Durst White Paper High Volume Digital Print Production and...
Transcript of Durst White Paper High Volume Digital Print Production and...
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High Volume Digital Print Production and Workflow Automation
Market update
Several market developments are having an impact on the current economic climate for
printers. The recent economic decline has made it more important to look at developments
in the market for communications and, in the case of Durst in particular, at the market for
wide format print applications.
Let’s have a closer look at what’s happening in this market segment and the potential
implications for the differences between applications made using screen printing and those
using high volume digital printing.
Market developments
Recent developments point to changes in the market. For instance, 80% of brand owners
reduced their advertising budget (Source: POPAI, 2009), which could be the reason for the
almost 20% decline in business in wide format print production. During the same period
spending on broadcast and commercial print declined by 13% - 26% and spending on events
and sponsoring dropped by 35% - 51%, depending on the country and/or the company. Less
advertising space is booked for specific campaigns.
However, there are also positive changes. For instance, spending on short run in store
advertising is expected to rise by 24% (Source: POPAI, 2009). Although this is a positive
trend, there are some negative effects and long term planning is becoming more difficult.
Brand owners need shorter run lengths and shorter lead times as a result of more volatile
demand that can no longer be forecasted accurately.
Critical success factors
Whereas the quality of promotional products never has to be an issue, products for in store
POP advertising require the highest possible image quality. The challenge for printing
machine manufacturers is to look also at the cost of the products to be made, particularly
the low fixed costs arising from the lower overall print volume that has to be reached under
the given circumstances. So the cost of actual short run printing in high quality will be
crucial, as will be the turnaround speed. If swift reaction is needed due to unpredictable
customer demand and short delivery times are requested, especially for in store advertising,
the manufacturer has to create a printing system that accommodates all these needs.
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figure 01: Most Important Customer Demand
Source: The World Wide Survey, March 2009. InfoTrends
Screen compared to digital UV
Valuable comparisons can still be made in this field between conventional screen printing
and digital wide format production printing, but the end result is different from the
situation ten years ago.
Compared to screen printing, digital wide format UV inkjet productivity has increased in a
straight line in terms of volumes and run length, between 2000 and 2009. Moreover, as
expected the inflection point between conventional and digital has changed. The reason
being that conventional screen printing methods have not changed much, whereas digital
production printing is developing almost year by year. The average run lengths per job
printed with UV-inkjet increased from 100 in 2000 till 1600 in 2010.
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figure 02: Wide Format UV-Inkjet Productivity and Run Length Digital
Trend in run lengths printed with UV-inkjet
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2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
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figure 03: Wide Format UV-Inkjet Productivity and Run Length Digital
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Key factors
However, this not only concerns the trend in the number of sheets per job printed with UV
inkjet, it also relates to the larger volume that can be produced with shorter run lengths in a
given period. In store promotion needs products in lower numbers (sometimes even
personalized), in shorter run lengths and with shorter turnarounds - but still in top quality.
Retailers and consumer brands require a faster turnaround because their customers demand
faster time to market in order to gain more benefit from the shorter life cycles of their
products. Looking at the turnaround time in job days in digital printing over the last ten
years, we see that it has gone from weeks to days, to even hours, during this period.
figure 04: Turnaround Requirement
Turnaround Speed required by Retailers and Consumer Brands
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Business growth opportunities
As a result of analyzing these market developments digital short run printing is growing at a
natural rate and new growth opportunities are presenting themselves in long run digital
printing. Screen printing will increasingly be replaced by digital wide format high speed and
high production printing. The break-even point will shift to longer run lengths, in favour of
digital wide format printing.
Key success factors for long run digital printing include efficiency in the entire production
workflow, starting with proficient media handling from stock to fast printing, to cost-
effective finishing and shipping. Job changes have to be highly efficient. High volumes
combined with shorter run lengths are only achievable when jobs come and go very quickly
in a highly automated environment, involving data management (variable data printing, job
control and tracking) and printer automation (printing queues, media handling, unattended
printing capability).
It is obvious that wide format print production companies will benefit from having printing
systems in place that can handle these criteria, including versatility and flexibility in long
run printing and achieving a customer required quality level at production speeds.
Enabling factors for productivity
A printing system that is able to fulfil all these needs has to be state of the art in terms of
print head technology, number of nozzles, firing frequency, reliable jetting, manufacturing
design and print arrays. It benefits from precise engineering and manufacturing, media
handling automation, inventive ink technology, drying properties for high speed printing,
data handling, RIP capacity and data transfer to the print head.
figure 05: Rho 1000 front
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Rho 1000
The Rho 1000 is a continuous inkjet production system designed to integrate into your
manufacturing process, as described above. It has exceptional productivity due to
continuous board printing and it can print up to 200 sheets/hr (4 x 8 ft / 250 x 125 cm), or
600 m2/hr. In POP 6c quality it produces 90+ sheets/hr (4 x 8 ft / 250 cm x 125 cm) or >300
m2/h.
The media handling system features an automatic loading table, a Rho 1000 vacuum belt
transportation system and an automatic unloading table. A screen printing feeder/stacker
can be integrated to interface with an existing screen printing production line. Media
handling modes include full automation, three quarter automation, manual feed and a roll-
to-roll system.
figure 06: Rho 1000 back
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Advantages
The advantages of this continuous inkjet production system comprise a short set-up time,
automated continuous printing of boards and sheets, maximum material flexibility (heavy
boards, sheets, roll-to-roll printing), maximum sheet size flexibility (250 cm x any length),
fast media changes to enable the printing of a complete campaign using different media in
one operation. Existing loading and unloading devices can also be connected to the Rho
1000.
– Short set-up time
– Automated continuous printing of boards and sheets
– Highest material flexibility (heavy boards, sheets, roll-to-roll printing)
– Highest flexibility of sheet sizes (250cm x any length)
– Fast media change enables the printing of a whole campaign using different media in
on operation
– Existing loading and unloading devices can be connected to the Rho 1000
Actual case study - Screen printing versus Rho 1000 UV inkjet printing
The requirement is to produce an image of 5900 x 2270 mm (232“ x 89“), divided into five
1180 mm (46.5“) panels on PVC sheets, with a total of 375 sheets / 5022 m2 – 54,056 sq ft
(300 for sale - 4018 m2 – 43,250 sq ft). The printing machines used in the comparison are the
Thieme 4 colour screen printing line and the Durst Rho 1000.
figure 07: Example of a print-job
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Screen printing workflow
In the screen printing environment prepress is followed by the preparation of the screen,
machine set-up and printing.
A 26 MB PDF print ready file is delivered by the customer, loaded onto a Macintosh G5 with
an ISO coated colour space and divided into 5 rows with CS3 Indesign. A PostScript file is
created for a Harlequin Rip, the file is being RIPped and viewed on the monitor providing a
soft proof. After accordance, the file is loaded onto the screen imaging machine. There is no
ICC output colour management involved.
figure 08: Screen printing workflow
Screen preparation requires 20 screens for the job, with a single screen taking 1 hr 20 mins
to be produced. Then the fabric has to be stretched onto the frame. A screen wash unit and
drying are needed (emulsifying and imaging washing out emulsion and masking).
Then the screen machine itself has to be adjusted, including alignment of the frames for all
colours, unloading old and loading new screens. It takes about 5 minutes to change 4 frames,
i.e. 55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned. Tuning the colours to match a fogra proof
requires 30 minutes to achieve the required colours. The machine set-up will take another
10 minutes, to discuss colour and eventually print another proof.
Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing
Machine set-up
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figure 09: Screen printing - machine setup
Printing follows, 375 sheets are printed in 1 hr 25 mins. Then another machine set-up is
needed for the second panel and machine adjustment for the alignment of the frames for all
colours. Unloading old and loading new screens requires 5 minutes to change 4 frames, i.e.
55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned.
Other problems may occur, for instance, when the colours don’t match and have to be
adjusted by modifying the linear speed and squeegee pressure.
Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing
Machine adjustment –
unloading old/loading new screens
5 minutes to change 4 frames
Aligning the frames for all colours
55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned
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figure 10: Screen printing - colours do not match
With a set-up time of 1 hr 40 mins for the 1st panel, 1 hr 15 mins for the 2nd panel, 1 hr 35
mins for the 3rd panel, 1 hr 40 mins for the 4th panel and 1 hr 50 mins for the 5th panel the
total machine set-up time amounted to 8 hours.
Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing
Problem: colours do not match
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Colour has to be adjusted by modifying linear
speed and squeegee pressure
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figure 11: Screen printing - machine setup for panels
The overall production time was 16 hrs 47 mins.
Production time
���� Product efficiency is only 38%
figure 12: Screen printing - production efficiency
Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing
Machine set-up
1st panel:
2nd panel:
3rd panel:
4th panel:
5th panel:
Total machine setup: 8 hours
Screen preparation Machine setup Prepress Printing
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Rho 1000 workflow
figure 13: Rho 1000 printing workflow
In this case the overall production process appears to be much easier. Prepress includes an
ICC optimized proof, while the Rho set-up has a printing POP quality of 300 m2/hr. 300
sheets (4018 m2 in total) require 14.75 hrs. The set-up for the Rho itself is 0.25 hrs and 0.33
hrs. The total production time for 300 sheets is 15.3 hrs!!
figure 14: Rho 1000 - Production Efficiency
Prepress
including
ICC optimized
proof
Rho
setup
Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h
Prepress
including
ICC optimized
proof
Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h
14,75 hrs for 300 sheets (4018 sqm)
Production efficiency is 96%
Rho
setup
0,25 h 0,33 h
Total Production time: 15,3 hrs for 300 sheets
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Conclusions
In terms of production time the Rho 1000 is faster than the screen printing machine.
figure 15: Time Comparison Rho 1000 vs. Screen Printing
In terms of cost, including prepress and screen preparation, machine set-up and machine
cost incl. operators, ink and printing cost, printing on the Rho is less expensive.
figure 16: Cost Comparison Rho 1000 vs Screen Printing
Process Time Man hours Process Time Man hours Process Time Man hours
Prepress 0,33 0,33 1,00 1,00 0,67 0,67
Screen Preparation - - 8,00 32,00 8,00 32,00
Machine Setup 0,25 0,25 8,00 16,00 7,75 15,75
Printing 14,75 14,75 6,47 12,94 -8,28 -1,81
Total Time 15,33 15,33 23,47 61,94 8,14 46,61
Time Comparison
Rho 1000 Screen Printing Difference
Prepress
including
ICC optimized
proof
Rho
setup
Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h
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Summary of Critical success factors
Finally, we are able to draw some conclusions comparing the Product quality and The critical
success factors of both printing methods.
Product quality
In terms of product quality, the Rho 1000 is provided with standardised colour management
with ICC profiles. Moreover, a Proof can be printed of all the panels immediately after the
prepress (ripping) process and before the production run. Colour consistency is achieved via
electronically repeated dot setting.
With Screen Printing on the contrary, Colour matching has to be based on trial and error (40
minutes for colour matching and proof for a single panel). Proofs can be printed panel by
panel only. Full image can only be proofed after printing the last panel. There’s an ongoing
colour adjustment required via linear speed and squeegee pressure settings.
Two factors determine the critical success: Product cost and turnaround speed
Product cost and turnaround speed
With the Rho 1000, there’s a high share of variable cost (48% of total cost for the job), that
enables rapid adjustment to volatile demand. There’s also a better cost transparency and
contribution margin calculation facilitates that will improve customer specific pricing. Last
but not least there’s a high production efficiency (96%) maximising flexibility and swift
reaction to customer demands.
Compared to that advantages, with Screen Printing it will be difficult to adapt to rapidly
changing demands with 80% fixed cost, which consists of machine and labour cost process
steps. Moreover, because of the high share of fixed costs, optimum utilisation of capacity is
vital for the survival of the company, in a poor economic climate with unpredictable
demand.
created by Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology GmbH