PrintWeekMENA

Konica Minolta Expands Presence in Saudi Arabia with New Re…

Konica Minolta, a global leader in imaging products, business solutions, and digital transformation services, is pleased to announce the opening of its new Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This strategic move underscores the company’s strategic initiative on significant market expansion and opportunities ahead and its ambition to better serve customers across the region. Located in Riyadh, the new RHQ will serve as the central hub for Konica Minolta’s operations in KSA, facilitating stronger collaboration with local businesses, government entities, and customers. A Commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 Konica Minolta’s investment in KSA is closely aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and foster innovation across various sectors. As part of its dedication to the country’s economic development, Konica Minolta plans to grow in the Saudi Arabian market focusing on expanding its market reach and broadening its partner portfolio, ensuring a robust presence in this transformative strategic management. “We are excited to establish our new regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, a country that is undergoing rapid transformation and presents significant opportunities for innovation,” said Osamu Miyauchi, CEO/Managing Director of Konica Minolta Arabia. “Our commitment to the Kingdom is strong, and this new RHQ allows us to engage more closely with local businesses and government partners to support Saudi Arabia‘s businesses in the Print Industry Landscape to its journey of transformation.” Focus on Innovation and Sustainability The new headquarters will also serve as a focal point for Konica Minolta’s efforts to bring next-generation technologies and sustainable solutions to the Saudi market. The company’s diverse portfolio includes cutting-edge products and services and sustainable business practices, with a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact. Konica Minolta’s dedication to sustainability is reflected in its global initiatives, and the Saudi Arabian RHQ will serve as a springboard for developing new programs that support the Kingdom’s sustainability goals and initiatives related to energy efficiency, waste reduction, and environmental stewardship. Looking Ahead Konica Minolta's digital printing solutions have become an essential part of the Middle East's evolving print industry, offering advanced technologies and versatile solutions for a wide range of businesses and sectors. As the region continues to develop its infrastructure and embrace technological advancements, Konica Minolta’s digital printing products cater to the growing demand for high-quality, cost-effective, and sustainable printing solutions. Konica Minolta provides cutting-edge digital printing technology, especially for commercial printers and print service providers in the Middle East. These printers offer high-speed, high-quality printing, enabling businesses to produce a variety of print materials, such as marketing collateral, brochures, catalogs, business cards etc. Konica Minolta's AccurioPress series and AccurioPrint range are among the leading digital printing solutions designed to meet the needs of high-volume and commercial printers. Its digital printing solutions are used across a broad spectrum of applications in the Middle East including commercial printers, packaging, digital labels and embellishment, books and publishing etc. Through advanced technology, personalized print services, sustainability efforts, and comprehensive customer support, Konica Minolta is helping businesses in the region stay competitive while meeting the evolving demands of the market. The company’s ability to deliver high-quality, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly digital printing solutions makes it a preferred choice for a wide range of industries in the Middle East.

Konica Minolta Expands Presence in Saudi Arabia with New Re…

Knocking on open customer doors

How Höhn Display + Packaging uses a BOBST NOVACUT 106 ER with ACCUREGISTER to boost its market position In the fall of 2021, Höhn Display + Packaging installed the BOBST NOVACUT 106 ER, the world's first flat-bed die-cutter with the new ACCUREGISTER “contactless” sheet-register system. Höhn is an old-established manufacturer of games, displays, and folding boxes, and its customers believe it has set an example by putting into service this Autoplatine® die-cutter with inline blanking. Today it’s a 2.4 mm litho-laminated corrugated board, tomorrow 100-gram paper, after that environmentally-friendly solid or recyclable cardboard – Höhn Display + Packaging GmbH works with a wide range of materials. “Our extensive product range poses a real challenge to the flexibility of our machine technology, particularly in die-cutting,” explains Markus Laepple, Operations Manager of the company headquartered in Ulm, Germany “No matter which material the new machine is processing, the quality is consistently at the top level. The register precision and flatness of our gameboards, for instance, stands out on the market. The procurement and quality managers of our customers see the difference,” affirms Laepple, a trained offset printer who has been working in the packaging industry for more than 20 years. A reliable path to high quality It’s obvious that innovative technology plays a key role. Höhn considers ACCUREGISTER one of the main performance features of the NOVACUT 106 ER. “ACCUREGISTER underscores our high quality demands. And our products confirm that we really are a tad better,” states Laepple. The new sheet-register system is based on the legendary optical POWER REGISTER, brought to market by BOBST over 20 years ago and unique to this day. For the ACCUREGISTER, BOBST has adapted the best attributes of the POWER REGISTER specifically to the NOVACUT line. The new sheet-register system thus enables very short setup times in the die-cutting process. At the same time, it minimizes stops caused by the feeder. Waste is reduced in both the setup process and during production, which also makes the production process and the products more sustainable. ACCUREGISTER aligns the sheets at full speed, without mechanical stops, “contactless” and thus gently. Laepple: “ACCUREGISTER reliably exploits this, especially with thin paper and material laminated on both sides.” The high-performance system cameras read both printed images and marks. And if that's not possible, the cameras simply read the sheet edges. When the sheets are fed into the machine, the system calculates within milliseconds the corrections required and automatically remedies them as the sheets accelerate; over a wide correcting range, up to ±6mm in forward direction and ±13mm in lateral direction - even with transparent material. BOBST offers various options for the NOVACUT line to make the processing, and thereby the register precision, of different materials even more flexible. Höhn Display + Packaging uses the antistatic device for processing paper, and the heavy board equipment for processing sheets that are not entirely flat. Crucial competitive advantages Laepple: “High register precision is increasingly important. For instance, just recently a customer carefully checked the accordance of braille embossing on the front and back sides of a box. But we do not have to worry about register precision since using ACCUREGISTER.” During the alignment of the cut-to-print register the system even compensates for print tolerances. “The list of audit questions our customers ask is getting longer. Their queries typically concern conventional errors which we have eliminated by using the NOVACUT 106 ER in our die-cutting process. Our customers realize this and adapt their audit questions accordingly. This means that we no longer address certain issues in future audits,” Laepple boils it down. In other words, the new die-cutter has further increased customer confidence in the reliability of Höhn Display + Packaging’s production process. “We proactively communicate the benefits of our new technology to the market and explain which errors can no longer happen in our process,” says Laepple. Customers are glad to take Höhn up on that. “A frequent question, for example, is whether the high register precision of ACCUREGISTER means layouts and fonts can be set closer to the rills. The NOVACUT 106 ER has indeed made that possible.” In a nutshell: When it comes to product design, customers have a bit more freedom. Quick production changeovers Production runs at Höhn Display + Packaging range from 700 to 600,000 sheets, at an average of 9,000 sheets. For efficient execution of large orders, the company has selected a NOVACUT 106 ER with an hourly output of up to 8,000 sheets. Today, the machine runs in three shifts and depending on the job, the machine is changed over several times a day. For repeat orders, Höhn’s NOVACUT 106 ER requires now only about one half-hour setup time, although currently one of every two die-cut jobs is a new order. Laepple: “We are working on optimizing setup times.” Höhn is using various options BOBST has provided for the die-cutter. Examples include the Setup Time Reduction Pack and the Chase Changer. The ease of use of the NOVACUT 106 ER user interface (HMI SPHERE) also supports short setup times. It features a largely self-explanatory guided menu. “We needed only two days training for it,” Laepple recalls. Another reason for the short setup times is that Höhn Display + Packaging acquires its die-cutting tools only from manufacturers certified by BOBST. This ensures high tool quality. Höhn furthermore has its tools fitted with TooLink. This means that chips are built into the die-cutting tools which then register the data of every die-cutting job. The next time the tools are introduced into the machine, the data is read directly into the HMI, allowing for immediate identification of individual die-cutting jobs and automatic setting of HMI values. Looking at the big picture Considering the wide range of products and the size of the print runs, Laepple believes that currently Höhn Display + Packaging can hardly use a highly automated die-cutter like the EXPERTCUT to capacity. If the day comes when greater capacity is needed, space has been left between the three BOBST flat-bed die-cutters for a format 6 machine, or for a “fast machine” fully equipped with logistics. “When it comes to investment decisions we take a holistic view of our suppliers. The result clearly supported further stepping up our partnership-based cooperation with BOBST,” calculates Laepple. He believes BOBST has its finger on the pulse with a view of industry that builds on the pillars of digitization, automation, connectivity, and sustainability. This will always open new perspectives for process optimization, and is particularly true for the BOBST Connect platform. In addition to the remote technical support Helpline Plus, Höhn Display + Packaging is already using the productivity apps Remote Monitoring and Downtime Tracking. They help to fully exploit, and continuously boost, the performance of its new die-cutter by using data-based analyses.

admin in News Sept. 16, 2022

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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