Harrogate Coincides with Anicolor Move to Serial Production
15.02.2007
Northprint comes just as Heidelberg is starting its B3 Anicolor
press serial production at its Wiesloch plant. A four-colour
Anicolor press with coater will be shown alongside a Suprasetter
A52 thermal CtP system and Heidelberg's latest Stahlfolder, the
TA 52.
"Demand for Anicolor is already high and the only restriction will be supply in the early days," says Richard Bradley, Marketing Manager small format presses at Heidelberg UK. "We certainly expect to have at least a dozen installations in the UK by the year end. Anicolor is killer technology which has breakthrough make-ready benefits with time and cost advantages that will allow printers to generate more work at higher margins."
Heidelberg quit the digital printing field, selling its 50-percent stake in Nexpress to partner Kodak, in 2004. Two years later the company announced that despite being the Direct Imaging pioneer with 2,000 DI presses in the field it did not see a future for this technology. Anicolor with CtP is a more cost-effective and flexible solution.
Anicolor uses anilox inking with dampening unlike any previous press. It is not a waterless process so it can use standard offset plates and inks, giving printers choice and cost benefits.
Technology that does that and also takes make-ready times down below seven minutes with less than 20 sheets waste is bound to turn heads.
"Demand for Anicolor is already high and the only restriction will be supply in the early days," says Richard Bradley, Marketing Manager small format presses at Heidelberg UK. "We certainly expect to have at least a dozen installations in the UK by the year end. Anicolor is killer technology which has breakthrough make-ready benefits with time and cost advantages that will allow printers to generate more work at higher margins."
Heidelberg quit the digital printing field, selling its 50-percent stake in Nexpress to partner Kodak, in 2004. Two years later the company announced that despite being the Direct Imaging pioneer with 2,000 DI presses in the field it did not see a future for this technology. Anicolor with CtP is a more cost-effective and flexible solution.
Anicolor uses anilox inking with dampening unlike any previous press. It is not a waterless process so it can use standard offset plates and inks, giving printers choice and cost benefits.
Technology that does that and also takes make-ready times down below seven minutes with less than 20 sheets waste is bound to turn heads.
"Anything over 150 sheets run length we're competitive
with digital and at 1,000 we are only a portion of the cost,"
says Richard Bradley. "Whilst our capital cost might be higher
compared to many digital products, we eliminate the higher
consumables costs and click charges. And I believe Anicolor will
achieve a quarter the price per copy over a five-year period for
very short run work."
"There are also other benefits for the end user aside from cost. Anicolor gives superior consistency of colour and brighter hues than conventional offset and whereas digital is limited in the type and weight of stocks (typically up to 300 grams per square meter) Anicolor can handle NCR through to 0.6 millimeter calliper materials and even textured papers. Reverse outs on solids are easily attained without any risk of ghosting and picture frames don't show roll out. This is fabulously high quality offset technology in the digital sector, the best of both worlds."
Built on the proven Speedmaster SM 52 machine, the only obvious external difference in the look of the press is the HandyFill ink cartridges mounted above each print unit. Anilox eliminates ink zones but the new "short-path" inking system and finely engraved screen roller gives a regular and reliable ink supply. Highly pigmented standard inks, including a Heidelberg Saphira brand, are recommended. Using a specialist technotrans' ink temperature control system, which is standard on the Anicolor, the viscosity or tack is easily altered to change the density of inking.
"There are also other benefits for the end user aside from cost. Anicolor gives superior consistency of colour and brighter hues than conventional offset and whereas digital is limited in the type and weight of stocks (typically up to 300 grams per square meter) Anicolor can handle NCR through to 0.6 millimeter calliper materials and even textured papers. Reverse outs on solids are easily attained without any risk of ghosting and picture frames don't show roll out. This is fabulously high quality offset technology in the digital sector, the best of both worlds."
Built on the proven Speedmaster SM 52 machine, the only obvious external difference in the look of the press is the HandyFill ink cartridges mounted above each print unit. Anilox eliminates ink zones but the new "short-path" inking system and finely engraved screen roller gives a regular and reliable ink supply. Highly pigmented standard inks, including a Heidelberg Saphira brand, are recommended. Using a specialist technotrans' ink temperature control system, which is standard on the Anicolor, the viscosity or tack is easily altered to change the density of inking.
The Anicolor is a Prinect/JDF compatible press and it is
recommended to run with Suprasetter CtP and Prinect MetaDimension
prepress workflow. The Suprasetter A52 device will be on show at
Northprint. The first installation of this entry level system was
in November and by April there will be over 30 systems in the field
with further orders in place.
The Suprasetter A52 can run processless, chemistry-free or conventional plates With an Auto Top-Loader there is a plate cassette than can feed 50-100 plates (depending on thickness and plates of 0.15 to 0.3 millimeter can be handled) without manual intervention. The automation includes the removal of slip sheets. The UK CtP market is about 80 percent metal, 20 percent polyester and about 65 percent thermal, 35 percent visible light today.
Completing the Heidelberg Northprint line up is the Stahlfolder TA 52, a servo-driven automated folder for the small and medium size printer who wants a machine that is quick to make ready and easy to use. It is touchscreen operated. With a 52-centimeter working width, it can fold full size formats ranging from 100 x 120 millimeters up to 520 x 850 millimeters. The Stahlfolder TA 52 is available with a folding station featuring four or six buckle plates and performs concertina, letterfold and gates. When equipped with two folding stations, parallel and cross folding is also possible. A third station with up to four buckle plates and/or a mobile cross folding knife unit can also be added.
The Suprasetter A52 can run processless, chemistry-free or conventional plates With an Auto Top-Loader there is a plate cassette than can feed 50-100 plates (depending on thickness and plates of 0.15 to 0.3 millimeter can be handled) without manual intervention. The automation includes the removal of slip sheets. The UK CtP market is about 80 percent metal, 20 percent polyester and about 65 percent thermal, 35 percent visible light today.
Completing the Heidelberg Northprint line up is the Stahlfolder TA 52, a servo-driven automated folder for the small and medium size printer who wants a machine that is quick to make ready and easy to use. It is touchscreen operated. With a 52-centimeter working width, it can fold full size formats ranging from 100 x 120 millimeters up to 520 x 850 millimeters. The Stahlfolder TA 52 is available with a folding station featuring four or six buckle plates and performs concertina, letterfold and gates. When equipped with two folding stations, parallel and cross folding is also possible. A third station with up to four buckle plates and/or a mobile cross folding knife unit can also be added.
The Stahlfolder TA 52 folder works with soft polyurethane Extra
Grip folding rollers that ensure optimal sheet transport and
control of sheets so that a broad range of paper weights and
thicknesses can be handled confidently. The machine is specified to
run 40 to 250 grams-per-square-meter stocks.
Options on the modular folder include scoring, perforating, punch perforating, strip trimming, gatefolding and gluing. Up to 20 standard fold types are programmed for parallel and cross folds and the printer can save up to 200 fold jobs.
Jim Todd, Sales Director of Heidelberg UK, says: "At Northprint we have some really exciting products to show, technology that printers wanting to make profit would be foolhardy not to review - the speed of make-ready on the Anicolor has to be seen to be believed! We will also have on hand a wealth of expertise and experience and hope that visitors will feel free to lodge enquiries and questions about any of the equipment, software, consumables, JDF networking and range of advisory and support services we can offer. Harrogate is a selling show and we are confident it will be a commercial success for us."
Options on the modular folder include scoring, perforating, punch perforating, strip trimming, gatefolding and gluing. Up to 20 standard fold types are programmed for parallel and cross folds and the printer can save up to 200 fold jobs.
Jim Todd, Sales Director of Heidelberg UK, says: "At Northprint we have some really exciting products to show, technology that printers wanting to make profit would be foolhardy not to review - the speed of make-ready on the Anicolor has to be seen to be believed! We will also have on hand a wealth of expertise and experience and hope that visitors will feel free to lodge enquiries and questions about any of the equipment, software, consumables, JDF networking and range of advisory and support services we can offer. Harrogate is a selling show and we are confident it will be a commercial success for us."
For further information please contact:
Diana Thompson, Plus Point PR Ltd, on 01494 817178
E-mail: diana@pluspoint.co.uk
or
Mark Hogan, Heidelberg UK, on 020 8490 3500
E-mail: mark.hogan@heidelberg.com
Diana Thompson, Plus Point PR Ltd, on 01494 817178
E-mail: diana@pluspoint.co.uk
or
Mark Hogan, Heidelberg UK, on 020 8490 3500
E-mail: mark.hogan@heidelberg.com
