What are the latest developments in litho print?
Best of both worlds
Rewind the clock 20 years or so, and the introduction of the first digital presses spread fear across the industry about what this exciting new technology might mean for the tried and trusted litho machines that had served the market so well for many years.
However, bringing ourselves back to the present day, and this could not be further from the truth. Digital and litho presses now work hand-in-hand at print companies across the world, complementing each other perfectly and allowing users to take on a whole range of work from many different markets.
While many trade press headlines may be focused around the latest advancements in the digital market, innovation is still rife within the litho market, with updates of exciting new developments being announced on a regular basis.
Here, we look at some of the newest progressions in litho and mull over what this could mean for the market moving forward.
Complementary technologies
One of the leading names in litho technology is Koenig & Bauer. Craig Bretherton, product and marketing manager at Koenig & Bauer UK, agrees that litho and digital are complimentary technologies that, when used together correctly, offer huge advantages to printers.
Craig Bretherton, product and marketing manager at Koenig & Bauer, says when used together, digital and litho presses offer huge advantage
“The market that you are serving and economics determine whether litho is chosen over digital or vice versa,” Bretherton says, adding: “We have researched areas where litho and digital have a ‘sweet spot’ but it is not so clear as there are many reasons to use both technologies.
“Both technologies bring advantages and disadvantages, with litho the broadest range of materials can be produced using tried and tested inks and chemicals. Whilst the digital machines are getting faster, litho still has huge speed advantages.”
Bretherton focuses in on this point, saying that there is nothing better for general print – packaging in particular – or volumes above 500 sheets. He adds that litho can handle the broadest range of materials, demonstrated by the latest trend in commercial litho printing companies looking at entering the packaging market.
“Big volume jobs are far more efficient to produce and automation technologies have brought economic run lengths down to a couple of hundred sheets,” he says, adding: “High end products which utilise multiple special colours would probably be better produced using litho.
“Litho also has a sustainability advantage as the presses last many years and still have a value when they are eventually replaced and for medium to long-run large- format packaging printing litho cannot be beaten currently.”
Switching attention to the latest developments at Koenig & Bauer and Bretherton highlights how the company has a number of new products out with its flagship model for sheet-fed litho, the new Rapida 106X. With both the perfecting and straight versions having a top speed of 20,000 sheets per hour and featuring technologies that bring more up-time and reduce touchpoints for the operators, Bretherton says this is the most advanced press ever built by Koenig & Bauer.
Koenig & Bauer describes its new Rapida 106X, the flagship model for sheet-fed litho, as the most advanced press it has ever developed
With an eye on future cooperation between litho and digital, Bretherton says Koenig & Bauer also has a strong presence in the digital print world, with presses being manufactured for web-fed digital, in the form of the RotaJet, as well as CorruJET for the direct on to corrugated materials via a partnership with Durst, the MetalDecoJET for direct onto metal and the new VariJET 106.
Digital and litho are complimentary technologies now”
“Digital and litho are complimentary technologies now,” Bretherton comments, adding: “Companies have sophisticated software which automatically determines the most efficient way of producing a job, so the emotional argument is no longer there.”
Extremely efficient
Elsewhere and Heidelberg has been at the forefront of litho printing technology for many years, with its presses installed at print sites all around the world. Matthew Rockley, product executive for sheetfed and digital at Heidelberg UK, agrees that litho and digital print work with, rather than against, each other, with this being one of the core reasons Heidelberg moved into the digital market.
“Litho and digital complement each other, without a doubt,” Rockley says, adding: “But there are certain areas where litho will always come out on top. For example, if you are looking into core markets such as magazines, direct mail, web-to-print and packaging then, generally, litho is the dominant factor.
“The reason is if you were looking at something that doesn’t need specialist finishing like an A4 flyer, and instead looking at it on an hourly basis, then you will get much more productivity from a litho press at a competitive cost price. In particular, if you consider the advances with modern litho machines, there is very little makeready costs and waste is very low, so this offers an effective solution for run lengths as low as 500 sheets and above.”
Heidelberg presses running the Plate to Unit system are producing one million impressions a week when processing short run jobs
Rockley goes on to say that such advancements in modern litho presses have only been made possible as a result of the introduction of digital printing, with many of the features only previously available on digital presses now accessible on litho machines.
“Litho has been encouraged to become extremely efficient with the onset of digital, and I genuinely think Heidelberg have stepped up to the mark,” Rockley says.
With this, he draws attention to some of the latest developments on Heidelberg’s range of presses. First, Rockley focuses on a new system, called ‘Plate to Unit’, whereby a trolley of processed plates are taken from the computer-to-plate (CtP) department, the new system picks up eight plates, loads them on to the machine, and then takes the old ones off and stacks them. Rockley says machines running with the new system are now producing around one million impressions a week when processing short-run jobs.
Heidelberg’s new ‘Plate to Unit’ system speeds up the process of changing over plates on its litho presses
Also new from Heidelberg are a number of improvements to its Prinect Inpress Control colour management system. Rockley says developers have changed the way the system works in order to make it quicker and easier to use, thus improving the overall experience for users.
Dominant force
Another company well placed to advise on litho is M Partners, the UK distributor for RMGT presses. Mark Stribley, joint managing director of M Partners, believes litho is still the dominant process in the printing industry, despite the influx of digital.
“The benefits of digital at the short-run, personalised end of the spectrum are obvious, and litho cannot compete there,” Stribley says, adding: “However, the benefits of litho, including its cost-per-page on mid- and long-runs, and its production speed, are areas where digital is finding it hard to gain real traction.
“The current crop of inkjet presses possess great qualities, but they come at an eye watering price, with significant maintenance costs, and are still largely focused at specific print niches, rather and the wider array of work that litho can target.”
While fiercely loyal to litho, Stribley highlights M Partners’ respect for digital, showcased in its ‘DigitalXtra’ promotion, which focuses on how litho and digital complement each other.
“Each has its own set of benefits,” he says, adding: “Litho printing equipment is still able to handle a significantly wider range of stocks than any digital machine.
“RMGT presses equipped with LED-UV are more than capable of printing on plastics as well as light-weight papers and heavier card substrates. But more importantly, cost per copy is significantly less when a run of some 250 to 300 copies is produced on our B3-format press equipped with LED-UV.”
M Partners is the UK distributor for RMGT presses. Pictured – the RMGT 1050TP Tandem Perfector Press
Looking at new developments at M Partners and RMGT, Stribley says the firm is working on a number of projects where it is taking out two B2-format presses and installing one A1 press.
“A single press operation, with a reliable and affordable machine, capable of printing eight A4 pages to view, using LED-UV to produce dry-to-the-touch sheets, creates a significantly more affordable and productive litho operation,” he says.
“Fewer press operators, less hardware maintenance costs, and more floor space, owing to the fact that an RMGT 920 press is the size of one B2 press. Add to that the benefits of LED-UV drying, including immediate post-press activities, and printers have a litho solution that’s perfect for lean productivity.”
Quality and speed
Elsewhere, Paul Guy, national sales manager for the UK and Ireland at Manroland Sheetfed UK, says litho will continue to have a place until digital catches up with both the speed and quality required by many printers.
“Litho is about quality and speed,” Guy says, adding: “A printed dot is always going to be a distinct factor for a client looking for the best quality that he can offer.
Guy goes on to say that development of new litho kit remains as strong as ever, pointing to some of the latest advancements from Manroland. These include Inline Color Pilot, which gives the user the ability to measure and control colour without having to look at a sheet.
Other new developments include Inline Inspector, a camera that looks at every sheet to detect any defects whether colour related or imperfections in the print.
This can an also use a PDF to adhere to and check for spelling mistakes or missing text. It then inserts a tab into the pile to show where the defect sheets are or alternatively ejects the sheets into a bin underneath the delivery, called an Inline Sorter.
O Factoid: Litho printing was invented in the late 1700s by German author and actor Alois Senefelder O
Meanwhile, Direct Drive is a multi-tasking facility for changing the plates, washing blankets and impression cylinders, and washing ink rollers simultaneously, but at different speeds.
In addition, AutoPrint is a system that chooses the best way to print a number of jobs from a list. It changes the plates, adjusts the colour to the desired densities and then runs the job, also washing the blankets and cylinders before repeating the previous steps for the next job and so on and so on until you tell it to stop.
“Litho will continue to have a place in the industry until digital catches up with the speed and quality required by many PSPs,” Guy adds.
We have come some distance since digital was heralded as the death of litho. It is now clear that litho and digital can work together in harmony to give print-service-providers a strong arsenal of technology, with the ability to take on a wide range of print jobs.
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