Half-Size Sheetfeds Seize the Spotlight

The half-size sheetfed press market is dynamic as smaller shops move up to multicolor work on larger equipment and 40" shops pursue the efficiencies of a smaller machine for their short-run work. It's no surprise that the two most newsworthy developments involving both 20x29" four-up and 23x29" six-up systems are increased automation and the ability to print on a variety of substrates.

Half-size presses are in the spotlight at this month's Graph Expo and Converting Expo show in Chicago, where vendors are displaying new enhancements and upgrades for the North American market. Described here are many of the choices, along with brief profiles of recent installations showing printers' varied approaches to unique needs.

Akiyama International Corporation (Booth 2061) is debuting the 23x29" Extreme press, which it introduced at the Drupa 2004 show in Germany in May. The system, available in up to six colors with a separate anilox coater, is rated at 15,000 sheets per hour (sph).

Akiyama also is announcing a new simultaneous automatic plate changing system on its Bestech 20x28" model that, the company claims, can change six plates in 95 seconds. The press also will have a new data link to CIP4 and a new closed-loop color control system from X-Rite.

Akiyama continues to market its J Print press in 20x29" and 23x29" sizes.

Heidelberg (Booth 1000) holds a large share of half-size sheetfed market. Its Speedmaster SM 74 accounts for more than 30,000 printing units installed worldwide while the Speedmaster CD 74, launched at the end of 2000, has more than 2,600 units worldwide.

In Chicago, Heidelberg is unveiling its CD 74 with optional perfecting system. The press, introduced at Drupa 2004, was developed with a three-drum system that enables printing stocks up to a maximum thickness of 0.8 mm to be processed in perfecting mode. The maximum print speed in both straight and perfecting modes is 15,000 sph. The CD 74 with a convertible sheet-reversing device is available in four to six colors, with optional coating system and extended delivery. Heidelberg also offers a special CD 74 UV model for printing requiring ultraviolet curing.

At Drupa, Heidelberg debuted an innovative feeder for its SM 74 that optimizes sheet travel using a central suction tape instead of a manually adjusted sheet smoother. The feeder, which features numerous automated preset functions, allows plenty of time for individual sheets to be adjusted to the front lays, even at maximum speed, resulting in greater stability during the run.

Engineers also optimized sheet travel between printing units by equipping all transfer cylinders, including the double-sized transfer drum, with closed surfaces; the TransferJackets Plus surfaces feature a special new coating that is highly ink repelling and much easier to clean. For SM 74 perfecting models, Heidelberg developed a new generation of impression cylinder jackets, PerfectJackets Plus, which feature improved ink-repelling surfaces; the development, says the company, combines top quality perfecting with longer intervals between required cleaning.

Among the shops finding growth and success using half-size sheetfeds is Old York Road Printing Co., Ivyland, Pa., which in just five years steadily transformed itself, via three 20x29" presses, from a $2.5 million shop into an $8 million enterprise that today produces both commercial and packaging work.

In 1999, recalls founder Chuck Pitt, Old York Road replaced a two-color 20x29" press with a five-color Speedmaster 74; when, despite recessionary conditions in 2000, the firm reached $3 million in sales and had added a third shift, it decided to install a six-color Speedmaster 74. With fast turnaround on short runs, Old York Road was competing well with nearby 40" shops; it finished 2001 with billings of $4 million.

By early 2003, sales had climbed to $6 million, so Pitt opted to install a computer-to-plate system. Last fall, he took a big plunge and added a 23x29" CD 74 with coater, which opened the door to projects done on up to 32-point board.

"The newest six-color gave us a 20% increase in our capabilities in serving the packaging market, which we're finding profitable with fewer competitors," says Pitt. "In producing short-run roll-outs for packaging pieces, the press is very quick, printing top quality without marking."

KBA North America, Inc., Sheetfed Division (Booth 1054) has enhanced its Rapida 74 line with a Rapida 74 G model, which it debuted at Drupa and is exhibiting in Chicago. The 74 G (indicates Gravuflow inking system) is designed for print shops specializing in short-run jobs with four or more colors, printed on costly substrates such as aluminum-coated paper, film, or foil, as well as all other stocks, from onionskin to board.

Equipped with an inking unit comprising just one doctoring system, one screen roller, and one form roller, the press typically requires no more than 10 sheets for start-up waste and delivers superior print quality, says KBA.

The 74 G is available in up to 10 units, with optional coating, perfecting, and in-line corona treatment. Alongside its advanced temperature control system, the G version offers standard Rapida 74 features: automatic plate changing, remote format and register control, and JDF workflow integration.

"We believe printers seek to differentiate themselves," says Eric Frank, KBA North America's vice president of marketing. "Our Rapida 74 and new 74 G give them the ability to print on a variety of substrates and produce the highest quality possible."

The Rapida 74, which can apply UV, hybrid, or conventional inks at up to 18,000 sph, is equipped for commercial jobs, packaging work, and plastics printing, with in-line finishing. Special sheet-guiding elements extend the press's substrate range to include heavy board and plastic substrates.

Komori America Corporation (Booth 1066) is conducting the North American debut of its compact 29" Spica model, introduced at Drupa in May for entry-level printing companies. The affordable four-unit convertible perfector, which is equipped with new CIP4-compliant devices and functions, produces two-over-two perfecting in a single pass.

Also at Drupa, Komori debuted the Lithrone 1028P in Europe as a five-over-five reversible perfector, which utilizes Komori's new and unique three-cylinder sheet-reversing mechanism for consistent and precise reversing on all stock types and thicknesses at maximum printing speeds.

Equipped with the latest PQC control technology, including the KMS management system and KHS de-inking and pre-inking, the 1028P achieves full job changeover, including changing 10 plates, in less than 10 minutes.

Komori also redesigned its four-color 20x28" Lithrone 28 to include a new ink fountain, ultrasonic sheet-doubling detector, special film on the surface of the plate cylinders, and ergonomic design. Komorimatic dampening provides additional ecological efficiencies, including alcohol-free printing.

Komori continues to market the Lithrone 28 and 20x26" Lithrone 26, automated systems rated at up to 15,000 sph and available in up to eight colors. Since 1983, more than 6,000 Lithrone 26/28 Series presses comprising 30,000 printing units have been installed.

Many printers today are striving to provide solutions, not just printing. One is Mallard Press, a general commercial shop located in Lombard, Ill., outside of Chicago. After purchasing Mallard in 1999 and upgrading prepress, press, and bindery systems, Bob Gay, president, began to enhance the firm's services and build relationships with its clientele.

But the pressroom became a bottleneck, with equipment there unable to keep up with the CTP system and the increasingly difficult jobs coming to the firm. In September 2003, Mallard installed a five-color Lithrone 28 from Komori.

"Within four months, we had to go to a second shift," says Gay. "With quicker makereadies, faster running speeds, and lower overhead, we're competing very aggressively with 40" printers on short-run work. And with advanced automation, the Lithrone 28 prints very consistently; our operators simply print to the numbers."

Gay concludes, "Today we differentiate ourselves both by our service levels and our high quality produced on the Komori press."

MAN Roland Inc. (Booth 1017) offers three half-size sheetfed press models.

In its Graph Expo display, the company is hosting CIMcity, an expansive, JDF-enabled workflow demonstration with four partners, shown operating with a 41"-wide Roland 700 press.

However, the company is offering attendees hosted visits to see its new 23x29" Roland 500 press in action in the MAN Roland Technology Center, located at its headquarters in Westmont, Ill., about 20 miles from McCormick Place. The 500, a versatile, straight-only press rated at 18,000 sph and designed for commercial and packaging work, can handle stock thicknesses of 0.004" to 0.04".

At Drupa, the 500 became available with new QuickStart option, Power Plate Loading on its coating unit, and in-line double coating, which provides for UV, aqueous, hybrid, and double hits in a single pass. A custom combination of infrared, hot-air, and UV curing can be incorporated.

A new foil substrate option, a video-based sheet flow monitor called InlineObserver, and optional colormetric capabilities with ColorPilot also are available, as is an increased diagonal register range on its transferters, the contact-free skeleton transfer components between impression cylinders.

The 23x29" Roland 300, available in up to eight colors for straight printing or perfecting, can now be ordered in a new 10-color perfecting model, equipped with InLineObserver and ColorPilot Plus.

Finally, the 20x29" Roland 200 was shown at Drupa equipped with Ergonomic Plate Loading, remote diagonal register adjustment, new ink and color control system called ColorPilot Smart, a carton printing kit, improved blanket washers, and anti-static systems for feeder and delivery.

Salem Printing Company, a general commercial shop located in Winston-Salem, N.C., added a Roland 300 with coater last fall, its second six-color machine, to produce packaging, commercial, labeling, and point-of-sale work. Both presses are configured for two-over-four perfecting to accommodate a mix of work that includes tags and labels.

Philip D. Kelley Sr., vice president, says Salem's packaging customers are turning to shorter runs to better target their markets and reduce storage costs. Of total throughput today on the 300—routinely five or six jobs a day—fully half involve printing on board, he says, which ranges from 10 to 24 point.

"We've also seen a real surge in folding cartons, where 40" presses do have an edge on us but at a much higher investment cost," he says. "The truth is, for cartons or inserts, we are competitive on jobs up to about 800,000 press sheets, equivalent to 16 million pieces if configured 20 up."

Short- to medium-run production of 22x28" point-of-sale posters are another Salem mainstay since the Roland 300 format is more efficient than 40" equipment for this type of work.

Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses (Booth 3618) markets the 20x28" Diamond 1000 LS and LC, rated at 15,000 sph, and 23x29" Diamond 2000 LS, rated at 16,000 sph.

Says Mitsubishi, some printers are turning to four-up presses to upgrade productivity rates. One customer, American Printing Co., an $11 million, 75-employee firm located in Madison, Wis., recently added a six-color 28" Diamond 1000 LS press equipped with aqueous tower coater, which joins a 40" Mitsubishi 3F-16 eight-color machine.

The new press replaced two older, slower 25" multicolors; it features Mitsubishi's DiamondLink III automated makeready system, CIP3/4 interface, and MHI Delta dampening and closed-loop color control. A Centralized Operator Makeready and Control system allow operators to monitor and adjust virtually every press function from the console.

Says Shawn Welch, director of operations for American Printing, "We felt it was time to upgrade to newer technology and faster running speeds. The new 1000 LS is at least twice as fast as the presses it replaced, and the double-size impression cylinders produce higher quality without marking, especially on cover-weight stock."

At Graph Expo, Ryobi (Booth 2047) will be demonstrating its new 750 Series six-up 23x29" sheetfed press. The new 750 is available in four- to 10-color configurations, and features semi-automatic plate changing, automatic blanket cleaning, and automatic ink roller cleaning.

Sakurai USA Inc. (Booth 3416) offers models in three size categories. Its 18½x26" 66 Series ranges from a single-color 66EZ model to a four-color 466SIP convertible perfector. The 20x28" 72 E II Series provides models in one-, two-, and two-color perfecting, while the 72 ED II Series provides four-, five-, and six-color models. The 20x29" 74 EP II Series features a four-color convertible perfector.

Sakurai also will be introducing its new 75 Series six-up 23x29" press at Graph Expo. The new 15,000-sph press features automated preset sheet sizes, plate changers, and roller and blanket washers; fully automated coating recirculator; and anilox roll coater.

Nearly a year ago, BRD Printing, Lansing, Mich., a full-service general commercial printer, installed a Sakurai 672EDII press with aqueous tower coater to replace an older half-size system. Don Hough, president and founder of BRD, says, "The idea was to be aggressive during this down market and be ready when the economy turned around."

Installation of the press began in November; less than three months later, BRD was producing more work on the Sakurai press in one shift than was possible in two shifts with its previous press. With the gains, BRD is now considering adding more staff to its prepress and bindery departments. At this pace, Hough expects to add a second shift in the pressroom by the end of 2004.

Adds Dave Lee, general manager of BRD, "We're reaching up into the 40" market. We used to outsource one publication job to a web printer, but now we keep the job and produce it on the Sakurai press, with great results. We also have numerous jobs that arrive in the morning, print on the new press, and are delivered in the afternoon. About 80% of our work is process color, and two-thirds of that require aqueous coating."