Developments in Postpress Technology

102 Pages·5.491 MB·English

by  Pira International Ltd

Developments in Postpress Technology
Don Piontek
Published by
Pira International Ltd
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© Copyright
Pira International Ltd 2006
Head of publications and events
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Contents
List of figures iv Saddle stitching – automation
Executive summary vii and new options 27
1 What makes a saddle stitcher? 28
Trends in stitcher designs and the
current offerings 34
Stitching in the digital world 39
The postpress environment Future trends in saddle-stitcher
worldwide 1 design 40
Europe 1 Perfect binding 41
Eastern Europe and Russia 3 Advances and trends in perfect-binding
Southern Europe – Mediterranean technology 44
countries 4 Advances in machine technology 46
US 5 Hard-cover book production 49
The postpress environment 5 The extras 54
Asia 7 Future trends 55
India 9 Diecutting and laminating 56
Japan/Korea 10 Auxiliary postpress systems 58
Australia 10 Special function machines 58
2 System add-ons 60
Quality control 63
Machine automation technology 65
Transforming postpress 65
Drivers and trends in finishing 11 Finishing in the digital world 69
The impact of shorter runs on Postpress adapts to
manufacturers of finishing systems 11 print-on-demand 69
De-skilling the finishing environment 15 The simple approach 69
Lean manufacturing 16 Integrated finishing 69
The changing workforce 16 Getting heavier duty 71
3 The trends in digital finishing 75
New systems in development 78
4
Technology trends 17
Cutting and folding systems 17
The basics of the bindery 17 The postpress environment – mailing
Folders 17 and fulfilment 81
The cutting edge 18 Addressing 81
Wide-format work grows 20 Envelope inserting 85
The smaller end is not neglected 21 Polywrapping 88
Folding goes high-tech 21 Co-mailing 90
The folder as a mailer 23 Selective onsert polywrapping 92
Folding in the digital world 24 Tabbing 92
Specialty folding 26 Fulfilment 93
The future of folding 27
Page iii © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006
List of figures
1.1 Press-to-postpress material 3.11 FERAG SNT-U Trimmer 39
automation for high-volume 3.12 Standard Horizon Stitch-Liner
environments 2 5500 40
1.2 Kolbus 411 gathering section and 3.13 IBIS Smart-binder SB-2 40
perfect binder 3 3.14 Adhesive-bound spines. Left: normal
1.3 Hand bindery at a large Chinese cover nip; middle: OtaBind; right: a
printer 8 gatefold cover 41
1.4 Shanghai Purlux Nova 12 saddle 3.15 Angle-Notch rotary notching blade
stitcher 9 on the Muller Martini SIGMA Digital
2.1 Graphical touch-screen on Binder 42
HORIZON BQ-270 12 3.16 Cooling conveyor linking the
2.2 Job definition file 13 binder lay-down section and the
2.3 JDF-generated job ticket for a three-knife trimmer on the Muller
HORIZON saddle stitcher 13 Martini Pantera perfect binder 44
2.4 JDF workflow from customer through 3.17 Book bound with National’s Pur-Fect
printing plant (courtesy of EFI) 14 Bind 34-850 45
2.5 Computerised input screen on 3.18 Muller Martini streamfeeders in
HORIZON perfect binder 15 action 46
3.1 The Morgana DigiFold 25 3.19 Heidelberg’s new Eurobind 4000
3.2 Double MBO fold units at the end Perfect Binder 47
of a Xerox 1050 continuous web 3.20 Standard Horizon’s new SB-07
digital printer 26 seven-clamp perfect binder 48
3.3 ‘Windmill’ rotary delivery unit on the 3.21 KOLBUS KM 411 high-speed perfect
Muller Martini TEMPO 22 transfers binder 48
signature from the saddle chain into 3.22 C.P. Bourg BB3002 49
the trimmer 29 3.23 The insides of a hard-cover book 50
3.4 Wrap-around effect on a 3.24 KOLBUS BF-511 Bookmaking line:
saddle-stitched book 30 A 30-cycle-per-minute automated
3.5 A compensating counter-stacker casing-in line for shorter book
at the end of a saddle-stitcher line runs 51
permits the machine to operate 3.25 The KOLBUS DA-260 Casemaker: a
at top speed while creating postal 40-cycle-per-minute unit with full
sorted bundles 32 automation 51
3.6 Postal sorting set-up screen on 3.26 ASTER 220 SA high-speed sewing
BlackWare inkjet controller 33 line: this system automatically sews
3.7 Vijuk 321-T saddle-stitching book blocks 52
system 35 3.27 Hand-fed cover de-warper/
3.8 Muller Martini PRIMA PLUS saddle straightener manufactured by On
stitcher 36 Demand Machinery 53
3.9 SUPRA 30,000/hour saddle 3.28 Short Run Solutions binder which
stitcher 37 can feed end-sheets for hard-cover
3.10 GOSS Pacesetter 2500 signature book blocks 54
pocket being moved back from the 3.29 Short Run Solutions casing-in line
gathering chain 38 with trimmer 54
Page iv © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006
Developments in Postpress Technology
List of figures
3.30 Foil stamping enhances the look 3.48 Kristec system from
of a hard-cover book 55 Meccanotecnica 75
3.31 Spartanics M-560 high-speed 3.49 KERN Digi-Coater module inserted
diecutter 57 into a KERN cutter – sheeter – inline
3.32 Output from the Spartanics machine saddle-stitching system 76
shows the complex die patterns the 3.50 Morgana Digi-Fold 77
system is capable of 57 3.51 Hunkeler Cutter/Sheeter showing
3.33 RIMA RS-14 bindery stacker 59 finished two-up, offset-stacked sheet
3.34 SOLEMA hard-cover book stacker in sets at the stacker delivery 77
operation 60 3.52 KERN’s EasyMailer 79
3.35 SIGMA mobile tipping unit mounted 4.1 Kirk Rudy WaveJet inkjet addressing
on an MBO folder with a vacuum system with PC controller 82
table 61 4.2 BUSKRO Apollo inkjet printhead 83
3.36 Glue guns mounted in the folder 4.3 Saddle-stitcher layout schematic,
buckle plates can add adhesive showing inkjet printing system
for converting into self-mailers or located after the three-knife
pocket-folders as the product is trimmer 84
folded 62 4.4 Fastech Group’s FASTPro 800 Inkjet
3.37 Buhrs HF-4 mobile bindery and Bindery Line Controller 85
feeder 63 4.5 Read and print system mounted on
3.38 Book block – cover inspection mail base: camera (on left) reads
system from Meccanotecnica 64 data or bar-code on mail piece and
3.39 High-end application on an MBO triggers inkjet printhead
folder 66 (on right) 86
3.40 Product sizes being measured in 4.6 Envelope-inserting section on the
the feeder 67 CMC 300 A4 envelope inserter 87
3.41 Horizon’s networked finishing 4.7 The Buhrs-ITM BB600 envelope
systems software 68 inserter: a versatile machine that
3.42 Hunkeler Roll-To-Sheet system that can cycle at speeds of up to 15,000
converts a continuous printed web finished envelopes per hour 87
to stacked sheets 69 4.8 Buhrs 3000 polywrapping
3.43 DUPLO DBM Series booklet maker: system 88
this machine integrates with Xerox 4.9 SITMA pick and place feeder placing
DocuTech printers 70 jewel-cased CDs onto a magazine
3.44 Horizon SB-07 multi-clamp prior to entering the polywrapper 89
perfect binder, a machine well 4.10 Solvent inkjet printhead imaging on
suited to the on-demand finishing poly film unwinding from the film roll
environment 71 stand on a SITMA polywrapper 90
3.45 Integrated Muller Martini short-run 4.11 Buhrs 4500 co-mailing system with
soft-cover book system shown at SF-5 mobile shuttle feeders 91
PRINT 05 72 4.12 Buskro tabbing system: transparent
3.46 The Sigma Binder, the perfect- tabs can be used to minimise their
binding end of the Muller system 73 appearance 92
3.47 The finished product 74 4.13 Mailing and fulfilment 94
Page v © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006

Executive summary
The postpress sector of the printing industry covers a wide spread of activities including
online finishing, coating, varnishing and laminating, perforating, folding, collating and
inserting, stapling, stitching and binding, case-making, cutting and guillotining. Each of
these operations can be undertaken by a range of equipment, some of which is available
built in to the printing press itself, while some is used specifically for offline operations.
Scope This report:
 Examines developments in postpress in each key geographic region;
 Reviews key drivers and trends for postpress;
 Identifies and profiles the cutting-edge technology developments happening in this
sector;
 Reviews developments in mailing and fulfilment.
Page vii © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006

1
The postpress environment
worldwide
Europe Western Europe (including the UK) has been the prime mover in the drive to automate
all parts of the printing process. Labour regulations in most EU countries have always
meant that labour costs are higher than in most other parts of the world. In general,
management does not have lot of freedom in hiring and/or firing workers at will. Once a
production position is filled, it can be costly and extremely time-consuming to eliminate
a worker if he or she becomes redundant or does not work out for some reason. For
this reason, EU printers have always been very receptive to vendor developments and
improvements in both press and postpress. Since the early 1990s, the most innovative
automated postpress machines have been introduced by EU firms such as Heidelberg,
Muller Martini, Kolbus and MBO.
The European printing environment has proved to be more conducive to automation
than areas such as Asia, the US paper grades used tend to be of higher quality, and there
is significantly less versioning of print and print finish runs than would be experienced
in the US. This makes it possible to design machinery with maximum run efficiency as a
chief objective. In general, EU printers and print finishers have been worldwide industry
leaders in acquiring state-of-the-art, highly automated and efficient finishing machinery.
The drive for efficiency and labour reduction extends to the material-handling process
for larger and/or high-volume EU print finishers. In the 1980s two Swiss companies,
Muller Martini and FERAG, introduced roll-based signature storage systems which could
wind-up, store and buffer signatures directly from a web-press delivery. These rolls
could be stored as work-in-progress (the same as a pallet), and then coupled with a
finishing system such as a perfect binder or saddle stitcher to provide automatic unwind
feeding into the machine. The use of such complete technology could drastically reduce
the labour needed both at the press and bindery end. Such closed-loop systems were not
cheap. Major modifications were required both at the press and in the bindery, and in
many cases hundreds of expensive mechanised roll carriers were required. Despite the
investment, these roll storage devices enjoyed their greatest success in the most
industrialised EU countries such as Germany, France, the Nordic countries and the UK.
Page 1 © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006
Developments in Postpress Technology
The postpress environment worldwide
FIGURE 1.1 Press-to-postpress material automation for high-volume environments
(cid:51)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:66)(cid:79)(cid:69)(cid:84)(cid:1)(cid:78)(cid:80)(cid:87)(cid:70)(cid:1)(cid:85)(cid:80)
(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:66)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:1)(cid:14)
(cid:88)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:76)(cid:14)(cid:74)(cid:79)(cid:14)(cid:81)(cid:83)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:84)(cid:84)
(cid:56)(cid:70)(cid:67)(cid:1)(cid:49)(cid:83)(cid:70)(cid:84)(cid:84)(cid:27)(cid:1)(cid:39)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:69)(cid:70)(cid:83)(cid:1)(cid:69)(cid:70)(cid:77)(cid:74)(cid:87)(cid:70)(cid:83)(cid:84)
(cid:84)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:66)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:83)(cid:70)(cid:84)(cid:1)(cid:85)(cid:80)(cid:1)(cid:83)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:66)(cid:79)(cid:69)(cid:84)
(cid:34)(cid:69)(cid:87)(cid:66)(cid:79)(cid:85)(cid:66)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:84)(cid:27)
(cid:133)(cid:1)(cid:46)(cid:66)(cid:75)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:1)(cid:77)(cid:66)(cid:67)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:66)(cid:87)(cid:74)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:84)(cid:1)(cid:80)(cid:79)(cid:1)(cid:66)(cid:77)(cid:77)
(cid:1) (cid:70)(cid:79)(cid:69)(cid:84)(cid:15)
(cid:133)(cid:1)(cid:41)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:73)(cid:70)(cid:83)(cid:1)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:83)(cid:80)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:73)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:85)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:81)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:84)
(cid:1) (cid:80)(cid:79)(cid:1)(cid:71)(cid:74)(cid:79)(cid:74)(cid:84)(cid:73)(cid:74)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:1)(cid:70)(cid:79)(cid:69)(cid:1)(cid:69)(cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:1)(cid:85)(cid:80) (cid:51)(cid:80)(cid:77)(cid:77)(cid:84)(cid:1)(cid:78)(cid:80)(cid:87)(cid:70)(cid:13)(cid:1)(cid:178)(cid:69)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:179)(cid:1)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:13)(cid:1)(cid:66)(cid:79)(cid:69)
(cid:1) (cid:74)(cid:78)(cid:81)(cid:83)(cid:80)(cid:87)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:66)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:83)(cid:70) (cid:71)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:1)(cid:84)(cid:66)(cid:69)(cid:69)(cid:77)(cid:70)(cid:14)(cid:84)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:73)(cid:70)(cid:83)
(cid:1) (cid:71)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:69)(cid:74)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:15)
Source: Finishing Resources, Inc.
Another emphasis within postpress in many EU countries is higher operating speeds and
net product throughputs. This is another side of the attempt to increase labour
productivity and reduce labour costs. In order to make the machinery faster and more
productive, manufacturers had to rethink its design and incorporate more computer
technology and controls to replace conventional mechanical drive and power components.
Servo motors become key players in this new machine design philosophy because of their
ability to maintain precise drive component alignment and control at higher speeds, and
to be intelligently reactive in relation to other machine systems while under operation.
Many European print finishers and printers have upgraded their binderies since 2000
to include higher-speed, more automated machines. These include folding and cutting
machines (the backbone of the bindery) as well as all sorts of binding systems, wire
stitching, perfect binding, and wire and plastic-coil binding. The emphasis has been on to
move away from the hand-feeding of these systems in favour of automatic loading on the
infeed side and auto handling for the product delivery end.
Page 2 © Copyright Pira International Ltd 2006