drupa 2012 at a Glance
Pitney Bowes rolled out new print head and ink technology to enable 800-fpm monochrome printing speeds on the IntelliJet 30 and IntelliJet 42 printing systems, as well as 400 fpm monochrome and color speeds on the IntelliJet 20. Pitney Bowes, which uses HP inkjet web press technology in its IntelliJet family, demonstrated the 800 fpm, 100-percent variable data color capabilities running on the T400 inkjet web press in the adjacent HP booth.
Among the highlights at the Kolbus booth was the KM 600.C, an improved version of its perfect binder. The 9,000 cph machine is targeted for production of brochures, magazines, catalogs and book blocks. Engineering enhancements from infeed to delivery improve performance, reduce makeready times and augment user-friendliness.
Among the latest products offered by MBO is the T535-EA (Efficiency Automatic) buckle folder. Its features include Vario control with touchscreen, Rapidset computerized makeready system, Combiplate combination plate and an A-56 mobile delivery. The T535-EA also boasts the automatic setting of sheet gap and infeed through the suction wheel.
Digital Plates
Set for implementation in 2013, Fujifilm previewed its new “MultiGrain Z” technology for manufacturing processless plates that it says will result in a 50 percent improvement in run lengths for its HD PRO-T3 processless plate, while retaining the current ink-water balance, on-press processing stability and image quality characteristics of the plate. Launched at drupa was the Brillia HD LH-PXE positive-working thermal plate, an addition to the company’s low-chemistry line that supports run lengths of 500,000 impressions unbaked, and more than 1 million when baked.
Kodak’s Sonora XP process-free plates use non-ablative thermal exposure technology that offers enhancements in both imaging speed and latent image contrast compared to the company’s Thermal Direct plates. The negative-working plate provides a resolution of 1-99 percent at 200 lpi and is rated for 100,000 impressions on sheetfed presses and 200,000 impressions on web presses.
