PrintWeekMENA

Koenig & Bauer Demonstrates Pioneering Spirit through Compr…

Koenig & Bauer, a globally leading manufacturer of printing presses, has announced the launch of its comprehensive Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme, ‘AI Empower 25’. With this strategic initiative, the company underscores its pioneering spirit and secures its competitiveness through the forward-thinking integration of AI technologies and a unique training approach for its employees. As part of a groundbreaking partnership with Google, Koenig & Bauer is immediately providing its teams with a range of powerful AI tools. These include the Gemini App as a versatile AI assistant, Gemini Advanced for Workspace for integrated AI assistance directly within Google tools, NotebookLM Plus for specialised knowledge tasks based on internal company documents, and Google Vids for AI-supported video creation. The introduction of these tools, particularly Gemini for Workspace and NotebookLM Plus, marks a decisive step towards a more efficient and productive working environment at Koenig & Bauer. The core of the ‘AI Empower 25’ programme, however, lies not only in the provision of cutting-edge technologies but much more in the belief in the ability and potential of employees to make optimal use of these technologies. Under the motto ‘The Power Is You!’, Koenig & Bauer is adopting a decentralised training approach. Over the coming months, executives and selected AI Champions from around the world will receive intensive training and will act as multipliers and first points of contact for their colleagues. While the specific training is initially reserved for the AI Champions, the AI tools are already available to all employees to gain early experience and benefit from the advantages of AI in their daily work. Further training opportunities will follow to ensure broad acceptance and utilisation. As an incentive for innovative ideas and outstanding commitment in dealing with AI, the AI Award will be presented in December. This prize aims to honour the creative use of the new tools and the development of solutions to improve daily work. “With ‘AI Empower 25’, we are once again demonstrating our pioneering spirit,” says Dr Stephen Kimmich, CEO of Koenig & Bauer. “We are convinced that the successful integration of Artificial Intelligence not only increases efficiency and productivity but also sustainably strengthens our company’s innovative power. By actively involving our employees in this change and providing them with targeted training, we ensure that we remain at the forefront of technological development and secure our competitiveness in the long term.” Koenig & Bauer isn't just boosting its internal AI expertise through the 'AI Empower 25' programme; it's also investing externally in AI-based solutions. Koenig & Bauer Kyana, a business unit spun off from the Group's digital unit on 1 April 2025, focuses on developing digital business models, as well as AI and data-based solutions throughout the entire lifecycle of print products. Its digital product portfolio already includes established solutions like Kyana Assist, the AI-powered expert, and Kyana Data, an intelligent production data analysis tool. This portfolio is continuously being expanded with other pioneering AI and data-based applications to meet customer needs even more precisely and to maximise growth potential in the dynamic market segment. While 'AI Empower 25' focuses on empowering Koenig & Bauer's own employees to boost internal efficiency and productivity, Koenig & Bauer Kyana's products and offerings aim to support customers in the print and packaging industry with innovative digital solutions and optimise their production processes. With ‘AI Empower 25’, Koenig & Bauer is setting a new standard in the industry and demonstrating how a forward-thinking approach to digitalisation and employee training can pave the way for a successful future.

Koenig & Bauer Demonstrates Pioneering Spirit through Compr…

Analysis of the relevant press data has shown that around 65 percent of all commercial print jobs produced worldwide on a Speedmaster press from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) involve print runs of fewer than 2,000 sheets. However, some 90 percent of the print volume is produced on offset presses. Short or very short runs are produced digitally, while medium-sized and long runs are printed on offset presses. The two technologies therefore exist side by side and complement each other. To handle this kind of order structure efficiently and cost-effectively, print shops combine offset and digital printing. They therefore need hybrid solutions that offer them maximum flexibility and create the conditions that enable them to produce the entire range – from very small to very large print runs – cost-effectively, with as little paper waste as possible, and on time, even when deadlines are very tight. Moreover, these users want a standardized workflow management solution that will enable them to process all orders with the greatest possible degree of automation. In addition to fast and cost-effective production, another key requirement is print results that are identical in color, irrespective of which print technology is used to produce the print job in question. Only then can production deliver the flexibility and performance that are needed to meet ever tighter delivery times. HEIDELBERG supports print shops on a technology-neutral basis across the entire value chain This is precisely where HEIDELBERG comes in, offering its customers a hybrid production environment across all technologies and fully integrated into one workflow with Prinect. “Nowadays, HEIDELBERG is a total solution provider and partner that can supply and integrate all the latest technologies on a technology-neutral basis and in line with customer requirements. We offer the entire spectrum – from toner to inkjet and from offset to flexo printing – all controlled from a common Prinect workflow,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Management Board Member for Technology and Sales at HEIDELBERG. “This is unique in the industry,” he continues. The latest milestone to achieving this is the collaboration between HEIDELBERG and Canon for industrial inkjet printing that was announced at drupa 2024 and has attracted a great deal of interest on the market. With the Jetfire 50 digital printing system that is available now and, in the future, the Jetfire 75, which is currently still in the development phase, HEIDELBERG is offering its commercial customers a digital solution that meets industrial requirements in terms of productivity, flexibility, and quality. Both systems can be integrated into one workflow with Prinect Production Manager, as can the company’s sheetfed offset printing presses. Where necessary, HEIDELBERG also integrates digital printing systems from thirdparty manufacturers into the Prinect technology. Exactly the same rules always apply to the rendering of the print data and to color management, regardless of whether the job is being printed using digital or offset technology. This results in printed products that are identical in terms of color. Greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness with Prinect Touch Free In a hybrid production environment with different presses and printing methods, it is even more important to keep necessary interventions in the production process to an absolute minimum. Each touchpoint comes at a cost in terms of time and resources, and there is an associated risk of error, too. Another issue is that the skills shortage in print shops is becoming even more acute. What’s more, the number of print jobs that need to be produced during a shift is rising, while print runs are getting smaller. Given these conditions and processes, staff are also reaching their physical limits. From an economic 3/5 perspective, they can no longer handle this volume manually, especially since print shops are already experiencing high cost pressures and battling with low profit margins. For print shops to remain profitable, the production process needs to be as automated as possible – from the incoming order all the way through to the end product. The only solution is a workflow that is capable of managing the entire production environment as autonomously as possible. This is why HEIDELBERG developed Prinect Touch Free, which it showcased for the first time at drupa 2024. In conjunction with Prinect Production Manager, Prinect Touch Free autonomously steers print orders through the workflow in a hybrid production environment. Prinect Touch Free automatically selects the most cost-effective production path Supported by AI, the Prinect Touch Free native cloud software calculates all possible layouts autonomously and decides iteratively, on the basis of the complete order backlog, which method (offset or digital printing) represents the more efficient, more costeffective production path that will also meet the delivery deadline. The software analyzes the order backlog and production key performance indicators on an ongoing basis, learns from this, and consequently optimizes the decisions made for future jobs. In a first step, Prinect Touch Free is based on the app modules ‘Pathfinder’, ‘Decision Maker’ with ‘Batch Building’, and ‘Auto Scheduler’. Pathfinder works out all the production paths that are possible with the production technology available in the print shop. It draws up the relevant layouts and calculates the production costs for each possible path. By factoring in costs and the delivery date, Decision Maker decides which of the production paths identified should be selected, and it considers alternatives, too. In the Batch Building module, pending print orders are grouped together to minimize any machine changeovers and paper changes and also to optimize processes in postpress operations. Auto Scheduler is responsible for optimizing the production schedule on an ongoing basis. What’s more, Prinect Touch Free takes account of postpress requirements and possible printing systems from third-party suppliers. It can handle even large order volumes with ease. It factors in the automatic scheduling as well as schedule changes in the event of machine malfunction or staff absence. The color management is adapted automatically for the output device in question, so there is no need for human intervention. With 4/5 Prinect Touch Free, HEIDELBERG also offers users the future prospect of continued profitable print production – with output devices, whether offset or digital, and the workflow management system working hand in hand. Even today, Prinect Production Manager already fulfills key automation functions, ensuring perfect interaction in a hybrid production environment equipped with a Jetfire. Print Media Center in Wiesloch is being revamped as the “Home of Print” As part of its alignment as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is revamping its Print Media Center (PMC) at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site and turning it into the “Home of Print”. Offering the biggest exhibition space in the industry – more than 9,000 square meters of it – this Home of Print will give existing and prospective customers the chance to find out about all the latest technologies and solutions from HEIDELBERG for offset, digital, and flexographic printing on a technology-neutral basis. The revamp will be complete by the coming spring. By then at the latest, all the innovations showcased by HEIDELBERG at drupa 2024 for packaging, label, and commercial printing in fully integrated workflows and in customer-specific areas will also be available for live demos in the Home of Print. “In the Home of Print, HEIDELBERG will be showcasing the future of printing. There’s quite simply nowhere else customers can find out as much about the latest technologies for print production and work with our experts to explore and be presented with solutions that are tailored to their precise requirements, ”Schmedding explains.

Koenig & Bauer Demonstrates Pioneering Spirit through Comprehensive A…

How to implement automation in printing operations

It is becoming necessary in printing operations to automate as much as possible to gain efficiencies. But before you begin your planning processes, look at your current state to ensure that you understand how works happen today. Kodak, a global technology company focused on print and advanced materials and chemicals, explains the vital role of automation in printing operations and how to do it properly. Read on. Single system of record that reliably gathers data from business and production systems If you have that system of record, you are in the perfect state to take on end-to-end automation. If you have multiple points of data collection that have never been integrated, there is still a path to automation. Still, your planning may take longer to accommodate identifying the required data and the processes that use them. Standard processes for order taking, job specification, and order management When there are standard processes, planning for automation can leverage them to speed implementation. When the procedures to take orders are different for every sales channel, it is hard to standardize order intake. When the process of capturing job specifications varies by sales team member and orders are managed without a strategic view into machine usage and job deadlines, some work will be required before automating and making those processes more efficient. How many spreadsheets are used to track jobs, components, or processes? Every business has some ad hoc processes tracked on spreadsheets, whiteboards, and notepads to keep mission-critical items front of mind. There is nothing wrong with them, but when they become the sole source of truth about a job or a process, they add risk to production. Some organisations justify using spreadsheets by putting them onto shared-access servers so that all authorized constituents can easily access them. It sounds like a great idea, but over time you may find that copies are sitting on individual desktops, and the shared copy is no longer the reliable source of information. Knowing what you have as you plan for automation will help you size the effort. Moving to that automated environment creates a single system of record that is reliable and can be integrated into adjacent business and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Planning for automation You could find some processes that appear easy to automate, add some new tools, and call that your automation plan, but there is a better path. It starts with knowing what is possible. New options in cloud-based workflows bring the same powerful options to smaller shops as the largest shops enjoy. With minimal investments and immediate implementation, shops with a single digital press can build an efficient workflow that will scale using the same technology as a mid-size shop with a mix of offset and digital devices. And these modern cloud-based production workflow solutions can help in any segment, whether the work you produce is graphically-rich static content or uses data-driven processes to execute variable content targeted to a specific recipient. Today’s automated production workflows are built to integrate MIS and ERP tools, Web-to-Print solutions, and e-commerce options. This approach should be high on your list as you consider automation options because it brings a robust IT infrastructure to the table. Automating individual processes glued together with manual interventions isn’t the accomplishment that brings the most benefit. Considering automation requires a dive into every action involved, from the point of estimation and sale to the final delivery to the customer. Planning is the active event designed to identify the touchpoints and the best approach to reviewing each step, the people involved, and the current tools used. Start by articulating your strategic goals for 2022. You may be looking to expand into a new industry or print segments. Your current workload may require more capacity. You may want to acquire more capabilities, either through buying more equipment, optimising workflows, or buying a company. As you consider your strategic plan, itemize the candidate processes for automation to move you toward those goals. Don’t be surprised if you identify current manual processes as critical roadblocks. Strategic goals are long-term and inform the way the business runs. There will be some work to do to build the bridge from strategy to implementation, and that is where tactical planning becomes essential. Tactical goals are more than solving today’s bottleneck. They work within the strategy to consider implementing new software and processes while keeping production moving. Think of it as changing the tires on a car while it’s in motion. There will be practical concerns as current processes are replaced by automation, including how and when to move off tools that are no longer providing value. Tactics should support the strategic goals and solve the business' specific challenges without adding more hurdles to creating an automated environment. Build the strategic plan for automation to consider the practical implication of automating the current processes, including goals for gaining buy-in from the team members in each department, who may be asked to change how they do their jobs or change positions to accommodate the planned process modifications. Look for onramps to the fully automated business environment for every element in the tactical plan that enables lower cost and higher margins. A part of tactical planning includes your approach to daily operations. To create an efficient environment in 2022, consider a standalone Operational Plan to document the expectations for each department, interface points between departments, and the key performance metrics that will help everyone stay on the strategic course. Automation does not eliminate the need to understand the production touchpoints. The best practice is to document what should happen if you lose access to the automation, too. The last step in planning for automation is to build the appropriate contingency plans. Cloud-based automated workflows protect you from onsite server disruptions and mitigate much of the risk associated with onsite installations when paired with a disciplined backup strategy. What to do next If you plan to automate your print workflow in 2022, look for scalable and easy platforms to integrate with your core business systems. Ensure that your chosen technology partner lets you automate each task within prepress and production and then map those automated tasks together to ensure that each type of job takes the correct journey through each process. Learn your options, and then create a plan that works for you.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Estimable estimators

If they were lucky, the human estimators had an adding machine or desktop calculator to help with the figures. A busy medium-sized printer might have 10 or more full time estimators. Finding and keeping that many specialised estimators could be tricky, as the work was exacting but hardly exciting. Computers were an obvious solution, but the knowledge of how to program for such specialised calculations wasn’t. One of the first UK companies to crack it was what was to become Imprint Business Systems, which is still going strong after 42 years. Today its customers in print and packaging run into the hundreds and many of them have used Imprint systems for at least 25 years. Like most of the early MIS developers, Imprint grew out of the needs of a particular print company, which then used the experience gained to sell to a wider circle or printing and packaging companies. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a lot of computer estimating start-ups, often with printing company roots. Some of Imprint’s original UK competitors from 40-odd years ago have also survived and prospered independently, such as Optimus (originally Optichrome Computer Systems Ltd, or OCSL), DDS (Accura) and Tharstern, while others were taken over by the ever-expanding EFI empire (such as Prism, Radius, Shuttleworth and Technique). A few others have either merged, or closed, or both. Imprint itself was founded in 1978 by Glennys Bourne and Jonathan Richards. Originally the pair had worked together at the art book printer Shenval Press in Harlow. Richards was general manager, later a director of Shenval, but had learned programming skills at college. Bourne went on to run the nearby Caterpillar Press. Bourne says that the reason for writing the original computer estimating program was a shortage of the trained human variety. “You could not get estimators for love nor money,” she says. So the first estimating program was written to suit the needs of Shenval Press and Caterpillar Press. Bourne saw the potential for Imprint beyond the needs of Shenval and Caterpillar, so the latter was sold to concentrate on the new business. “The Imprint name describes the company well and has stood us well over the years,” says Richards. “As for why the name was chosen, it just seemed a good fit at the time.” Both are still very much involved today. Bourne is CEO, while Jonathan Richards says he’s “allowed to be chairman on high days and holidays”. However, time marches on and their children Will Richards and Nick Bourne have also joined Imprint – the latter now being MD. Today Imprint is based in High Easter, in the countryside between Chelmsford and Bishop’s Stortford, handily close to the M11 and Stansted airport. It employs 16 people in an often overlapping mix of management, programming and customer services roles.

admin in News July 22, 2022

Agfa Avinci CX3200

Avinci CX3200 is 3.2 m wide dye sub textile printer capable of printing on polyester-based textiles What is it? Agfa’s Avinci CX3200 is a highly reliable and convenient soft signage printer that can print directly to fabrics and onto transfer paper. It uses an off-line calendar unit to ensure perfect fixation. Agfa’s dedicated dye sublimation roll-to-roll printer will enable you to create vibrant, high-quality prints on polyester-based fabrics up to 3.2 m wide, including a broad range of in- and outdoor soft signage applications, as well as interior decoration. The Avinci CX3200 boasts a rich color gamut and delivers deep black, perfect solids, accurate spot color mapping and smooth tonal rendering that is particularly noticeable in skin tones. The Avinci inks are characterised by their flexibility, image longevity and outdoor resistance. They offer stable jetting performance and deliver the same high-quality results, batch after batch. An off-line calender unit fixes the color deeply into the structure of the polyester-based fabrics while evaporating the carrier fluid. When was it launched at what are the target markets? It was launched on June 22, 2021, and aimed at soft signage industry, sports wear, fashion industry and home décor. Avinic CX3200 is a 3.2 m wide Dye Sub Textile printer capable of printing on polyester based textiles. Does it replace an earlier product? It replaces the earlier model of DX3200. The Avinci CX3200 is driven by Agfa’s Asanti wide-format workflow software. Color accuracy is provided by the easy-to-use color management. Using their Calibrated Print Mode feature, new media can be calibrated and profiled in less than 15 minutes, after which the new profiles can be used to guarantee print quality. Asanti controls and automates the entire printing process from file intake to finishing, maximising productivity. Its comprehensive integration of file handling, color management and preflighting guarantees smooth and error-free jobs. The web-based Asanti Production Dashboard offers a view on your running production. It summarizes the jobs produced and reports on quantity printed, media usage, ink volumes enabling you to control your production and to manage your print shop optimally. What is the USP? It allows you to print directly on textiles and capable of print on transfer paper media as well. Single person media loading and low inks consumptions are another features. High productivity and a robust design for reliable printing at all times, vibrant prints and a wide color gamut; fine detail rendering; extensive applications scope; low ink consumption; convenient operations and a fast changeover between jobs are another features. Avinci produces good results with a minimum of jetted ink. This low ink consumption is based on Agfa’s renowned Thin Ink Layer technology: a smart combination of particular ink characteristics and our Asanti workflow software algorithms that tune the ink quantities perfectly to the required image quality mode. What training and support are available? Full in house training and support available from Agfa UAE and Belgium. Complete and integrated solution are available for printer, inks, workflow software, worldwide service and applications support. How productive is it? It prints at speed of 250 Sqm per hr on express mode. Being able to print directly to fabric is easy and ideal for fast handling and for special applications such as flags, where print-though is needed. Transfer paper allows for super sharp prints, eliminates any set-off, and limits media waste to a minimum. In addition, it extends the application scope to sportswear and fashion garments, as well as home décor prints on non-coated polyester fabrics. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is approximately $220k stand alone printer and requires a separate calendaring unit. How many are in use? Currently, the latest CX3200 are around 11 units around the world. Specifications 3.2m Dye sublimation Printer Kyocera print heads 4 colour printer CYMK Direct to garment capable to print on transfer paper Max speed of 250 sqm Stand alone printer Resolution up to 600 x 1800 dpi Media types: Polyester-based fabrics, or transfer paper used to create banners, indoor wall graphics, shop decoration, outdoor advertising, light boxes, trade show displays, flags and high polyester-based blends “Agfa Avinci CX3200 was launched in June 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

Epson – SureColor SC V7000 Flatbed Printer

Epson's first UV large format printer offers exceptional image quality, Shihab Zubair What is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 is Epson's first UV large format printer, offering exceptional image quality. The V7000 is ideal for printing eye-catching retail and outdoor signage, window displays, hoarding panels, packaging, promotional goods, and décor products. It includes Epson’s Micro Piezo printhead with ten newly developed original inks, for accurate colour reproduction for spot and corporate colours. It allows businesses the flexibility to print on a range of media up to 80mm thick including acrylics, polycarbonates, PVC, glass, aluminium, metal, polyester, foam board, styrene, wood and stone. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing and, with the 4-zone vacuum system, it offers real flexibility for production environments. When was it launched at what are the target markets? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021 within the Middle East region, building on the success of Epson’s award-winning range of SureColor S Series signage printers. The V7000 allows sign and display makers to expand their portfolio of products, to deliver high quality, fast and reliable results on a variety of different media. Does it replace an earlier product? The SureColor SC-V7000 proudly marks Epson’s entry into the UV flatbed signage print market. As Epson’s first UV large format printer, it provides unique features to differentiate and enhance our offering to the signage market. Every feature of the Epson SureColor SC-V7000 has been designed with the customer in mind. This is a robust and affordable UV LED flatbed signage printer capable of fast and quality printing on a wide range of media – any type of surface, despite the size, thickness, or weight. This is in addition to Epson’s successful product solutions such as the Epson SureColor SC Series of eco-solvent and resin ink printers. For instance, for environmentally friendly organisations, Epson’s SureColor SC-R5010 Series has the capacity to include a resin ink solution, offering print service providers and creative design agencies the ability to produce a wide range of signage in a more sustainable way, without compromising on the results. For a larger ink capacity, Epson offers the SureColor SC-R5010L. What is the USP? The Epson SureColor SC-V7000 provides exceptional image quality, productivity, usability, and safety. With the unique Epson Micro Piezo printhead, the printer has ten newly developed original inks and 3-layer high-speed printing. It helps print with ease and safety with automatic measurement of media thickness, a multi-zone vacuum, and a printhead crash prevent function, Epson Edge Print, proximity sensors. What training and support is available? Epson manufactures all the components for the SureColor SC-V7000, including printheads, inks and software, in order to reach the consistent quality levels that our customers expect. The Epson Cloud Solution PORT is a cloud-based system from where you will be able to monitor equipment across several sites, or several printers across one site, from the production floor or remotely, and assist the control of production. This enables efficient production planning, increased uptime and enhanced support. Epson Production Monitor is part of the Epson Cloud Solution PORT suite of apps and allows you to examine the production status in real-time. If an issue occurs, it can be corrected efficiently with minimal disruption to the print run. How productive is it? The SureColor SC-V7000 enables businesses to print at high speed with a maximum print area of 2.5 metres by 1.25 metres. The printhead layout enables simultaneous high-speed printing, with white ink and varnish, without losing productivity. What does it cost? How is it sold? The recommended retail price (RRP) is around AED 330,563 (US $90,000) and it is sold through authorised partners in the Middle East. How many are in use? Currently two printers have been installed in the UAE, and we are scheduled to install a few more in December and further into 2022. Specifications UltraChrome UV 10-colour inkset Printing resolution of 720 x 1,440 DPI Outstanding print quality High-speed simultaneous printing even when using white, colour and varnish Printheads, ink, firmware and software with an ink tank capacity of 1,000 ml Price from AED 330,563 “Epson SureColor SC-V7000 was launched in April 2021.”

Aug. 2, 2022

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