GRAPH EXPO 2003
Advances in Automation, Integration and Productivity

By Ivars Sarkans

Crowded exhibits and positive comments by both attendees and exhibitors signaled that the printing industry is recovering from two years of depressed demand for many printed products. A large number of machines at Graph Expo 2003 had "sold" signs prominently displayed. Many exhibitors made printing productivity improvements a major theme of their presentations, suggesting that current investments in new equipment and systems are made primarily to reduce costs rather than to expand capacity.

In the first of a two part series, we will focus on general printing industry trends evident at Graph Expo 2003 and how these trends may impact current forms industry participants. The next issue of BPTR will have descriptions of specific equipment and technologies that may offer new product or service opportunities for forms manufacturers.

One thing very evident this year is that as more producers shift existing forms press capacity to cut sheet products, they are competing with a large population of commercial printers with both narrow-web and sheetfed presses. In effect, segments of what has been traditionally considered the forms industry are gradually merging with commercial printing. At the same time, some work is shifting from offset to digital presses in both commercial printing and forms.

Offset Presses
Most of the offset presses set up to run live printing demonstrations at Graph Expo 2003 were sheetfed machines, signifying their importance as run sizes decline and manufacturers seek maximum versatility from their investments. Small-format offset presses (14" x 20"), using polyester plates, were producing process color samples practically indistinguishable from printing with metal plates. Sheetfed press automation is being brought to small-format models. Several suppliers demonstrated features such as automatic ink key pre-setting from prepress data, console control of all press adjustments, automatic or semi-automatic plate changing, automatic wash-up provisions and push-button changeover between straight-through printing and perfecting.

A sizeable number of forms plants operate small-format sheetfed presses and produce a wide range of spot and "pleasing"process color "utility level’ commercial printing. Graph Expo 2003 showed that forms plants with older sheetfed presses are likely to face some strong competitive challenges from printers with the latest small to medium size (up to 23" x 29") sheetfed machines. New sheetfed presses have high rated speeds and extensive automation that can reduce job changeover time to as low as 10 minutes. Several medium-size sheetfed presses were demonstrated running at rated speeds from 15,000 to 18,000 sheets per hour. The latest automated sheetfed presses can even compete with older web offset forms presses in products such as laser checks, certificates, coupons and other cut sheet forms. A significant advantage of several new sheetfed presses is the ability to run an extremely wide range of papers, from very light weights to pressure-sensitive labels and folding carton board. Advances in sheetfed presses shown at Graph Expo 2003 suggest that many existing machines over 8 to 10 years old may be at the end of their practical economic life.

Web offset presses were represented at Graph Expo 2003 mainly by static displays of print towers, indicating that demand in this category is still much weaker than in the sheetfed offset and digital press segments. Several forms press suppliers had graphic displays or print towers that promoted the direct mail, commercial printing and specialty capabilities of their models. Web offset presses for conventional forms were notably absent from the show.

Digital Printing
At Graph Expo 2003, digital printing devices outnumbered offset presses and it seemed that the volume of samples printed digitally exceeded the volume of printing in offset demonstrations. Several high speed digital printers were in effect forms presses, configured specifically for statements, checks and the type of direct mail work that is frequently produced on web offset forms presses. Graph Expo 2003 demonstrations showed that primary applications for digital presses also include books, manuals, directories, brochures and sales support materials.

Major advances are being made in finishing and binding modules that can be coupled with digital printers for fully automated production lines. In-line finishing options at Graph Expo 2003 included sheet folders, adhesive book binders (perfect binding), stitched booklet machines, punching and wire binding, and label die cutting. Typical high speed sheetfed monochrome printers can insert pre-printed color pages in a document under program control.

Digital printing has two major advantages over conventional offset production: pages can be collated and imposed automatically before printing and many digital printers have software options that enable printing of variable data and graphics. High speed digital printers (often called digital presses) with integrating finishing devices represent true computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), where all devices are operating under computer control according to job specifications prepared by a planner or entered into the system by an operator. Digital printing combined with in-line finishing finally moves printing to the level of computer controlled production considered as the norm for efficient and competitive operations in many other manufacturing industries.

While equipment suppliers have promoted digital printing as an exceptional growth opportunity, acceptance of digital color printing has not matched the success of monochrome digital printing. Graph Expo 2003 provided several indications that this is about to change, and color digital printing may finally fulfill the premature demand growth expectations during past years. New pricing plans and "starter" models introduced at Graph Expo 2003 should make digital color presses more affordable. Several digital press suppliers presented information indicating that the right combination of order size and total annual volume can bring the direct cost of digital color below 10 cents per 8.5" x 11" page. That is a widely recognized digital color printing cost benchmark for triggering rapid growth in demand. Direct cost includes operator payroll and benefits, machine maintenance, utilities, direct printing materials and supplies, press depreciation and floor area charges.

It was evident at Graph Expo 2003 that the four major suppliers of high speed digital color presses (HP-Indigo, Heidelberg, Xeikon and Xerox) have shifted their marketing approach from equipment promotion to education of printers on the applications, selling techniques and prospect identification for digital color printing. Forms suppliers should take advantage of these application-focused presentations at future shows to learn how to identify and access opportunities in digital color and variable image printing. Forms suppliers already have access to many businesses and organizations that are current or potential buyers of digital color printing. The experience that many forms professionals have with forms and print management programs can be a competitive advantage in digital printing, where success depends on program sales to buyers that can provide a steady stream of volume or have major marketing projects where digital printing can be effective.

An entire section of Graph Expo 2003 was dedicated to large-format digital printing of signs, posters and display graphics, sometimes referred to as "big color" printing. Ink jet technology dominates in this high growth specialty and has captured substantial volume previously produced on screen processes. This is an area of opportunity overlooked by most forms industry participants, even though distributors and direct-selling manufacturers already have many users of "big color" printing among their customers.

Workflow
Advances in digital workflow systems formed one of the dominant themes of Graph Expo 2003. Past efforts to advance digital workflow in printing have focused primarily on prepress tasks, with supplier-specific software standards. At Graph Expo 2003, major equipment and systems suppliers appeared to be ready for a serious effort to extend digital workflow links and computer control from prepress to presses, finishing and shipping. This would also improve tools for collaboration between printers and customers during project design and proofing stages. There also appears to be a parallel movement to embrace universal standards that would allow linking of equipment and systems from multiple suppliers. The goal on the production side of printing is to achieve the same level of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) as has been reached in digital printing with in-line finishing. Suppliers are also striving to link both offset and digital printing devices in one seamless workflow control system.

One of the workflow initiatives presented at Graph Expo 2003 is led by Heidelberg and was promoted under the name Prinect. This development is based on two standards: the PDF graphic file format and JDF, which is a job definition standard, defining an electronic job ticket with specifications for sequencing operations and performing tasks. Prinect is a concept, not a single application. Heidelberg describes Prinect as a network of integrated workflow components to link production steps, reduce equipment setup time and improve overall process efficiency. Heidelberg expects to develop Prinect into a full CIM system for conventional and digital printing. Other suppliers may be able to link their software and equipment into Prinect under agreements negotiated with Heidelberg.

The second workflow initiative, also based on PDF and JDF as the key printing industry standards, is Networked Graphic Production (NGP). Initially proposed by Creo two years ago, NGP has evolved into a collaborative effort by more than 25 equipment and systems suppliers. At Graph Expo 2003, partners in the NGP initiative presented an ambitious plan to integrate and manage all the steps in the print production process, from the creative stage through production and delivery. Management of the process and individual production nodes would be under centralized computer control with automatic updating of job, machine and production process status information. NGP envisions an open system that can link JDF-compliant equipment and software from multiple suppliers.

Claims of machine and software compliance with JDF standards were common at Graph Expo 2003, but the issues involved in developing a comprehensive cross-platform printing workflow solution are extremely complex. A consortium of graphic arts firms, now called the CIP4 Organization (International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress) has worked for several years to develop the current JDF1.1 standard. This is a proposed comprehensive industry file format standard for electronic job ticket specifications combined with message description and interchange protocols. The JDF1.1 standard, spanning activities from project origination to shipment of product, is a lengthy collection of complex specification components. Today, many equipment and systems suppliers comply only with some of these components, rather than the full standard. JDF is still in an early developmental stage, but it is a key building block for advances in printing workflow and process automation. JDF compliance will likely be a major theme in many Drupa 2004 exhibits.

Digital workflow issues and the JDF standards program may seem like far-fetched concerns for forms manufacturers. But in reality, a grass-roots effort of a few DMIA manufacturers and software vendors have initiated some steps in the JDF direction, attempting to solve some of the challenges presented by digital workflow. For more on that, see the accompanying sidebar on DMIA’s XML Implementation Guide at the end of this article.

Understanding digital workflow issues and technology options are becoming important to long-term survival in the printing industry. Most forms manufacturers have to move partly into commercial printing, either by dedicating more web presses to cut sheet production or by adding sheetfed presses. Some forms suppliers will probably acquire commercial printing operations. This means that forms producers will be in more direct competition with commercial printers, and that group of competitors will include many who are increasing their productivity, decreasing cycle times and forming strong links with customers based on advances in digital workflow and computer control of the print production process. A small number of commercial printers have already implemented early versions of JDF-based workflow throughout their operations, and report very positive results. Drupa 2004 will provide a clearer indication at what rate JDF-based workflows will gain wide spread acceptance, and if the productivity benefits promised in Graph-Expo 2003 presentations can be realized by most printers.

Ivars Sarkans is president of consulting firm Sarkans & Associates of Los Angeles, California and a long time contributor to DMIA publications. He can be reached by telephone at (323) 221-7791 or by e-mail at isarkans@sarkans.com. His Internet address is www.sarkans.com.

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