process Charting new waters with digital printing Drupa 2012 Process: Issue 83 - April 2012

Transcription

1 process Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing Process: Issue 83 - April 2012 Editorial Drupa Charting new waters with digital printing News Durst launches a new range of 10 picolitre UV inkjet printers Installation IntegraColor goes even bigger and better in Texas with a Durst Rho 1000L Science & Technology Recyclability of corrugated media printed with UV inks. Media & Handling Falconboard, a graphic board from Hexacomb tested for it s printing behaviour with Durst Rho 1000 Application The Masserdotti Group re-launches and relies on Durst Drupa 2012 Charting new waters with digital printing Since 1951, development in the printing industry has been measured in Drupa cycles; little more than 60 years have passed between the Original Heidelberg jobbing press and today s high speed offset printers. Hourly capacities have increased several fold; processes have long since followed suit, becoming highly standardised and extremely efficient, with impeccable quality. Yet offset printing the steamboat of the printing industry is heading at full speed, and partly with dazzling gains to be made, towards an insurmountable barrier. The reason? Digital printing the speedboat in this scenario is a classic disruptive technology, with its ability to replace existing working methods completely or to a considerable extent. Although the speed, efficiency and sometimes also the quality of digital printing is not comparable with that of offset printing as yet, digital systems, whether inkjet or toner-based, have an unassailable advantage over offset printing; they put the focus back on the customer and his individual wishes. To an extent, this has fallen by the wayside with the necessary introduction of increasing efficiency in printing jobs. When a few standard sizes have to do for everyone, dissatisfaction begins to grow. Niche suppliers appear, offering to meet special requests and making good money from it. Whilst standard products become poorly regarded bargain goods, a successful special order can kindle passion, secure customer loyalty and win over the purchaser. Yet logistically speaking, in the sequence-based world of high speed offset printing, there is simply no room for lovingly crafted small print runs. At a first glance, the loss of such mini orders may seem to be of little importance for a well-run printing company. However, on closer inspection, it is clear that not only a decidedly lucrative sector is falling right into the lap of the competition, but also that further, secure standard volumes are also coming in the back door, especially when the already digitalised competition has developed into a true full service supplier. Successful offset printers see the dilemma and find the solution in reliable and highly productive inkjet systems. Force these into existing analogue structures, however, and the flexibility of digital technology will suffocate all too easily. It is therefore essential that a largely independent branch of sales be provided for this sector. In this way, it can be ensured that we won t just be offering customers offset 2.0 but rather truly tailor-made, innovative products with an excellent cost-benefit ratio and extremely short delivery times. So that these can also be produced reliably, it may also prove necessary to separate their manufacture from job printing. The significant investments necessary for this should not be postponed until far into the future in view of the current sound profit situation. A strong starting position does not only make introducing new technologies easier, but is more or less essential. Only then is it possible to secure what has already been achieved whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition. When a disruptive technology begins to emerge from a niche, it is normally too late for the lucrative introduction of this technology, as its impetus transforms into a raging current, drawing even the big players into it it s not just the analogue photo industry that could come to lament this change. And the saviour of offset printing this time around? The 15th Drupa cycle, of course! process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

2 News Durst launches a new range of 10 picolitre UV inkjet printers Durst is pleased to announce the launch of a new range of Rho inkjet printers. This unique range will incorporate the most versatile and productive 10 picolitre UV printers in their class. Entitled the Durst Rho P10 Series, these new machines will define a new quality standard for industrial production level machines. They feature the latest development of Durst s own Quadro Array 10 printhead technology. This highly innovative technology creates the stunning fine art print quality with up to 1000 dpi resolution, finer tones and the option of additional light colours (light cyan and light magenta) for perfect colour reproduction, whilst maintaining Durst s outstanding levels of productivity and flexibility. There is no compromise between speed and quality. Rho P10 200/250 In addition, as with other Durst flatbed and roll to roll printers, they provide unrivalled versatility, thanks to their ability to print on the widest range of rigid and roll media, including, for example, foam board, metal, acrylics and PVC and roll media for backlits, textiles and vinyls. The new family of mid-range printers includes the Rho P10 200/250 flatbeds with 2/2.5m maximum printing widths and the Rho P10 320R roll to roll printer with a maximum printing width of 3.2m. The printers are specifically designed for use by all large format printers who wish to provide a level of quality that will allow for close up viewing of a wide range of advertising and corporate promotional material. Typically, they are ideal for indoor and outdoor signage, POP material, small to medium sized packaging and backlit luxury goods. The Durst P10 Series was first presented at ISA in Orlando FL, March 2012, and will be demonstrated at Drupa in Düsseldorf, 3-16 May Rho P10 320R process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

3 Installation IntegraColor goes even bigger and better in Texas with a Durst Rho 1000L IntegraColor, a leading national visual communications company based in Mesquite, Texas, has added a Durst Rho 1000L continuous high speed production system to satisfy its growing client base. The Rho 1000 is in addition to its diverse array of printing machines, which already includes UV and conventional sheet-fed, digital, silk screen, flexographic, web offset, photographic and rotary letter solutions. This move is another important step in IntegraColor s ongoing strategy to position itself to exceed current and emerging clients point-of-purchase business objectives through innovation, acquisition and expansion opportunities. We invested in Durst because, out of all of the manufacturers, we believed that Durst offered the highest quality at the fastest speeds, which will truly allow us to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace, said Donovan Campbell, IntegraColor s Chief Operating Officer. We believe that a partnership between one of the world s premier digital manufacturers and one of the world s premier point-of-sale providers will benefit our customers as we continue to strive for premium quality and decreased costs. The Rho 1000L fits nicely within IntegraColor s one stop shop model, and will complement its existing 44 print devices. Among them is the world s largest UV sheet-fed press an 81 inch KBA Rapida, as well as a Durst Rho 800 Presto and two Durst Lambda large format digital photo printers. The Rho 1000L bridges the gap between IntegraColor s existing digital presses and its screen and sheet-fed presses, the company said. In business for more than 55 years, IntegraColor is one of the largest full service point-of-purchase print solution providers in the United States. IntegraColor partners with national and regional customers, both large and small; primarily within the retail, consumer product, quick-serve restaurant, convenience/fuel, and horticultural markets. All these are fulfilled from a centrally located campus in Dallas, Texas. The company is committed to helping customers enhance their brand strength, flatten their supply chain, integrate technology, mitigate risk and reduce total cost of ownership for their visual brand communication needs. Richard Burke and Donovan Campbell The selection of the Rho 1000L is a testament to our business relationship that continues to help move their operations forward, said Christopher Howard, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Durst U.S. The integration of the Rho 1000 into their broad array of analog print processes, and the value that it provides is exactly what Durst designed the 1000 to do. process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

4 Science & Technology Recyclability of corrugated media printed with UV inks. Corrugated (usually called also carton) media, since their discovery during the XVIIth century have been widely used, taking advantage of their multiple advantages, such light weight, cheap, multiple design, mechanical flexibility, easy to made (same production principle as paper), adjustable, resistive, and most of all, easily printable. Here are typical types of corrugated sheets 1 : The basics of deinking being the detachment of the ink, and its removal. The detachment of the ink can be done by flotation in water, at about 40 to 50 C, when the substrate to recycle has been mixed with water in a pulper drum. This ensemble, the pulp, can then be treated to remove the ink thanks to physic-chemical process that is schematically described as: One of the main assets of corrugated media remains the production method, pretty identical to paper. One of the main differences being the surface density (or grammage), for paper ~224g/cm² and 50µm thick, and for corrugated, we reach 230g/cm² up to 500g/cm², with multiple thickness (see picture above). Otherwise the production principle stays the same, from laminated cellulose from trees, or potentially from other fiber crops. Afterwards, we observe the production line that is roughly the following: wood chipping-washing-bleaching-pressing. The production method of corrugated stays similar to paper productions, even though it came later. Corrugated substrate production has been patented in 1856 in England and its manufacturing is close to paper. All these media welcome all kind of printings with for example UV cured rigid inks, depending on the purpose of the object. Nowadays, recycling of paper and by extension of corrugated is widely use. The process is well known, and consists on milling the paper and as soon as we have a paper pulp, we can go further with the corrugated production. This cycle can be done at will, even though some fresh fiber must be sometimes added. Though, after milling, we have two main components: the paper, and also the ink, printed on the paper. At this point the quality of the recycled paper depends on the quality of the recycling and how good to we remove the ink from the fibers. This is where the problem is, how can we detach the ink from the fiber? There are some corrugated substrates where we can see the former fibers, even sometimes some small parts of printed characters or pictures. Other ones can be extremely clean and uniform, this depends on the quality of the cleaning, especially the deinking. The deinking focuses a lot attention during the recycling process. Source: Along with the action of air, blown up from the bottom, the detached particles, mostly hydrophobic reach the surface of the tank to form foam that can be easily removed. Though, this method works mainly with particles that are larger than 10µm. For smaller particles (below 30µm), the wash deinking consists on adding dispersant, and thanks to various kind of filter, remove the ink particles. UV cured ink are mainly made out of artificial plastic material, pretty hydrophobic and less dense than water. The process of recycling is getting improved also with time, the efficiency is getting higher, and the quality of recycled corrugated substrate is better, almost comparable to fresh new ones. Furthermore, more and more public pressure occurs. People want to buy from recycled material; it becomes a positive selling argument. Ink providers try also to reduce the number of polluting components, to be able to bring on market new inks easily recyclable. 1 process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

5 Media & Handling Falconboard A graphic board from Hexacomb tested for it s printing behaviour with Durst Rho 1000 Falconboard, a 100% paper-based graphic board from Boise Inc. s Hexacomb business unit, has been printed at the Durst Lienz facilities with the Rho 1000 industrial inkjetprinter. Falconboard is made from renewable resources, containing at least 20% recyled fibers and is fully recyclable itself. The chlorofluorocarbon-free product consists of an engineered paper core and water-based adhesives coupled with a white printing surface. Falconboard Print, the lightweight display board is best prepared for digital printing and is heat-resistant up to 300 F/150 C. The rigidity of the substrate and it s dimensional stability enable Falconboard to handle demanding graphic display applications. Falconboard is typically used for short/middle term interior applications at the Point of Purchase where before typically standard foamboards had been applied. These products work with all standard commercial connective systems as edge tape, plastic and metal edging. Available standard dimensions are 1220 x 2440 mm, 1400 x 3050 mm at a thickness of 6 mm, 10 mm, 16 mm, 18 mm As the Falconboards surface is a paper liner, the Durst Rho 1000 print samples resulted in perfect images. The ink drop is wetting the substrate perfectly and the colour space of the Durst POP ink is outstanding. Colour gammut with CMYKcmOB Durst Rho 1000 print samples process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

6 Application The Masserdotti Group re-launches and relies on Durst For 45 years the Masserdotti Group has been a specialist in communication and an expert in digital printing across the widest range of disciplines. Recently, the company revamped and updated, which included increasing the management team, the sales force and the production department. In addition to introducing new systems for sublimation printing and adhesives, plus updating software dedicated to multimedia work, in March of 2011 it installed the first Durst Rho 750 HS flatbed and in September the Rho 500R UV 5m roll to roll inkjet printer. With an eye to a growth plan for re-launching the company and modernizing it to meet contemporary needs, Masserdotti began discussions with Durst at the 2010 Fespa Exhibition. This was considered a long-term solution, in line with its development plan: We had known Durst for over ten years, explains Masserdotti, and we always had had an excellent relationship with them. For us, choosing a printing systems maker doesn t mean simply picking a supplier but deciding on a fully fledged partner with whom we can create a relationship of trust and cooperation which will assist with our professional growth, perfecting our work and searching for new ideas. The path that took us to installing Durst systems may, at first glance, seem a long one. Actually, when analyzed from another viewpoint, this decision had even greater value as the outcome of careful analysis took us to choosing the best and finding a new partner in Durst. Riccardo Giorcelli (Durst), Andrea Masserdotti, President, and Alberto Masserdotti, CEO The start of the partnership with Durst immediately proved even better than expected and bodes well for further developments in the future. After testing the excellent quality of printing on rigid boards with the Rho 750, the Masserdotti Group also, in fact, decided to install a Rho 500R as well. Masserdotti went on to say: According to our business plan we expected to install this machine at the end of 2011 and instead, finding ourselves at an advanced stage with our projects, the system was already up and running in our production department in early September. The Rho 500R was chosen for its durability: it s a real armored tank, always working day and night. In addition, it s a versatile machine which we can load adhesive onto three rolls at the same time, enabling us to optimise production in the on-demand market. Alberto Masserdotti, the Group s CEO, comments: We revolutionized the company, technologically and commercially, staking a lot on the concept of industrial solidity. We have always found Durst to be a highly reputable, vanguard company offering the most reliable printing systems and excellent qualitative standards. Until now, however, the Masserdotti Group had always been distinctive for its pioneering spirit, preferring beta systems if not actual prototypes. So choosing Durst meant taking that spirit further; installing a production system that was impeccable right from day one and with the guarantee of industrial production standards. The Masserdotti Group, with its headquarters in Brescia, Italy, can truly be considered a pioneer in the market. It was, in fact, in 1992 among the first in Europe to invest in emerging digital print technology and, thanks to great entrepreneurial intuition and large investments in technology, it created one of the most advanced printing plants in the world. To the older macro areas consisting of digital decoration (including large format, deco-dynamics, signage and structures), along with interior decoration, the Masserdotti Group also recently introduced the latest multimedia and multisensory systems. Rho 500R working with 5 Magnetico rolls (magnetic media) process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April

7 Application Particularly noteworthy is the project that had the Masserdotti Group involved in the 2011 Venice International Film Festival, where it created approximately 3,000 m² of the graphics for the event. We completed this prestigious order in record time, said Masserdotti, and that was possible thanks to the reliability and speed of the machines installed in our production department. On an occasion like this, Durst printers really make the difference. The different decorative elements were positioned along the wharf and the routes leading to the Casino and the Cinema Palace. The venues at which the event was held were radically transformed by means of large-format graphics which helped to create original and attractive settings, ensuring a great visual and emotional impact on the public. As a demonstration of its partnership with Durst, Masserdotti also brought the Alto Adige Company on board with an innovative project, which the Brescia group presented at Viscom Called the DekoDigital Network, this is the community grouping together of qualified companies and selected professionals working in different areas of visual communications, nationwide. Forex printed with Rho 750 Presto and PVC Banner Printed with Rho 500 Exhibition Cinema di Venezia, banner printed with Rho 500 Events Photo Expo Moscow, Russian Federation Sava Digital Products: Omega ITM 2012 Istanbul, Turkey Saatçioglu Dis Tic. A.S. Products: Kappa 180 Hall 7, Booth 714A drupa Düsseldorf, Germany Durst Phototechnik AG Hall 9, Stand E21 All rights reserved on images and illustrations. Durst is a Registered Trade Mark Durst Phototechnik AG Large Format Printing Vittorio-Veneto-Straße Brixen, Italy Telefon Telefax info@durst.it process - Durst news for the science and application of inkjet printing - Issue 83 - April