, quick changeover capability and quality print capability of a press greatly impact profitability
• Drying effectiveness—drying system design is an important component to productivity and profitability. Design of drying zones and components will determine maximum drying speeds, which contribute to the overall cost per image, as does the cost of drying system operation and type (e.g. gas vs. hot air)
• Print quality capability—the ability to hold tight print-to-print register is a very important part of ensuring end-user satisfaction
• Chamber design—the design of the ink chamber greatly affects ink flow and transfer, as well as cleanup during changeover
• Ink usage—design of washup systems, print decks, ink chambers, piping, hose connections, etc., can significantly affect ink usage and cost. Proper equipment print control and ease of adjustment can also help to reduce ink consumption
• Closed-loop functionality—as automation increases, many press designs include closed-loop functionality, including impression and registration using inspection systems
• Cleanup—automatic washup systems for ink chambers and the CI drum help to increase productivity. Proper design can also reduce usage of inks, wash solutions and water, as well as help to maintain high print quality from print job to print job
• Number of print decks—depending on the number and mix of print jobs to be run on a press, having the flexibility of 10-color decks may well outweigh the potential higher initial machine cost when compared to an 8-color deck machine. High laydowns may also require additional print decks

Carl observes, “Cost of consumables (seals, doctor blades) increases as a result of poor design due to a higher replacement rate, and print quality can be affected.” More optimistically, he notes, “As technology continues to improve, presses will, to a greater extent, allow optimized production.”

Quality Control

Setup and breakdown of every job is the key to saving both time and money. Standard features are now driving quality control and resulting in noticeable continuous improvement. That’s the position held by John Pan, general manager, Kuen Yuh Machinery Engineering Co., Ltd. (KYMC). He contends that, “Automation is boosting productivity.”

John uses that word in listing out 50 percent of the top 10 concerns to address in evaluating a potential press purchase.

• Auto-register control—a good and effective automatic pre-register control system can set all colors in register within 164-ft. (50-m.), as on an 8-color press
• Auto-impression control—good and effective auto-impression control should be able to set the impression for all colors within 656-ft. (200-m.), as on an 8-color press. Most importantly, it can set the desired impression from the operator’s determination, not the machine’s
• Auto wash with auto ink viscosity and temperature control—keeping ink under control is the key for quality print, therefore, ink viscosity and temperature control are equally important to the auto-wash system
• Drum cleaner—the drum cleaner really saves the operator a great amount of time and is an important issue for quality print production
• Auto defect detection—100 percent full width defect detection certainly benefits uninterrupted quality control. It increases productivity through automatic print monitoring, reduces waste and complaints, and increases customer satisfaction
• Print and anilox sleeve system—the sleeve system is becoming standard on every modern press, yet customers should pay attention to the type of sleeve they are acquiring. It will affect the quality of printing and the life of the sleeve
• Auto splice on unwind and rewind, and reel handling system—continuous running while orchestrating a reel change has become a challenge to the operator. He or she needs a system to help to load/unload the reel every 20 to 30 minutes easy and efficiently. Those systems include a trolley, lifting table, robot, etc.
• Energy saving drying system—a high-efficiency drying system is required on a high-speed press, yet it needs to be energy saving as well. Heat recovery and/or the use of an energy saving heating element/source are becoming standard on every modern press
• Hybrid solution—thanks to the development of the electronic driving system, the link of post processes (finishing) on the press is no longer an issue. This includes: inline coating/lamination, inline digital printing, inline cutting/sheeting, inline bag making, etc.
• Ready for i4.0—the press must demonstrate interconnectivity, with major components monitored through any mobile device. It must also be able to connect to external management systems like APS, MES and ERP

John predicts the industrial production revolution will continue. “All printers should prepare themselves. The most basic principle in the new industrial revolution is that their equipment has the ability to connect with other equipment or systems through the network.”

Integration & Optimization

“In a market where versatility of a press is mandatory, due to increasing demand for shorter runs and a manifold of jobs, what makes the difference is no longer simply speed,” notes Jeff Dietz, vice president, web and specialty press division, KBA North America, Inc.

“The trend toward automation has moved the focus from the operator’s skills to the press’ technological skills. Not all special tasks can simply be accomplished by clicking a button. There are still markets where a converter must master the required printing technology,” he continues. “Skills to integrate dedicated equipment to optimize those raw materials play a role in engineering the press to the best process layout.”

Jeff says, “Presses can be tailor-made to requirements, such as in register, lacquering, varnishing, coating, inspection, reprint systems, security prints, etc. Modern presses can be used as an automated tool, thanks to operator-friendly interfaces and the top fine printing performance enhancements.”

When buying such intricate and sophisticated machinery, careful attention to detail is required. Specifically:

• Productivity—the first reason why you purchase a production tool, but in the end, it is not the utmost important one. Nowadays, powerful components for a machine can be supplied abundantly
• Quick change features—handy access to all devices, reducing or avoiding any waste at startup of a new job and simplifying troubleshooting are necessities
• Ergonomics—tool-less impression setting (AIF), pipe-less doctor blade chambers, horizontal sliding drying bridges and much more
• Energy-saving features—heavy workloads of a press imply intensive consumption of large amounts of energy. It’s getting more and more challenging to meet efficient productivity in a profitable manner, because of the motion power and heat rates required by a heavy-duty press
• Improved human operation—the press must be easily “readable” or operable, so the printer can actually master it
• Intelligent print—customizing the process to the abundant options of coatings, varnishes, inks, substrates and their sizes/supplies makes it profitable for new packaging products
• Auto register and auto impression—flexo printing is sneaking into other markets successfully, and having a press you can lead to superb impression settings, which yields superb halftones and top densities, or matching consistent register and impression control over length and over job changes, gives an edge on delivering the best
• A press for the future—it frequently happens that a customer knows what it wants today, but its fears are for tomorrow. Once the press is built, you have to run it. Changes in a flexo press are hard to build in and should be contemplated at purchase
• Primus inter pares (first among equals)—flexo printing is mainstream packaging, but there are converters who want to stand out for their unique print. Stress features that deliver distinctive fine print and make customers acknowledge that it’s not ordinary flexo
• Organizational support—you’re not alone! The investment is no longer an investment into a tool, a capital good, which drops into your factory and it’s over. The “fire and forget” method is not an option. Utilize a global team of professionals to assist in taking care of your presses through preventative maintenance plans that deliver peace of mind

“It’s all about making printing more profitable and less tasking for the customer,” Jeff explains. “That’s why KBA has implemented innovative drives on the press. They save power and exploit available heat.”

Offering one final observation, he says, “At KBA, the flexo press has LEAN engineering and design, which makes it fit for today and ready to be upgraded tomorrow. Your press can accept changes of layout when it comes to a shift of your production targets.”

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