Category killers—that's what press manufacturers are engineering for drupa when it opens May 29 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Existing models had become a bit long in the tooth, with users openly critical of long-standing deficiencies. On the digital side, issues principally pertained to speed—constrained by computer throughput much more than the mechanics of printing–—and consistency.

On the conventional side, it has been a matter of upping start-up and run speeds, changeover and cutting waste. For drupa, we'll see a radical revisioning of offset platforms and even some surprising entries from unexpected quarters: a 41´´ from Ryobi, a nonheatset M600 positioned as a “sheetfed” (above) from Goss, servo-control plate changers, double-diameter perfector cylinders on Speedmasters that now range up to 64´´ perfectors. Mitsubishi and Akiyama have completely relaunched their full-format press lines.

The addition of finishing inline on offset presses creates great opportunitiees for adding value. Komori, for example, will show its own cold-foiling unit at the head of the LSX 29 press and an embossing capability at delivery. It plans to follow up with on-board diecutting. It will demonstrate speedy (under two minutes) automated platechanging.

The debut of drupa digital offerings from InfoPrint Solutions, Océ, Xerox and others has been covered in waves of reports beginning in GAM's January issue and at graphicartsonline.com/drupa. For this report, the latest news from Canon, HP and Xeikon is included in the following five pages of product sketches. HP, for example, introduced the 240-ppm Indigo 7000, with 90% of the componentry brand new. The firm tapped its computer engineers for more data power. Its double-diameter blanket cylinder cools quickly and is configured for speedy release and faster changeovers. The 7000 also runs 120 ppm in color, and up to 240 ppm in monochrome or 2-color mode. Its 812 dot-per-inch, 8 bit-per-pixel writing head is capable of speeds of 775 megapixels per second. HP believes this may be the industry's fastest. The firm will also show a 30´´ wide inkjet web using Edgeline technology. Coverage continues on the next page.

KBA debuts Rapida 75 and Rapida 106 presses at drupa (Hall 16) along with an updated Rapida 74 and Rapida 105. AsGAM goes to press, indications are the 106 will incorporate DriveTronic, for automated changeover on all units simultaneously. KBA will feature its automation package, with infeed register enhancing SIS, automated plate changer and other enhancements that speed makeready and turnaround for Web-to-print work. KBA will emphasize developments in its waterless Gravuflow anilox keyless inking system, incorporated in the Genius 52 UV, Rapida 74 Gravuflow, 74 Karat DI (all sheetfed) and a Cortina (web). The 5-color Genius 52 now features an automatic plate changer, integrated dryer and optional inline extended coating unit—the first time a dedicated coater has been available on the Genius, letting it supply high gloss inline. The first dedicated coater has been installed on the KBA demo unit in Williston, VT. Six presses have the coater in Europe and it will be demonstrated at drupa as well. www.kba-usa.com www.kba-usa.com/genius52

The M600 Folia (p.51)—adapted to run sheetfed inks on coated stock, with spray powder, anti-marking delivery and high-speed VITS sheeter—forms the centerpiece of the Goss exhibition in Hall 17 at drupa. Additional exhibits on the Goss stand will include Magnum 4, UnilinerS, FPS Flexible Printing System and Sunday 4000 models, all with new features. Goss will highlight the first 96-page Sunday 5000 web press and demonstrate its latest Magnapak and Pacesetter finishing systems. www.gossinternational.com

Speedmaster XL75, replacing Heidelberg's CD74, will run 18,000 sph at drupa (Hall 1) with larger sheet format (20.87x29.53´´ C-format and 23.82x29.53´´ F-format); new Prinect Press Center Control features touch-screen control, plus large sheet-sized flat-panel that displays jobs in full size and color, and provides views of individual channels against ink keys. Intellistart minimizes footsteps around the press by choreographing start-up itinerary. Delivery zone has iPod-like jog wheel control. Perfectors come in up to 12 units plus coating. Servo-driven Autoplate XL changes all units at once in 60 seconds. Also new: FoilStar foiler, Duo press (flexo units precede offset). www.us.heidelberg.com

Ryobi (xpedx) will present at drupa an inline foiling and casting unit, first displayed at IGAS in September. This device, which fits above the final flexo chamber coater on the six-up Ryobi 750 press (shown), prints patterned glue to which it impresses foil roll patterns at press speeds up to 15,000 sph. The foil is flashed fused to the substrate by a UV lamp that penetrates the slightly translucent material, produced by Kurz. The same unit can also be used to impress a cast pattern on coated substrates, creating holographic effects in the coating surface. Ryobi also plans to show the 16,000-sph, 41´´ model 1050, and will present a technology demonstration of an LED lamp-based UV curing system on a 525GX press. The lamp operates at one-fourth the wattage of conventional UV curing lamps and emits no ozone. www.ryobi.xpedx.com

Lithrone SX29 with Foiling & Embossing is among presses Komori will show at drupa (Hall 15 D04). The Lithrone SX629 CF+C+E (left) features a 24×29´´ sheet, with maximum image area 12.5% larger than LS29 models, for six-up print of most popular U.S. page sizes. Larger print area handles multi-image layouts (labels, small cartons, DVD/CD covers, etc.). In addition to cold foiling (on first unit in photo), coating and embossing (done in final units) and inline diecutting also is available, though finishing applications can be switched off. Also to be shown: 41´´ Lithrone SX40 running 18,000 sph, faster fully automatic plate change (F-APC) with non-stop plate removal (six plates in less than two minutes), and self-learning function which progressively updates settings based on live runs; System 38S 16-page web with high speed single chopper folder and new Komori flying paster, plus integrated infeed, web guides and cut-off control, with 38S PQA-W upgraded and integrated to KHS-AI LINK; Lithrone S540 upgrades to capitalize on new KHS-AI system; Lithrone S52's new quicker changeover uses KHS-AI fast print start up. A new print quality assessment system (PQA-S) debuts on Lithrone S40s. New Videoscope real-time monitoring system shows running condition details in key zones. www.komori-america.us

Presstek DI Offset Presses combined with Momentum Pro workflow will be shown at drupa (Hall 4, Stand A55). DI waterless offset presses feature plate imaging onboard, and fully automatic start-up and changeover, integrated directly to prepress workflow. Model 52DI landscape digital offset press runs 10,000 sph with maximum print area of 20.07x14.17´´. Unique 2:1 roll out ratio of the ink train provides unparalleled ink coverage, says Presstek, so it prints solids more easily. FM screening is supported. Presstek model 34DI portrait digital offset press runs 7,000 sph with a maximum print area of 12.99x17.72´´. Also featured will be Presstek platesetters: two-page and four-page Dimension Excel series, Dimension 800 and the Vector TX52 running Anthem Pro plates. www.presstek.com

HP Indigo 7000 120-ppm color digital press debuts at drupa (Halls 7 and 8)with engineered improvements that HP says let it produce 3.5 million four-color pages or 5 million one- and two-color pages per month with true offset quality, increasing the break-even point against offset. HP says 90% of the 7000's components are new, including an easier-to-handle charging roller that replaces coronas. Blankets and Electroink (now in triple-sized cans) are adapted to higher speeds, as is paper handling (by changing to servo motors). www.hp.com/go/graphicarts

MAN Roland sheetfed offset lines at drupa, to be shown in Print City (Hall 6), include a Plus Format that adds 6 cm to the circumference of the press cylinder, enlarging a B format press from 53x74 cm to 59x74 cm. MAN Roland will offer a perfecting version of its 64´´, 64´´ plus and 73´´ versions of its Roland 900 XXL. Its InlineFoiler Prindor, an inline cold foiler, will be available for the six-up Roland 500 series. On the web-offset side, the company will premiere a 96-page Lithoman with a 112.6´´ web width. The press, and other Lithoman and Colorman models on display, will include optional APL, a fully automatic plate changing system MAN Roland developed with Kuka Roboter GmbH. New developments in commercial web include DynaChange for on-the-fly plate, color and page-count changeovers, and inline inkjet imprinting of webs at 80,000 cph speeds, in a technology developed with Kodak. www.manroland.us.com

MOOG sheetfed gravure presses apply heavy pigment effects such as silver white, gold gloss and metal gloss, pearlescent or interference pigments, which change with the observation angle. Used for securities, credit cards and other products that must be protected against piracy, sheetfed gravure, whether single- or multi-color, gives excellent repeatable quality. Also used in packaging on all different paper and board weights, the 29×41´´ format is most widely used; a 31×45´´ format is being considered. Five- and six-color sheetfeds handle long runs in one pass. See it at drupa Hall 3 A35. www.hcmoog.de

Xeikon 8000, Punch Graphix's newest roll-fed engine, prints 230 letter-sized ppm at 1200 dpi, or 13,800 pages per hour, and is rated at a monthly volume of 8.5 million impressions. Two inline densitometers and high-performance process algorithms help hold color consistency over time, and between presses, says the firm. Xeikon 8000 (at drupa Hall 8 D25) runs expanded substrate widths from 320 to 512 mm and offers a 504 mm image width, for two-up letter and three-up statement runs. Its X-800 digital front-end handles most workflows. The IPDS controller keeps up with engine speeds without start-stop interruptions allowing graphic arts print quality in transactional runs. www.xeikon.com

Mitsubishi Diamond 3000 models launch at drupa. V3000LX is designed for optimal printing on various stocks across a wide thickness range; V3000R is a convertible perfector; V3000TP (shown) is a dedicated one-pass perfector using Mitsubishi proprietary technologies for fully printing on one side and then the other without tumbling the sheet. The Diamond V Series is a new generation for the first time in seven years. Mitsubishi introduced the first Diamond V3000, a straight printing offset press for sheet sizes up to 41´´ last fall at IGAS. All three presses accommodate SimulChanger fully automatic plate changing for removal and mounting of all printing plates simultaneously in less than 75 seconds, regardless of the number of color units. Plate change time itself is less than 38 seconds. The presses can also accommodate optional Diamond Color Navigator system for easier color adjustment. See the presses in Hall 15, Stand C55. www.mlpusa.com

Canon ImagePRESS digital presses debuted at last drupa. The latest versions will show full integration with Agfa Graphics Apogee Suite JDF workflow. The 60-ppm imagePRESS C6000VP (shown), which debuted at OnDemand Expo in Boston last month, is the first color device with clear protective toner for the light-production market. Canon's new range of imagePRESS monochrome engines for commercial print includes a new addition of the imagePROGRAF iPF720 featuring an 80-GB hard disk drive. www.usa.canon.com

:Dotrix Modular industrial inkjet press, says Agfa, is the first digital press for flexible packaging that handles real production run lengths, around 45,000 running feet. At drupa, it will print flexible packaging and folding cartons. It handles the media mix with sufficient ink adhesion, printing thin layer films with the look and feel of flexo. Today it runs with UV inks on a wide variety of media at 75 fpm; a planned upgrade will raise that to 90 fpm or higher. Compatible substrates at recent installs include paper, multiwall, PE, PP, BOPP and PET, as well as folding carton and heat-sensitive, pressure-sensitive and in-mould labels, aluminum container lids, blister packs and foil. It also can integrate to analog, flexo and finishing inline. www.agfa.com

Akiyama will show its Supertech, a speedier (16,500 sph) upgraded successor to the 40´´ Bestech platform; its 16,000-sph eXtreme 540CL 40´´ press that can now be custom-configured with coaters, inter-station curing and has improved ACC (Akiyama Color Control) ink presets and improved feeders; and its 15,000 sph Mega Jprint, the latest version JP440 single-gripper stacked press, with new dual-sided chamber coaters and roll infeed. Both 32´´ and 44´´ versions of the Jpress may be presented. The ACC touch screen supports higher control speeds of ink-key motors in the press, so values entered are enacted by the ink keys in half the time. Mega Jprint minimizes power use with optional declutch of ink trains not in use. Customers can also choose to install the optional Full Auto Plate Changer. www.akiyama.com