Integrated and Hybrid Print Solutions:
Using High-speed Monochrome Digital Presses
Today’s high-speed monochrome digital presses have much to offer commercial and in-plant print providers as they address the changing demands of their markets. High speed digital presses have made significant inroads in the printing market and have brought about changes in print customer expectations that are redefining today’s marketplace.
Segment 3 of 4: Two Classes of Print Solutions
Click here for Segment 1, Segment 2
Request a copy of the complete white paper on this topic >>>.
In the print industry, there are two key classes of solutions: integrated printing systems and hybrid printing systems. In this segment, both are considered.
Integrated Print Solutions
Integrated printing systems combine a high speed digital press with the appropriate pre-and post-processing equipment to produce the required output with the utmost efficiency. In today’s marketplace, production must be carried out at peak efficiency in order to be competitive and stay profitable. Print providers can take advantage of the ease of integration of Nipson’s digital presses, for example, to structure their production lines for this level of efficient operation.
Bradford & Bigelow of Newburyport, Massachusetts is a good example of such an integrated solution. B&B manufactures books for the highly competitive textbook market. Typical book manufacturing with offset presses must produce thousands of copies of a given title in order to be cost effective. Looking to create a world-class, environmentally-friendly supply chain solution for its customers, B&B installed a digital book factory utilizing Nipson’s VaryPRESS digital monochrome presses with associated finishing equipment. This production line starts with a roll of paper at one end and finishes with complete books, ready to ship, at the other. This configuration lets B&B produce books on demand in small quantities economically, keeping costs down, reducing inventories, and avoiding waste.
In addition to the productivity of the VaryPRESS, another key factor in B&B’s choice of Nipson equipment is the press’s high quality output on standard offset papers. Most other high speed digital printing technologies perform best on more expensive digital printing stocks specially formulated by the paper manufacturers. Nipson presses, however, need no special stocks to attain high quality print, so B&B was able to continue using the same lightweight groundwood stock they use in their traditional production lines.
Hybrid Print Solutions
Hybrid printing systems combine digital technology with other printing technologies like narrow web offset and flexographic presses, as well as ink jet systems. The resulting system provides the best of all worlds – the high color print quality of offset with the variable printing enabled by digital print technology, or the flexibility of color ink jet systems with the extended functionality of the Nipson equipment for special applications such as those requiring MICR characters or microline printing. Such systems offer a number of benefits to print providers. Their variable data printing capabilities add tremendous flexibility to the print line, opening up a wide range of opportunities to offer new products and functionality to their customers. Also, they offer an efficient and cost-effective way to satisfy current and future market demands without having to scrap the print provider’s investment in traditional printing equipment.
Hi-Tech Printing Co, of Fairfield, Ohio is a good example of a Nipson hybrid user. Hi-Tech specializes in custom printing and die cutting of rolls, sheets and fanfolded labels. The company installed a Nipson VaryPRESS in line with their Aquaflex 1650 flexographic press. This configuration adds the flexibility of digital variable printing to their traditional offset and flexographic printing capabilities, enabling the company to offer a wide range of customized products. The addition of the VaryPRESS allows Hi-Tech to print on a diverse selection of materials, including paper, polyester, cards, vinyl, latex saturated paper, coated stocks, etc., in a cost-effective manner and deliver top notch products to its customers.
The VaryPRESS’ configuration flexibility is another important factor contributing to Hi-Tech’s success. The production line is set up to accommodate different finishing equipment, depending on the requirements of the job. The Nipson digital press is compatible with all finishing equipment, so the line can be configured as needed – quickly and easily.
Hybrid systems also can combine a Nipson digital press with color ink jet technology. Such a system is ideal, for example, in a security application where features such as MICR or microline printing are required in addition to color printed output, or for on-demand printing that requires variable color illustrations along with special black requirements; e.g., extra-dense black images or extra-tamper-proof characteristics.
For example, the French Ministry of Finance uses Nipson VaryPRESS digital presses in multiple print lines to produce over 25 million pages per month of administrative documents and check-letters. The digital presses are installed in line not only with paper handling equipment, but also with high-speed ink jet color printers that allow the ministry to print two colors in addition to black. The VaryPRESS provides the security printing capabilities that the ink jet systems alone could not supply, while the color printing capabilities allow the Ministry to stock one type of paper for all their document requirements, saving a significant amount on inventory and handling costs.
Watch for more next week as this series concludes. Part four evaluates Nipson’s solutions for opportunities presented by high-speed monochrome digital presses.
Visit Nipson >>>.
Click here for Segment 1, Segment 2
About Nipson
Headquartered in Belfort, France, Nipson has sales and service subsidiaries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Malaysia and South Africa. Nipson’s manufacturing is based in Boizenburg, Germany. The company offers sales and service support in over 70 countries. Nipson markets its products and services through its value added distributors network, which covers over 50 countries throughout the world. Nipson America, Inc. is headquartered at Itasca, Illinois.