New Products

Jun 1, 2006 12:00 AM, By AP staff

New products from: On Demand Machinery, Sun Chemical, Power Forward, No-Mark Products, Canon, Cyrious, ECKART, LithoTechnics, Inca Digital Printers, Printers Software, Labelblank, Xitron, Maxson, DRISTEEM, KBA, Nipson, X-Rite, Esko, Presstek, Heidelberg, and new product installations.

Machiner, Accessories, Services

Case binding system
On Demand Machinery’s (Elizabeth, NJ) case binding system will produce over 1,000 books per day with just two operators working the ODM Casemaker and one operator working the ODM Sticker and Smasher. ODM offers a free sample hardcover book produced using its case binding system. The book outlines the three steps and the equipment and material used. The sample is available upon request.
See www.odmachinery.com.
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Sun produces MetalFX inks
Sun Chemical (Northlake, IL) has announced a licensing agreement to make and sell MetalFX inks, a technology that can be used to print up to 104 million metallic colors. MetalFX has opened up a new color spectrum for printers and designers. Thousands of metallic colors can be created by overprinting process color inks over MetalFX Base silver ink. The color specification is all controlled through the MetalFX software and swatchbooks. The process inks used for MetalFX have defined values so Sun Chemical can produce inks compatible with the metallic color specification system.
See www.sunchemical.com.
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Apply self-adhesive labels inline
Power Forward’s (Toronto) PowerStick allows direct mail and business form suppliers to attach self-adhesive items—such as labels, RPNS, thin plastic cards or Velcro pieces—to fast-moving webs for letters, forms or inserts. PowerStick Plus also provides intelligent printing of these items as they are applied, so you can customize messages or set up contests and sweepstakes on the fly. Additional functions such as vision inspection, barcode scanning and RFID processing also can be added to the PowerStick Plus.
See www.powerfwd.com.
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Anti-track jacket
No-Mark Products (Seattle) has expanded its PressBoss anti-track jacket line to include the Heidelberg Quickmaster press. It replaces the net material commonly used on the delivery cylinder. The PressBoss surface is Diamond grade No-Mark SiliCLEAN and can last up to 12 months or more before change-out, depending upon care. It is prepackaged to OEM specifications with a cellular foam backing that helps prevent damage from severe paper jams.
See www.no-mark.com.
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Inline puncher
Canon U.S.A.’s (Lake Success, NY) Professional Puncher-A1 is an inline puncher compatible with the company’s imageRUNNER 7105, 7095 and 7086. Developed in partnership with GBC (Northbrook, IL), the Professional Puncher A-1 has interchangeable die sets for six binding styles: ComboBind, ColorCoil, WireBind, three-ring, VeloBind and ProClick.
See www.usa.canon.com.
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Quotes from anywhere
By combining two off-the-shelf technologies, Remote Desktop and Cellular Internet, Cyrious (Baton Rouge, LA) users can access the system remotely via laptop computer. Users who take advantage of this offsite capability will be able to:

Access customer, order and contact management information in real time.
Provide quotes, invoices and create orders.
Retrieve, manage and update customer data.
E-mail estimates, orders or invoices instantly.

See www.cyrious.com.
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Metallic heatset inks
Known for its Topstar colored metallic inks formulated with the ultra-brilliant Metalure aluminum dispersion, ECKART (Painesville, OH) now offers the Topstar Heatset 06 series, specifically for the web heatset market. All base colors are available, including yellow, red, blue, cyan, green, gold and silver.

ECKART also offers Topstar Brilliant 06-2558 Silver Ink for heatset printing. This ink boasts high leafing characteristics and delivers good brilliance and reflectivity. It provides an alternative to using metallized paper or foil stamping. Topstar Brilliant prints on a variety of paper/board types.
See www.eckart.net.
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Updated job planning software
LithoTechnics—distributed in the United States by Alterio Associates (Medford, MA)—has released Metrix version 1.7. The job planning and automatic layout calculator now boasts seamless JDF integration with major prepress workflows and RIPs. New features include support for Acrobat 7 JDF; an enhanced layout calculator engine that organizes products on the sheet to avoid color conflicts or to group products with similar postpress finishing requirements; and the ability to define and place press sheet marks, including user-definable custom marks.
See www.alterioassociates.com.
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New flatbed printer models
Inca Digital Printers (Cambridge, England) has launched several new models of the Spyder 320 flatbed printer series, including a four-color model, a six-color model and a Spyder with a white ink option.

The Spyder 320-e boasts the same accurate pin registration and sharp image resolution as the standard model, but has reduced the speed specification. Customers can upgrade their Spyder 320-e onsite to the original specification of the Spyder 320 or the Spyder 320+.

The Spyder 320+ offers a modular IncaPrint carriage with either white or in addition to the CMYK set. The six-color printer is designed for closer viewing output where there is a requirement to reproduce flesh tones with smoother light colors and gradations.
See www.incadigital.com.
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Software to aid in estimating
ScanPlan complements Printers Software’s (Sarasota, FL) Estimate application by scanning thousands of job plans based on your job criteria. For example, Estimator can instantly find all available four-color, 44-page, 8 1?4 x 10 3?4-inch job plans, select the best plan and create an electronic job ticket and quote letter in seconds. ScanPlan will be available to existing customers at no charge.
See www.printerssoftware.com.
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Dual knife rotary sheeter
Maxson Automatic Machinery Co. (Westerley, RI) introduces a sheeter model that offers dual knife rotary cutter technology. The design employs a high-speed (1,300 fpm) cutter outfitted with a delivery system, including a reject gate and stacker that uses a scissors lift load table.

The sheeter can heavy cut loads up to 0.040 inch thick with accuracies of ±0.015 inch without squareness adjustment. Available in trim widths up to 65 inches, the standard configuration allows for a 16 to 65-inch cutoff, although extended lengths and shorter digital sizes can be accommodated.
See www.maxsonautomatic.com.
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Latest Navigator RIP for Mac OS X
Xitron (Ann Arbor, MI) has released Navigator 7.0 RIP for Mac OS X with native support for PDF 1.5 files, PDF/X-1a:2003 and PDF/X3:2003 formats. New features include an advanced font emulation that simulates portions of missing fonts in PDF files, an in-RIP Simple Imposition designed for the two-up marketplace, and proofing plug-ins to support the K3 family of Epson printers including the 4800, 7800 and 9800. The new proofing VSD plug-ins are SWOP-certified and include color-managed profiles that help provide quick and easy setup.
See www.xitron.com.
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IPEX PRODUCTS
Top execs debate print’s future
One of the biggest draws at IPEX was a panel discussion moderated by best-selling author and British broadcaster Jeremy “The Rottweiler” Paxman. Panelists included: Anne Mulcahy, chairman and CEO, Xerox; Bernard Schreier, chairman and CEO, Heidelberg; Edward Carr, business affairs editor, The Economist; and Barry Hibbert, CEO of the Polestar Group, one of Europe’s leading printing companies. Mulcahy noted that offset and digital printing are “more complementary than competitive.” Schreier said that the real question for printers is not what technology they will use in the future, but what business they will be in. Hibbert uncautiously said print isn’t sexy, which led to an impassioned rebuttal by Spindrift’s Laurel Brunner. Ultimately, I think Paxman proved more chihuahua than rottweiler, but you can judge for yourself. a Jim Hamilton and PennWell’s Keith Hevenor provided a live, blow-by-blow account on a Xerox blog, including details such as Schreier’s tie choice. See www.inthebalanceblog.com/blog.
—Katherine O’Brien, editor

Widest range of presses
KBA’s (Williston, VT) “Champions in Print” Ipex theme was a nod to this summer’s World Cup. KBA president and CEO Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, marketing director Klaus Schmidt and KBA (UK) managing director Christian Knapp underscored KBA’s claim to the broadest and most advanced product range in the industry.

Product highlights included the Rapida 105 shown as a ten-color perfector with sheeter. It’s reportedly the only 18,000-sph, 40-inch press on the market with automatically convertible perfecting. Installed configurations range from classic five-color presses, five- or six- color hybrid and UV presses, two-coater presses, and perfectors with up to 15 units and inline coating.

Key features include a no-sidelay SIS infeed and a range of automation modules to reduce makeready time. KBA also unveiled a inline quality control on both sides of the sheet with two camera-based KBA QualiTronic sheet inspection systems fitted in front of the perfecting unit and after the final printing unit. Visitors could see KBA’s 29-inch press, the Performa 74, in a five-color, anilox-coater configuration.

Other options include semi-automatic plate change, ink temperature control, roller and blanket washing, nonstop facilities at the infeed and delivery, and a control console incorporating a JDF interface plus an online link to an X-Rite densitometer.
See www.kba-usa.com.
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Black-and-white digital press
The VaryPress 400 from Nipson (Elk Grove Village, IL) runs at 415 fpm and is suitable for direct mail and book printing. The black-and-white device features a printable width of 18.45 inches and uses 600-dpi magnetographic imaging technology.

At Ipex, Nipson announced it will increase its high-end tension-web VaryPress’ speed to 500 fpm. Commercial shipments of the new model, the VaryPress 500, will start in the spring of 2007. Upgrade kits for current VaryPress 400 units will be available after the new model is introduced.
See www.nipson.com.
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Plate process control tool
PlateScope, unveiled by X-Rite (Grandville, MI), allows users to perform accurate dot measurement and plate process control. It is suitable for use with chemistry-free and processless plates and supports measurement of AM, FM and hybrid screening technologies. PlateScope is said to reliably measure extreme highlights and shadows, as well as midtones. The plate measurement device can be integrated with QC Plate software to profile platesetters, plates, presses and paper types to automatically generate the proper gain curves and speed quality checks. The device uses a video targeting system that allows users to target the areas they want to measure, even when held at arm’s length or in darker lighting conditions. PlateScope has a built-in screen for easier viewing.
See www.xrite.com.
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Packaging software
Scope 3 is a new release of Esko’s (Gent, Belgium) integrated packaging software suite. New capabilities include Adobe PDF 1.7- and JDF 1.3-based workflow, along with CAD graphics integration with Adobe Illustrator CS2. WebCenter is Scope’s online platform for collaboration and approval workflows. It can integrate brand owners and designers, as well as tradeshops and converters, on a single communications platform. The software features new functions such as document version tracking, version comparison tools and a Web viewer. Also incorporated in the release is new screening technology, online monitoring and an improved user interface.
See www.esko.com.
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Chemistry-free digital plate
Presstek (Hudson, NH) has unveiled the Anthem Pro chemistry-free thermally imaged digital plates. Anthem Pro features a grained anodized surface and requires only a water rinse after imaging to prepare the plate for printing. PRO graining, in combination with Anthem’s thermal ablation coating system, is said to provide improved ink/water latitude, greater color stability and better overall print performance.
See www.presstek.com.
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Heidelberg innovations abound
Heidelberg (Kennesaw, GA) unveiled a new 18,000-sph, straight printing version of its medium-format press, the Speedmaster CD 74. This series has previously produced 15,000 sph, but a complete package with a number of significant innovations now allows a stable production speed of 18,000 sph, even with continuous operation. The throughput is achieved over a wide range of printing stock, from lightweight paper to various types of card. Unique selling points include the new suction head and automatic pile lifting control system, both in the delivery. The Speedmaster CD 74 reportedly is ideal for customers who combine short runs and regular longer runs. There also are many benefits for commercial, packaging and label printers who work with a number of printing materials and runs of different lengths.

Heidelberg also presented the Anicolor zoneless inking unit in a Speedmaster SM 52 four-color press for the first time. This unit makes it possible to produce even the shortest of runs using a standard offset workflow but with significantly better margins. Just 10 to 20 start sheets are required, depending on the print motif, resulting in 90 percent less startup waste, and no ink zone settings cuts makeready times by up to 40 percent. The time saved increases press capacity by 25 percent. Commercially available plates and inks are used because the press works with the Alcolor continuous dampening system.

The new Stitchmaster ST 450 saddlestitcher boasts high levels of automation plus impressive flexibility and productivity. It features mobile feeders fitted with servo drives that can be positioned at any point on either side of the saddle chain. It offers a capacity of 14,000 cycles per hour.

One more thing to point out is that Heidelberg and IST Metz GmbH, which joined forces for drupa 2004, once again teamed up at Ipex to showcase applications for packaging and commercial UV printing.
See www.heidelberg.com.
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INSTALLATIONS AND EXPANSIONS
Intl. Gamco (Omaha, NE) has installed a KBA (Williston, VT) Rapida 105 41-inch, six-color sheetfed press with aqueous coater. Lithographix (Los Angeles) has installed a KBA Rapida 205 81-inch, six-color sheetfed press with coater.

Komori (Rolling Meadows) announces the following installations: an eight-color Lithrone 840 with coater at ColorGraphics (Seattle); a five-color Lithrone 540SP at Consolidated Press (Seattle); a six-color Lithrone 28 with coater at Essence Printing (San Francisco); and a five-color Lithrone 28 with coater at Pacific Printing and Fulfillment (Silicon Valley) and Gateway Printing and Graphics (Hamburg, NY).

The Watchtower Printing Center has put a Muller Martini (Hauppauge, NY) Corona/Diamant production line at the heart of its new production facility. Additional Muller Martini installations include: an Acoro A7 perfect binder at Victor Graphics (Baltimore); a BravoPlus saddlestitcher with AMRYS and an AlphaLiner inserting system at Evergreen Printing & Publishing (Bellmarr, NJ); and an AmigoPlus perfect binder at Peters Bindery (Anderson, IN).

Heidelberg (Kennesaw, GA) announces the following installations: a six-color Speedmaster CD 102 at Monroe Litho (Rochester, NY); an eight-color Speedmaster XL 105 with inline aqueous coater at Kirkwood Printing (Wilmington, MA); a six-color Speedmaster SM 52 with perfector and coater at Ace Lithographers (East Hanover, NJ); a six-color Speedmaster CD 102 with inline aqueous coating and a POLAR 78 X cutter at GLS Companies (Brooklyn Park, MN); Quicksetter 300E imagesetting devices at High Res Printing (Knoxville, TN) and The Printing Port (Myrtle Beach, SC); a six-color Speedmaster CD 102 with coater at Hillsboro Printing Co. (Tampa, FL); a four-color Speedmaster SM 52 with inline aqueous coater at J&M Printing (Rocklin, CA); a Prosetter 102 CTP system at JMH Printing (Grand Prairie, TX); an eight-color Speedmaster SM 102 with perfector atLifetouch Publishing (Loves Park, IL); a Stahlfolder TH 82 at Marange Design & Printing (Belleville, NJ); a Stahlfolder USA B 26 at Midlands Printing (Camden, SC); a 12-color Speedmaster SM 102 with modular coating system, perfector and CutStar roll sheeter at Mossberg & Co. (South Bend, IN); a two-color Printmaster QM 46 at California State University (Sacramento, CA) and Signature Print Services (San Jose, CA); a Prosetter 74 at Simpson’s Printing (Rapid City, SD); and a four-color Printmaster GTO 52 and Quicksetter 400E imagesetter in the in-plant shop at Sioux Valley Hospital (Sioux Falls, SD).

Xerox (Rochester, NY) installations include: an iGen3 at Western Graphics (St. Paul, MN) and Tri-Ad Litho (Pittsburgh); a DocuColor 8000 at Graphics West (Las Vegas); an iGen3 110, two Nuvera 120 digital production systems and a Nuvera 120 digital copier/printer at Ditto Document Solutions (Pittsburgh); and an iGen3 110 at Page/International Communications (Houston, TX).

HP (Palo Alto, CA) has installed an HP Indigo ws4000 seven-color digital roll label press at Wayne Trademark Printing & Packaging (High Point, NC) and a ws4050 at Label Printers (Aurora, IL).