Fresh marvels for newspaper production at PRINTPACK India 2017

Fresh marvels for newspaper production
at PRINTPACK India 2017

Meant for everyone in every single segment of the industry, PRINTPACK India 2017 was organised witnessing a host of 428 exhibitors showing game-changing machines and technologies, among which some from the newspaper domain revealed fresh unbeaten innovations. Big industry players like manroland India, PRESSLINE India, Manugraph, Naph Graphics, QIPC-EAE, among others pulled crowds during the expo that perceived a total of around 87,000 footfalls.

Collectively accumulated in the Hall 14 at PRINTPACK India 2017, held from February 04-08 at India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida (Delhi-NCR) was a chunk of exhibitors from the newspaper sector, showing fresh innovations for news media production and allied activities like book printing. A big show-stopper in the hall was manroland India presenting solutions for newspaper printing alongside others including packaging, in collaboration with its partner NOVEXX Solutions. “We have recently penetrated into the packaging arena to open up a new prospect with our CROMOMAN press, which is basically designed for production of high-quality newspapers and magazines,” said Subir Paul, general manager-sales, manroland India Pvt Ltd.

Leading Telugu newspaper Namasthe Telangana has invested in a manroland CROMOMAN 4x1, which is featured with several automation systems like automatic web up device or manroland web systems Inline Control Systems for colour register control with manual camera movement and cut-off control. PECOM Control System of the press offers best possible technology for easy operation and short make-ready and changeover times. PECOM-X drive, which is aptly defined to be an operation and workflow management system, is engineered to combine diverse components from manroland web systems to form a one-system solution.

In addition, at the stall of manroland India were some premium solutions for the label printing market from NOVEXX Solutions, which are solely distributed by manroland India in the country. “What we are presenting at the expo comprises a brief portfolio of our existing key products. Of them, NOVEXX Print & Apply solutions (ALX 73x and ALX 92x models) are developed to meet high-standard product labelling and identification as well as supply chain and logistic needs,” said Sajan Abraham general manager-South Asia, NOVEXX Solutions.

PRESSLINE India made a big announcement during the expo. It was the launch of the company’s SEEMYMACHINES remote management systems. “Designed compatibly with all kinds of printing, packaging and binding presses, SEEMYMACHINES can be used by equipment suppliers or plant managers to monitor and access the functions and conditions of their machines,” mentioned Satish Bajwa, director, PRESSLINE India Private Limited. For machine suppliers, SEEMYMACHINES help them to monitor the history of presses they have catered to their clients. “This remote management system also detects and diagnoses problems,” explained Satish, adding that it also helps in resolving a predictive maintenance by getting into the insight of machine usage and patterns. Moreover, SEEMYMACHINES is all about improving ‘customer service.’

For production plant managers, SEEMYMACHINES can be used to check the production statistics and improve efficiency of factory by closely monitoring the conditions of the presses. The monitoring system can also receive critical factory alarms. Besides this, on the other side of the company’s stall was a striking demo of its popular SILVERLINE Slim web offset press. Being the latest innovation from PRESSLINE India, SILVERLINE Slim was launched to mark the company’s Silver Jubilee Year (2016), offering newspaper houses a new prospect in production, especially by cutting down on various activities including power consumption.

“Newspapers in most parts of the world have reduced width from 35 inch to 27-28 inch; but several printers and publishers still use full-width machines, thus incurring heavy additional cost on consumables and power. In this respect, our newly launched SILVERLINE Slim is an answer to this,” asserted KR Chandrahas, senior manager (marketing & servicing), PRESSLINE India Private Limited. This new web offset press helps in reduction of consumable cost while its standard print area remains unchanged.

Another big launch in the newspaper domain at the expo was from PRAKASH Web Offset, which unpacked its Newslight 36, a single width and single circumference press. Capable to run at the maximum speed of 36,000 iph, all controls in this new PRAKASH Newslight 36 are based on programmable logic controller (PLC) for ease of operation, reducing make-ready time and improving productivity. Newslight 36 is a suitable press for newspapers, supplements, textbooks, magazines and others. Some added features of the press include its short web path that is designed to ensure excellent print quality, reduce waste and provide an excellent price-performance ratio.

PRAKASH Newslight 36 incorporates high quality gears and precision bearings mounted on high grade stress-relieved cast iron which is engineered on top quality CNC machines. These advanced features of the press together with the short vertical web lead ensure stable registration in all colours. Newslight 36 printing units are available in H units and mono units. To print 4+4, tower configuration with two H units being stacked on top of each other is the most suitable layout. Tower configuration in the press is also available to print 4+1 and 4+2. “Newslight 36 is attributed with standard features, which no other conventional presses in the market could ever possess,” said Saurabh Gupta, director, PRAKASH Web Offset Pvt Ltd.

Known for their utter presence in both newspaper and book printing domains, Naph Graphics has so far been an imprinted brand name in the industry for their versatile range of web offset presses suitably engineered to meet the increasing needs for innovative applications. Showcase of their key products —Naph Koncept, Slitline 35 and others—pulled a horde of trade visitors impressed by the competencies of the machines on demo.

Naph Koncept has been one of the widely installed web offset presses in the production facilities of a number of regional newspapers and book printers in remotest corners of India. “Our Koncept press features 4+4 printing with underneath reel stand. Designed with sturdy tower to print both sides in four colours, this press is capable to churn 35,000 copies per hour. In the press, all eight plate cylinder’s circumference and side registers are adjustable; and the cylinders run on bearers for better dot transfer and precise impression setting,” said Mohit Bansal, director –marketing, Naph Graphics.

Also showcased at their stall, Slitline-35 is designed to slit plastic films, flexible packaging laminates, paper and aluminium foil-based laminates. According to Mohit, this machine is capable to handle almost every material across various industrial segments. The maximum web width of the slitter re-winder is 1300 mm with maximum unwind diameter of 1000 mm.

A new attraction from Manugraph at the expo was S-Line, a four-page web offset press, designed to run 40,000 cph in 915 mm.

With cut-offs of 533, 546 and 578 mm, S-Line is equipped with toothless lockup plate mounting system. The newspaper press is featured with 8-roller inking system with two ‘Oscillating’ rollers and two ‘Form’ rollers. Also S-Line has steel hard chrome plated plate and blanket cylinders with bearer. The key Manugraph press had attracted a huge crowd swarming around the company’s stall.

“As always, PRINTPACK India, this year too, has been a great show. We are exultant to the overall arrangement and footfalls,” asserted PK Bhalla, general manager, Manugraph. In parallel, Manugraph represented products from its string of partners, such as Multigraph, Multitec, Zonter and Kunrun. Multigraph produces high speed label slitting and rewinding machine, which features especially engineered interface for 100 percent defect detection system. Multitec is one of the leading manufacturers of widest range of label presses. Chinese manufacturer Zonter boasts of a full set of labels solutions, while the Shanghai-based Kunrun is a well-known producer of bag-making machines.

Q.I. Press Controls-EAE India attracted visitors to its presentation of the ever demanding IDS-3D, a fully automatic image-based colour measuring and control system for web offset presses. In addition, this system also detects failures in print. “So far, we have installed our IDS-3D systems in a number of Indian newspaper houses in various regions, whether in metros or tier II and III towns,” said Jatin Aghara, denior sales manager, Q.I. Press Controls-EAE India. He added that their IBS-100 and EAE Desk 7, which were launched during the drupa 2016, would receive good feedbacks from their Indian customers.

Following their partnership with EAE, the company has marked their foray into the packaging and digital printing market where IBS-100 (Intelligent Bar Sensor – 100) conducts cent percent inspection). “This unique 6-function scanner bar enables 100 percent full inspection and can be combined with existing register and density measurement and control software from QIPC,” mentioned Jatin.

Hosting new solutions for newspaper and print-packaging segments, QuadTech presented its prowess in colour quality controls and measurements. The company has earned its stature as a leading manufacturer of advanced press control technology. At the expo, rather than the success of their colour, register, and defect detection technology, QuadTech has invested heavily in raising the bar for functionality, efficiency and reliability. “In the post-drupa 2016 we are promoting our enhanced range of products, which include AccuCam, MultiCam, SpectralCam, Autotron and other inspection systems,” said Bob Hansen, global sales director, QuadTech.

Demonstrating its Orient brand of popular web offset presses, tph (The Printers House) unfolded some new innovations and possibilities in newspaper printing and its allied domains. “In this expo, we are announcing some possible prospects in newspaper production as well as others in the relative fields. Unlike what is happening in the overseas markets, we in India still have a responding (newspaper) market. Most of all, digital or online era is all about content; but readers who wish to enjoy touch and feel still go for printed newspapers. This tradition will stay in India, for some time,” said Arnab Pramanik, AMS (domestic), tph (The Printers House).

NBG Printographic Machinery, an established name in newspaper printing, presented its proficiency in indigenously manufactured web offset presses. The company’s STAR and Newssprint brands of web offset presses are single width, one plate around, coldset systems. Designed suitably for both newspapers and book printing markets, the NBG presses have modular construction with quick make-ready time.

PRINTPACK India has proved yet another successful edition of the expo, presenting a string of revolutionary products and technologies in order to meet the sheer requirements of the industry. The next edition of the bi-annual expo will be organised from February 01-03, 2019, attracting more and more international participants. IPAMA (Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association), organiser of the expo, foresees the show to be escalated as Asian drupa in future.

Print Business Outlook Conference 2017

Full-packed conference hall

A key event on the sidelines of the PRINTPACK India 2017, the Print Business Outlook Conference 2017 was organised by IPAMA in collaboration with NPES and ICC, hosting a galaxy of speakers speaking about the trends, traditions and technologies in the Indian printing industry. The talks covered all strata of printing including commercial, newspaper, packaging and others. Onset of the conference was marked with a keynote remark from Thayer Long, president, NPES. “The print-packaging sector represents a bright spot, now gearing up for a sustainable growth by 2020,” he said, mentioning India among the five fastest growing markets. According to him, India in 2011 was positioned as the eighth largest print-packaging market, became fifth in 2016 and estimated to be at fourth by 2020, surpassing Germany.

In the followed up session, Steven Schnoll, MD, Schnoll Media Consulting, talked about the ‘Future of Print’ in which he stridently urged to combine print into digital. “As the current state of the industry is best classified as a ‘transformation’ stage, integration of print with the new dynamics of digital medium is the future,” he mentioned. He further stated that the ‘feel’ of the print is still important in this digital era; so, hybrid model is the future.

In the similar tone, A Appadurai, country manager-India & Sri Lanka, HP Indigo & Inkjet Press Solutions, explained about the values driven by digital printing and profits garnered through innovations. “Innovation is a state of mind—the mindset of a marketing service provider, not print service provider; the mindset of creating values for your customers, not by dropping your price; the mindset spreading the risk, not putting eggs on one basket,” he explained, picking up the instances of the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi that prints news stories on water bottles, accessible contents through VR technology.

Predicting the digital future, Manish Gupta, product printing marketing manager, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt Ltd, said digital inkjet presses would become more powerful in the next five years, overtaking the tonner-based technologies by around 2019. He mentioned that the growth to be gained through digital printing will be in the areas of security printing, direct packaging, education and many others. Hitender Kumar from Kodak, in a followed-up session, talked about their new technologies that make packaging come alive.

In a session revolving around new business adaptation in the Indian newspaper industry, VS Raja, VP-project & engineering, Hindustan Times, narrated how the future of the country’s newspaper industry could sustain to infinity and beyond. In connection to the economic changes taking place in the market, Sabeena Vasudeva, partner, Dewan PN Chopra & Co talked about GST (Goods & Services Tax) and its impact on the printing industry. Closure of the conference was marked with a session on new ‘Horizons of Packaging Design’ by Dr Anjan Kumar Baral, former chairman, Department of Printing Technology; former director (placement), Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar.