Offset On-Demand no longer a pipe dream

Ferrostaal offers offset printers the chance to better compete with their digital brethren, a Sydney event saw printer players schooled on the major savings to be found in Komori green technology.

A month away from retirement Neil Wrigglesworth, general manager at Komori’s Graphic Centre, flew in from Japan to educate printers on how a combination of proprietary technology could produce the equivalent of offset on-demand.

When used in conjunction with H-UV curing, the KHS-AI system and the ability to match press sheets to proof within 20 pages, Komori’s new technology aims to offer offset the chance to compete with digital.

“This is a new business model for an offset printer, previously we were losing out to the digital guys who have one or two waste sheets,” he says.

At Olympic Park’s Novotel Hotel, around 45 printers from across the industry were given a quick math session on how they could finds major savings using KHS-AI smart sequencing. When taking into account the cost reductions in paper and power, inks and consumables, printers can save around $395,000.

“That’s about half the price of the press, and you don’t have to do anything. The KHS-AI does all that, just let it go and it will save you money,” he says.

Already employed in Europe, the KHS-AI system enables offset printers to reduce paper and consumable wastage, and offers parallel production capability. Wrigglesworth says after tests, Komori will soon be running H-UV commercially on a web press.

The recently released green Komori G40 press can run this technology and has been designed from the ground up to be environmentally conscious. The software and equipment involved to reduce paper wastage can be directly converted to reduced running costs on everything from ink to power consumption. Currently none have made their way to Australia.

In reducing emissions during printing with low-test sheets, and changing to inverter motors and fans, Komori has reduced the annual CO2 output from production by 27% on a four-colour press and 20% on a six-colour.

“The KHS-AI concept was to standardise colour matching to international standards, the ultimate aim is zero waste. We can get to standard density and perfect register within 20 sheets, and we then control that density automatically on the run.

“It has got a quick print start system, in that it pre-inks for the next job and learns from the information it gets from the press on what it needs to change. It takes that into account for the next job, and smart feedback will allow us to change the density at the whim of the designer without running paper,” he adds.