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"A newspaper is lumber made malleable. It is ink made into words and pictures. It is conceived, born, grows up and dies of old age in a day."
- Jim Bishop - |
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China's tallest building, the 492m Shanghai World Financial Centre, has 100 storeys
Bali is located in the world's richest marine biogeographical region
The Similan Islands in Thailand have been voted the third best dive site in the world.
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| This week at Printers Post: |
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Andreas Wiche (KBA); Evi Soemardi (Intertek Sempana); Johanes Brada Wardana (Gramedia); Stefan Segger, (KBA); Maria Anny (Gramedia); Andy Budiman (Gramedia); and Ori Santoso Hartono (Intertek Sempana).
Makeready champion brings new dimension to print in Indonesia
Between 2001 and 2007 Indonesia’s PT Gramedia Printing Group installed four four-colour KBA presses: two medium-format Rapida 105 universals, one Rapida 105 and one half-size Rapida 74. Now this fast-growing enterprise, the market leader in Indonesia, has topped this by placing an order with KBA Asia-Pacific for two eight-colour perfector versions of the Rapida 106 exhibited at drupa.
While eight-colour perfector presses for four over four are no novelty in Southeast Asia, it is unusual for them to boast such a high level of automation and performance as that specified for the two identical Rapida 106 press lines. In addition to automatic plate changing Gramedia has opted for DensiTronic professional closed-loop densitometric colour measurement and control, a LogoTronic management information system, a lightweight print capability and DriveTronic SPC dedicated plate-cylinder drives, which allow all eight plates to be changed simultaneously in a mere sixty seconds or so. In conjunction with various other processes this makes for exceptionally fast job changes – as KBA demonstrated at drupa by printing 15 jobs of 520 good sheets apiece in less than 60 minutes.
The two presses are scheduled to ship this month. Once they are up and running they will position Gramedia at the very forefront of medium-format press technology, not just in Indonesia, where it is busy consolidating its market leadership, but in the entire region.
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PMA knowledge platform now available in India
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Heidelberg recently opened its first Print Media Academy (PMA) in India, in the city of Chennai. As a result, the company has a knowledge platform for the print media industry that spans all four of the BRIC countries - the key global growth regions of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Heidelberg now runs a total of more than 18 PMA sites in 15 different countries.
Sections of the Indian print media industry have recorded annual growth rates that run into double figures, with packaging printing achieving particularly strong growth. Many companies are looking to match the production standards of their counterparts in
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industrialised countries and are therefore investing heavily in cutting-edge printing technologies. However, if they are to be successful in implementing market demands in day-to-day print production, operators and technical management teams in India will also need to further expand their know-how.
"Given the current situation, it was only a matter of time before a PMA was opened in India. The PMA focuses on training prepress, press and postpress personnel in the use of state-of-the-art technology from Heidelberg. As a result, Heidelberg is helping the print media industry in India to hone its technical know-how and is supporting companies as they seek to compete successfully on the global market," explained Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, speaking in front of 200 guests at the opening ceremony.
The portfolio offered by the PMA in Chennai also supports existing initiatives in this growth region to deliver instructor training and provide particularly gifted students of printing technology with additional development opportunities. "The demand for high quality training is growing rapidly in the BRIC countries. By expanding the global PMA network further and extending the knowledge and training portfolio it offers, Heidelberg will continue to respond to this key trend in the print media industry," said Dirk Kaliebe, CFO at Heidelberg, during the opening ceremony.
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Seventh M-600 press drives growth strategy at Times Printers
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Times Printers, based in Singapore, has added its seventh Goss M-600 press with Autoplate technology. The facility, equipped almost 100 percent with Goss presses, specialises in publications, catalogues, directories and general commercial work.
Sonny Tan, head of printing at the parent Times Publishing Limited, comments, “Our business has become far more automated, technology-intensive and international over the last five years, and this will continue at an even faster pace. It is of the utmost importance that printers continuously
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invest in new technology to remain competitive in a digital age.”
Times Printers has set its sights on expanding its customer base in the United States and Europe. Tan says the demands of existing and prospective customers in those regions and in Asia and the Middle East are similar. “Print buyers worldwide are going to continuously bring us shorter run lengths and expect higher quality and faster turnaround times,” he predicts. “Exceeding these expectations must be at the core of our investment strategy.”
For nearly a decade, Goss M-600 systems have also been at the core of the investment strategy for the full-service company. The new Goss M-600 press at Times Printers is configured with four Autoplate automatic plate loading units, one JF-48 folder, a Contiweb SH40 splicer and an Ecoweb dryer. It runs one web at a maximum speed of 48,000 impressions per hour. High print quality and a robust design ideally suited for the rigours of high-productivity daily operation distinguish the 16-page M-600 press, according to Tan. He says the Autoplate fully automatic plate changing system also provides distinct makeready advantages, reducing changeover times and freeing operators to perform other tasks.
While maintaining and operating a common M-600 platform delivers advantages, Tan is quick to point out that ongoing developments are vital. “Goss International’s commitment to continuously enhancing the mechanical capabilities as well as the controls and the digital workflow tools has been one of the most important attractions that keeps us coming back to the M-600 model,” he explains. “Local technical support resources also set Goss International apart from other press suppliers.”
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Successful cooperation for Danish supplier and Chinese Zhejiang Daily
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Schur Packaging Systems has long since proven itself to be an expert in mailroom efficiency and a highly competent professional partner to the entire Asia-Pacific region. Last year’s success was the Bangkok Post in Thailand, where Schur supplied the equipment for the first KBA Prisma in the world. This year it is Zhejiang Daily in China that has been successfully updated by the combined efforts of KBA and Schur Packaging Systems.
Schur supplied the Zhejiang Daily with the entire mailroom logistics for a KBA Commander newspaper press and a Commander SC semi-commercial press. A large-scale solution – and, in fact, the largest Chinese order ever received and installed by Schur Packaging Systems. He Xiaoqi, works manager and Cai Ruo Song, project manager,
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(pictured right) expressed their satisfaction with the on-time implementation of the large project on behalf of the management of Zhejiang Daily.
The KBA Commander is the first machine of its series, and together with the KBA Comet SC the installation is a trend-setting pilot project for the entire Chinese market. Aside from the KBA presses the large order comprised an A 780 pick-up station, a high-capacity TGG 3160 conveyor system (for a gentle and safe transport of products from the high-capacity press folders to the mailroom), a number of A 600 stackers connected to film wrappers and cross strappers, plus conveyors and switches to conclude the transport of products to the loading bays.
Situated as it is south-west of the metropolis of Shanghai, the Zhejiang province is part of the boom zone in China, and Western European quality equipment has an excellent reputation here. Hangzhou is the prosperous capital of the region and the centre of the Chinese media industry. The Zhejiang Daily is not a single newspaper but a 59-year old highly esteemed News Group that comprises a number of leading high-circulation newspapers.
The Zhejiang Daily has built an entirely new ‘home’ for the new KBA machines. A 40,000 square metre press centre has been erected at a cost of €30 million, and state-of-the-art systems have been installed in the prepress, press and postpress areas. By the end of this year, the previous newspaper presses (of American and Japanese make) will be moved to the new site too.
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Industry experts to inspire at FESPA World Expo Asia-Pacific
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FESPA has announced details of its Inspire Conference programme at the first ever FESPA World Expo Asia-Pacific show (BITEC, Bangkok, November 28 – 30). The conference sessions will provide print professionals with the inspiration to enhance their businesses and differentiate themselves. Featuring a range of industry authorities, including Michel Caza, Charlie Taublieb and Paul Machin, the conference sessions will provide expert advice on how to use screen and digital printing in the most creative ways.
The key themes of the three-day conference
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will be the environment, technology and marketing, building on discussions at the recent FESPA Directors’ Summit in Bangkok. Following the opening address by Frazer Chesterman, Inspire Conference host and FESPA managing director, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with leading industry experts on the latest issues, challenges and developments. The sessions will inform and inspire printers with interesting case studies, research, current trend information, expert opinion and open and interactive forums on the future of screen and digital printing.
FESPA Asia-Pacific ambassador Adhiwatra Chanapokakul says FESPA is enhancing the value visitors will derive from the exhibition by incorporating inspirational and educational elements that printers can integrate into the running of their business. "Following the feedback we received from the successful FESPA Directors’ Summit, we are excited about the high calibre speakers that will take part in the Inspire Conference. This underlines FESPA’s aim to provide access to high quality education to member associations and other printing professionals across the industry.”
Two debates chaired by Frazer Chesterman will take place during the Inspire Conference. The Digital debate will see a number of industry authorities respond to and debate questions on the role of digital printing in the industry, while the Green debate will discuss best ‘planet-friendly’ practices and the environmental issues faced by printers today.
Charlie’s Corner will undoubtedly be the hub at FESPA World Expo Asia-Pacific for learning best practice in textile screen printing. Charlie Taublieb, world-renowned for his creative screen printing techniques, will be showing innovative ways to screen print onto garments with live demonstrations and mini seminars.
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Making a good start in India
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Since manroland established its own sales and service organisation, manroland India, last year, customers on the subcontinent are now paying much more attention to manroland presses. The company’s products were already an approved benchmark in India thanks to its on-site service. With sales offices in Chennai and New Delhi, manroland has strengthened its
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position through its new subsidiary which is responsible for distributing the whole manroland product range.
The Indian market has become a boom market. The rise in literacy has increased the demand for printed products and opened up new investment possibilities and markets for the printing industry. Sona Printers pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi has ordered three presses: a five-colour Roland 700 with InlineCoater smart (a first for India), a five-colour Roland 200 also with InlineCoater smart, and a two-colour Roland 700 convertible perfector. Orient Press Ltd. in Mumbai will in future be producing with two six-colour Roland 700 presses, each with a coating module and extended delivery.
manroland also holds a top position in the Indian newspaper market. The Times of India has ordered three Colorman presses, two for new printing sites in Mumbai and one for an existing site in Delhi. The latest presses for the new Mumbai printing site are the first newspaper installations in India that will be equipped with the AUROSYS automatic reel handling system. Times of India now has eleven manroland presses with Regioman presses installed at printing centres in Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. The relationship between manroland and Times of India is further strengthened after signing a twelve year naintenance agreement for all these presses.
Manroland’s latest partnership is with HT Media Ltd, another leading Indian newspaper, which has ordered a Regioman for its printing facility in Mumbai. HT Media already has three Colormans at its Noida plant for printing its Delhi edition. The new press will be commissioned in 2009. With a web width of 1,270 millimetres and a maximum speed of 80,000 copies per hour the press offers the best prerequisites for the customer’s production requirements.
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Manufacturing joint venture targets Indian label converters
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Nilpeter is to manufacture flexo presses in India in a joint venture project with its current sales and service partner, Proteck Machinery. The joint venture, named Nilpeter India, will manufacture flexo servo presses with a similar specification to the Nilpeter FB-line machine, with auxiliaries such as rotary screen and cold- and hotfoil stamping. Nilpeter hopes to have the first Indian-built press on its stand at Tarsus' India Label Show in New Delhi this December.
Headquartered in Chennai, Proteck offers sales and technical support services for Nilpeter in
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India, as well as acting as agent and parts manufacturer for a number of other press and equipment manufacturers, including Mitsubishi.
Commenting on the decision to start manufacturing in India, Peter Eriksen, executive assistant at Nilpeter, said: 'We believe the potential of the Indian market is huge. Nilpeter is at full capacity in both our US and Danish manufacturing sites and the Indian market will require a high number of label presses in the near future. This calls for producing in a new location with the required capacity, and why not locally, when this in addition brings us closer to our customers – which we consider very important.' The Indian-built presses are targeted for sale to Indian label converters, but in the longer term Nilpeter will consider exporting to other Asian markets.
There will be an extensive exchange of technical staff between Proteck in Chennai and Nilpeter's North American manufacturing plant. In the future, Eriksen says that Nilpeter is likely to carry out more IT and software-related research and development in India. The joint venture manufacturing announcement follows a number of FB-line installations in the Indian market, one of which is at Ajanta Packaging's Daman plant.
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Label converting equipment supplier forms China alliance
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In a move to strengthen its presence in the region AB Graphic International has announced Do.WellSwiss International as its distributor in China. The company will be responsible for the sales and service of the Vectra range of turret rewinders and the Omega label inspection and converting lines. Based in Guangzhou, Do.WellSwiss Inter-national manufactures presses and
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auxiliary equipment for label, flexible packaging and folding carton production and is an established supplier to the Chinese printing industry.
“AB Graphic International is a market leader in label converting equipment for the narrow web printing industry with good reliable products,” says Jules Farkas of Do.WellSwiss. “We have extensive experience in the sales and service of equipment in China and the Vectra and Omega lines are a good fit that will enable us to extend our product offering.”
“This cooperation will enable us to further develop our activities in the region and offer a complete service for our products that will include pre-sale, site inspection, machine installation, and maintenance,” adds Tony Bell of AB Graphic International. “Our range of Digicon and associated equipment will continue to be handled by the HP Distributor in China, Syntax Technology, (Beijing) Co Ltd.”
A B Graphic International offers a range of converting lines either standard or tailored to customer requirements. New products include the Digicon Series 2 modular label converter, the Digicoat to prepare substrates for digital printing, the Digilam film laminator and the FSR film rewinder. Specialised applications comprise pharmaceutical converting lines, 100% web inspection, off-line RFID, booklet labelling and Braille machines. In 2007 the company was named official supplier of label converting systems for the HP digital print engine fitted to its Digicon systems.
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Print service providers in Asia Pacific embrace digital revolution
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HP’s Indigo business registered a 43% year-on-year units shipment growth in the 1st quarter calendar year 2008 across Asia Pacific and Japan, strengthening its number one position in the fast growing graphic arts market. This announcement coincided with the InfoTrends Digital Printing Seminar held in Singapore on August 27 which is integral in assisting print service providers build their competitive advantage and successfully pursue new, profitable growth opportunities as the industry transitions from analogue to digital.
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"The graphic solutions business is a key growth segment for HP’s Imaging and Printing Group and our HP Indigo business drives a large proportion of this development. This quarter’s result extends our lead in the region. The strong performance also demonstrates the growing preference of our HP Indigo product line by print service providers,” said VS Hariharan, vice president of Graphic Solutions Business, HP Imaging and Printing Group, Asia Pacific and Japan.
According to InfoTrends, a worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm, HP Indigo presses registered a dominant 75% market share in calendar 2007. Additionally, pages printed by HP Indigo presses in the region continued to experience phenomenal growth rates. In the first half of financial year 2008, HP Indigo page counts in the region increased by 56% over the same period in 2007, largely contributed by markets in China, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Jeff Hayes, InfoTrends president, cited key trends which have been critical to the growth of digital printing, “With the explosive growth fueled by advances in digital printing technology and the emergence of new applications such as transpromotional materials, photo books, labels and custom publishing, we are seeing many printers transform from print service providers to marketing service providers to better serve their customers and open up new revenue streams.”
HP is well-positioned in the digital printing space. The company’s graphic arts solutions represents the industry’s largest all-digital portfolio, one that can be used to print in virtually any format, from postage stamps to building wraps.
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All Digital Demand Asia 2008 will be held at the Singapore Expo Hall 2.
New Singapore exhibition and conference targets digital printing
A new event, All Digital Demand Asia 2008 (ADDA), will open its doors to Asia’s leading brand owners, commercial printers and executives from creative agencies on November 27 to 29 at Singapore Expo Hall 2. Packed with innovations presented by Asia’s print luminaries, the exhibition and conference will touch on new digital business models and cutting-edge technologies pivotal to today’s print business.
The event has gained the support of suppliers such as Canon, Fujifilm, GMG, HP, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Océ, Ricoh and Toshiba. “Together with these leading digital print technology specialists, we aim to create an informative event which will benefit and ultimately elevate the standards of digital printing in Asia,” said Ivan Khoo, business development, Asia for Callahan Publishing Pte Ltd, organisers of the event.
“Digital printing also contributes to change in print outsourcing and the appearance on the market of a worldwide network of application centres. But these technological changes also demand organisational changes. This means an entirely different production structure that supports new machines, a new approach to design and a new relationship with customers at both the wholesale and the retail level," Khoo noted. "At ADDA's conference program, our exclusive panel of industrial veterans will join the audience to discuss and offer insight into various issues critical to the pursuit of new business models.
“Digital printing requires thinking outside the box. It requires a rethinking of the process, a new approach with new products and new market strategies that leverage not just cutting-edge printing technology but also information systems and even the internet. The new model will be a market of small series of short runs. ADDA will be there to assist and showcase the business opportunities available for the Asian print community.”
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