Offset Printing - Sheet-Fed

AUTO DEVICES to speed makereadies. Ever-increasing press unit requirements. Convertible and dedicated perfecting configurations. Unique coating capabilities. As U.S. sheetfed commercial printers strive to differentiate themselves from their competitors, they increasingly opt for more customized press solutions. And, once they decide to buy a new offset machine, the ability of their chosen press supplier to deliver the order within a short time frame is crucial to sealing the deal. That market trend, in part, is what drove the Komori Corporation to build its new Tsukuba sheetfed press manufacturing facility near Tokyo, which went into full operation in December with the second phase completion of an

The sheetfed offset printing market continues to feel pressure—be it from rival markets or outside forces such as pricing battles and shrinking run lengths. As more economical digital print runs extend, and affordable web press runs shorten, manufacturers involved in the small- and medium-format (29˝ and smaller) sheetfed space are equipping their wares with the capabilities needed to compete—and win. “The competition from the web market is becoming more noticeable, but when it comes to the short-run color market, web presses have a number of things going against them,” contends Michael Iburg, product manager, KBA North America. “On a sheetfed press, makeready time is much

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor It wasn't long ago that large and extra-large format sheetfed offset presses were considered primary tools for the package printing market. In Europe, notes Ken Kodama, vice president of sheetfed sales for Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (MLP U.S.A.), these oversized machines were not used just by folding carton producers, but also by publication and commercial printers. But the productivity of the super-sized press and its ease of use is winning over favor among U.S. printers in the commercial sector. "The manning for a large-format is similar to a 40˝ press, so the makereadies are very similar," Kodama says.

Fresh, intensity-riddled faces swarmed the lobby of the Houstonian Hotel, most of them young enough to appear in auditions for an MTV reality show. But aspiring actors these youngsters were not—they hoped to become role players in the ever-growing printing industry dynasty best known by its stock symbol: CGX. It was late July, and the sixth annual Consolidated Graphics (CGX) National Associates Meeting was in full swing. Despite the fact that most of the participants’ drivers licenses indicated a birth date in the 1980s, these participants boasted a confidence, an eager aggressiveness and a tireless optimism regarding their present and future roles with the

By Mark Michelson Editor-in-Chief Growing interest in digital press offerings notwithstanding, the estimated 62,000 attendees at PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 surely didn't go home with the impression that the traditional sheetfed offset market has lost its luster, especially given all of the big iron dominating the show floor during the seven-day-long exhibition last month. Sealing the deal for nine new Komori six-color, 40˝ Lithrone presses at various Consolidated Graphics facilities are, front row from the left: Robert Birmingham, Consolidated Graphics; John Marotta, Komori America; back row: Yoshiharu Komori, Komori Corp.; George Abboud, Consolidated Graphics; Stephan Carter, Komori America; and Satoshi Mochida, Komori

DALLAS—Williamson Printing has activated what is reportedly the largest Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 press in the world. The 40˝ SM 102 12P+LX has 12 printing units, plus coaters, and has the ability to print six colors on both sides of a sheet, six-over-five with dual-side coating, and 12 colors in-line with aqueous coating. A redesigned Preset Plus feeder system reduces setup time when changing stocks, as well as increasing net output and running speeds, particularly when printing on difficult substrates. Additionally, modular coating units located throughout the machine provide maximum production capabilities and specialized applications. "With this new technology, we will be able to produce the

Focusing on customers and providing one-stop service hardly qualify as revolutionary marketing philosophies. They are about as fresh and original as the covers of hit songs performed by American Idol contestants. In both cases, proper execution is what makes the difference between falling flat and ending on a high note. Building on its base in Mount Pleasant, IA, the top management of Direct Mail Holdings is pursuing that straightforward business proposition. It's positioning the organization as a one-stop shop for direct marketers across the United States and is seeking to exploit the latest digital technology in order to help customers target names better with

IRVINE, CA—A 10-color Komori Lithrone S40P sheetfed perfector operating at Precision Offset, based here, served as the star attraction during a recent open house sponsored by Komori America. Printers came from as far as Florida, Texas and Maine to attend the event. Before touring the 26,000-square-foot printing plant, Komori America President and COO Stephan Carter welcomed the attendees, followed by a detailed overview on Komori perfector technology by Doug Schardt, product manager. Schardt highlighted the key components in a perfector press design, including the turning mechanism, impressions cylinders, delivery sheet control, transition to slowdowns and the slowdown mechanism. Unique to the Komori design, according to Schardt,

RADEBEUL, GERMANY—Customer demands, technology developments and market pressures are leading printers to think about pressroom productivity and efficiency in new ways. Format and substrate flexibility—along with a continual drive for makeready gains—have become part of a more complicated formula for determining the right production platform. In the sheetfed printing segment, two production alternatives that have been getting greater attention of late are long perfectors and large-format presses. Koenig & Bauer AG recently held an open house at its sheetfed headquarters to give some 300 participants an opportunity to compare examples of each platform. A select group of U.S. commercial printers and trade press editors made

Despite all of the changes afoot at Applied Printing Technologies (APT), there is something very familiar about this full-service, general commercial printer. For example, APT President and CEO Carl Grossman has been on the job a little less than two years, yet is a very familiar figure in the printing industry. Jack Egan, executive vice president, has been with the company for roughly one year, but was recently with a very large, well-known national printer. Even Joe Rondone, vice president of sales and marketing, has been on board less than a year. Want familiarity? The Moon-achie, NJ-based printer is owned by Morton Zuckerman,