Network and Automation: Luxury or Must?

If printers want to meet the customer's fast cycle and consistent, high-quality printing requirements, they must consider the network and CIP3. First installation of CIP3 equipment in the UK Although at the Ipex98 conference there was a lot of talk about integrated or network printing shops, there was still a long way to go between theory and practice. The lack of interest in the subject’s vagueness may be due to the fact that most printers in the UK have no more than 25 hired workers and that they are more concerned with the printing business than with the optimal prepress integration and printing network. However, there are indications that printing is seen as a unit in the entire production process. To improve its performance and improve print quality, it must be integrated with prepress and binding. Solar Offset said it is seriously considering plans to spend 3.7 million pounds to purchase prepress, printing, binding equipment and a CIP3 printing network from Docklands (CLICK HERE) in London. The goal of the online printing shop is to streamline and automate production and incorporate as many steps as possible. But because most printing operations are still adapted to manual tasks, this is not easy. In addition, the structure of the printing shop is separate, so that it is difficult to find a solution that can smoothly adapt to old business conditions. For small businesses, automation and networking is also a very expensive investment. Portability The products that promise to solve this problem are Adobe's Acrobat software with Portable Document Format (PDF), the forthcoming portable job label format, and CIP3. CIP3 is not widely accepted as a standard, and some people think it is because it took too long in the development process to be replaced by other systems based on the Windows NT platform. For example, many Management Information System (MIS) vendors can add some of CIP3's capabilities to their WindowNT-based platforms, SQL database structures, and systems that use network protocols to deliver information. However, MIS has not been used to track job information until recently, and has not yet included the ability to transfer data from one part of the production process to another. Another reason for lack of enthusiasm for CIP3 is that it requires the printing company to reorganize how to handle the job, must make choices in certain aspects, such as which presses to use and how much paper to use in the job, etc., and it cannot be withdrawn once it starts. This is impractical for many small printing companies because they only have a relatively low level of automation and are accustomed to making decisions before starting up. Ultimately, the success of an online printing shop is based on whether it has an overall goal and a truly open standard. CIP3 wanted to achieve this goal by focusing on the Print Production Format (PPF) generated by the improved RIP, which considers all print production processes from content-oriented to cutting and stapling. It contains the information on the page, the amount of jobs, the number of pages, and the folding and cutting positions. Until now, work has mainly included how CIP3 implements ink keys and transmits data from prepress to print in the workflow. To date, not many printers have added folding or binding data because it is too expensive and equipment manufacturers must establish interfaces. The advantages of CIP3 are reduced start-up waste, high control accuracy of production equipment, low technical requirements for setting up printing, and reduction of staff requirements. What does the printing of a web-based printing shop look like? "Changing your working methods - the network printing shop is the future trend," Mann Rolland boasted on Ipex98. Ipex98 mainly talks about the efficiency of work processing using digital workflows. Pecom ServerNet is Roland Integrated Network's main product. "It takes printing a step further," said Malcolm Frost, prepress manager at Pershke Price Service. "And it's basically handled in the same way as ctp, management information systems (MIS), prepress and binding equipment, In a word, printing becomes a function of the entire network.” It has specific functions, including Pecom printing instructions and job instructions for job preparation and operation, press room control, print monitoring and production status information, and prepress and MIS. Prepress connections and management connections for interface connections. Job Guidance "We estimate that job instructions and prepress connections will each reduce job preparation time by 10 minutes. If you exchange 6 times a day, you can save 1 hour a day," Frost said. According to the introduction of TPP Technical Printing Preparation Workstation 1993, Roland has the ability to print on the Internet. At present, there are 200 TPP technology users who are allowed to fully prepare for offline printing. In the past few years, as print jobs have become shorter, there has been an upward trend in the preparation time for off-line printing, and operators have not had time to prepare for printing, making more preparations for printing necessary. "Network and offline printing preparation are short-run printing solutions because they focus on operator technology and maximizing digital data work," Frost said. Man Roland's advanced Pecom packaging "makes printers confident in entering the digital world with the least computer knowledge." Not only do they allow data to flow horizontally between prepress and printing, but they also allow data to be exchanged between the administrator's personal operating level and the production of MIS. All Roland digital control printing presses, as well as the 300, 700, and 900 can all be networked. Similar models with the Roland RCI and linear skateboards, although with very few features, can be included. CP2000 control technology is an important innovation in Heidelberg, but so far it has only been applied on the Speedmaster102 press. Steve Cavey, director of UK marketing at Heidelberg for Speedmaster, said that it is easier than CPTronic and Windows NT-based software with touchscreen operation. In the first quarter of 1999, a product that was adapted to existing equipment was introduced, as long as it was a printer controlled by CPTronic using a flash memory card or a memory tape. Finchmark, located in Cheshire Stockport, ordered a six-color Speedmaster 102 with CP2000 digital control on the Ipex 98 for £1.4m, which was the first in the UK. The press was put into use in May 1999, which increased the productivity of the finchmark by 30%. The turnover for the next two years is expected to reach 6.2M to 7.75M. The technological innovation of Speedmaster102 also strengthened CP2000 to control and promote net production. Including the new InkLine supply system, it allows the ink to be transported on demand to achieve the same amount of ink in the ink fountain. Exatronic Duo Plus dusting system can double-spray on paper, reducing the amount of powder 30%. Finchmark Chairman Jim MaDermott said: "We feel that this investment is necessary to maintain our company's quality, speed, efficiency and perfection No control is impossible, printing at 15000sph must have the ability to respond immediately to commands, and the touchscreen will contribute a lot.The new InkLine is a washing machine that is precise and not wasteful, we can achieve 20-25% savings. Dusting devices also have quality and cost benefits." The CP2000 also provides online help for mechanical and electronic problems and can store up to 250 repeat jobs. The delivery, the front stop gauge, the preset thickness of the stack, and the dusting size can all be set. The CP2000 is a must-have printing management tool, but it has not yet been obtained when the printing part is networked. The part that fulfills the CP2000 function in Heidelberg models is CIP3. Heidelberg put its prepress interface CPC32 and CIP3 software on the market a year ago, and currently has more than 150 users worldwide. It won the InterTech Technology Award this year from the Graphic Arts Technology Society (GATF). The interface uses the CIP3 data in the PPF to calculate the ink percentage for each ink zone. This percentage is passed to the printer via a job memory card or data control. It reduces setup time and also reduces waste in print preparation. Heidelberg claims to increase production reliability with reduced costs. Some users start to taste applications when others consider them. The printing shop KBA's printing shop automation concepts are Opera and Logotronic. It includes job management, acquisition of machine and operating data, printing presets, service items, online connection with scanners and CIP3, and even with the production planning system (PPS). The connection interface is also part of this concept. As a low-cost start-up packaging industry, the company offers many variables for using existing pressroom equipment. It is possible to connect a Scantronic plate scanner or Ciptronic with the press. Ciptronic reads CIP3 data from the prepress system and calculates ink key presets and ink and wetting values. This data can be used for repetitive tasks and is said to be more accurate. If all data is provided digitally, plate scanners are no longer needed, which will further reduce costs. Another part of Opera is the Densitronic-S compound density and ink control system, which provides post-print quality control. Deviations in ink density values, ink types, and other quality features such as increased hue values, overprints, etc. can all be identified and displayed. The density deviation is passed to the ink key settings and then passed to the press. Ten customers have already ordered KBA's Ciptronic system. Two units were sold in the UK and will be put into operation. Ordnance Survey booked one. KBA's flagship network printing shop is in Antelope, Belgium. Komori's Printroom2000 concept is described as a chip-based workshop, which is an open system based on a lithographic press. Md Martin Rickarks said that it is "the key to Komori's future development strategy," emphasizing that printing should be seen as the process of computer integrated manufacturing or industrialization. New products in this field include the KHS pre-inking system, which also reduces the amount of wasted print time in the 25-30 pages, saving about 80%. It is connected to Printroom2000 via a K-LAN network. The company cooperated with Screen Company and Sailing Angel to develop the interface of PQC printing quality control system. Komori's PCC (Print Card Control) accepts files generated by Saiangel's InkPro ink management system, and the Komori converter connects Screen's TaigaSpace system with PQC using the CIP3 format. The company can provide users with a choice of either CIP3 or private data. Image Colourprint near Willerby, Hull uses a PTP plateetter and PCC pre-inking software to automatically set ink properties. There is no doubt that an automated and networked printing shop is the most effective way for printers to meet the short cycle and quality requirements of customers. Many small printers postponed their use due to financial problems. In reality, the main benefits did not immediately lead to cost savings. But when dealing with more small jobs, its advantages are obvious. It is a promising, profitable and well-known technology. The first CIP3 equipment in the UK "We are customers, not the product leader," said Stuart Morris, managing director of Solar Offset, for the company's special advanced equipment. "We asked our customers what kind of services they needed. They immediately answered that it was consistent quality and Fast delivery.” In order to meet customer needs, Solar spent £3.7m for printing production networked installations, which consisted of two five-color Mann Roland presses, one B1 R700 (with coater) and one B2 R300 ( With coater and double-sided printing capabilities; a Agfa Galileo automated ctp system using Lithostar plates, PDF-based Apogee digital workflow, and Taipan RIPs to drive front-end devices; data can be sent via Everest inkjet from Iris or Agfa The printer performs proofing; Optimus2020MIS provides management information; it has Wohlenberg cutting equipment, Herzog+Heymann folder and Baumann operating equipment. Mann Rolland's advanced Pecom packaging, including press manipulators, prepress connections and management connections, is used to integrate the network. "We installed the device to sell customers advanced technology, not just to show off," Morris said. He believes that ctp is the best way to get digital images to the press as soon as possible. Another reason for choosing ctp is that it uses first-hand information, is very accurate, and the plates are relatively clean. Morris said: "Using the method directly to the printing plate will definitely save time.