Automated Solutions Network Event Set for June in Toronto
ASHLAND, NY—April 21, 2010—Printing Industries of America and the International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4) Organization have announced plans to host an Automation Solutions Network Event in Toronto, ON. This event will take place on June 15-16, and feature presentations and discussions from industry leaders and experts on automation as well as a tour of Ampersand Printing, a multiple CIP4 CIPPI award winner and implementer of a streamlined JDF workflow.
The event will allow printers to exchange ideas and share the challenges and benefits of implementing JDF. This is a rare opportunity to discuss automation in an open forum setting with business peers who understand the concepts of JDF automation and can share their personal experiences.
Ready for Change In the current economy it is difficult to maintain profits while constantly fighting competitors for jobs. As a result, companies have to do more work with fewer resources. The only way to maintain profitability and cope with the razor thin margins of exceptionally competitive pricing is to make your business more efficient. By utilizing JDF data in an integrated workflow, all of your work processes become highly streamlined, and suddenly those profit margins become much more sustainable.
Benefits of Automation One of the main highlights of these events is the visit to a local printer who utilizes complete JDF automation in their own facility. Ampersand Printing, located just outside of Toronto in Guelph, ON, has been in business for 35 years and is one of the leading print service providers in Canada. They have been consistently ahead of the curve when it comes to technological innovation, leading the way for CTP in Canada, and continuing that trend by jumping into JDF automation early on.
Ampersand began to implement an automated workflow in 2005 when they installed the Hiflex MIS, linking it to their Kodak Prinergy system in prepress and their Polar Cutter in post press. In 2008, after experiencing the massive time savings in their other departments, Ampersand purchased a JDF enabled Mitsubishi Diamond 3000LX press and linked it to their digital workflow. The JDF data that the press receives, as well as the JMF data it sends back, have delivered a completely automated start-to-finish workflow. An enormous time savings to make-ready combined with the increased efficiency and communication between departments resulted in the reduction of an entire shift of work time. The amount of work that had regularly been completed during 2 shifts could now be done in only one, thanks to JDF and the automated make-ready process.
