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High Volume Digital Print Production and Workflow Automation

Market update

Several market developments are having an impact on the current economic climate for

printers. The recent economic decline has made it more important to look at developments

in the market for communications and, in the case of Durst in particular, at the market for

wide format print applications.

Let’s have a closer look at what’s happening in this market segment and the potential

implications for the differences between applications made using screen printing and those

using high volume digital printing.

Market developments

Recent developments point to changes in the market. For instance, 80% of brand owners

reduced their advertising budget (Source: POPAI, 2009), which could be the reason for the

almost 20% decline in business in wide format print production. During the same period

spending on broadcast and commercial print declined by 13% - 26% and spending on events

and sponsoring dropped by 35% - 51%, depending on the country and/or the company. Less

advertising space is booked for specific campaigns.

However, there are also positive changes. For instance, spending on short run in store

advertising is expected to rise by 24% (Source: POPAI, 2009). Although this is a positive

trend, there are some negative effects and long term planning is becoming more difficult.

Brand owners need shorter run lengths and shorter lead times as a result of more volatile

demand that can no longer be forecasted accurately.

Critical success factors

Whereas the quality of promotional products never has to be an issue, products for in store

POP advertising require the highest possible image quality. The challenge for printing

machine manufacturers is to look also at the cost of the products to be made, particularly

the low fixed costs arising from the lower overall print volume that has to be reached under

the given circumstances. So the cost of actual short run printing in high quality will be

crucial, as will be the turnaround speed. If swift reaction is needed due to unpredictable

customer demand and short delivery times are requested, especially for in store advertising,

the manufacturer has to create a printing system that accommodates all these needs.

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figure 01: Most Important Customer Demand

Source: The World Wide Survey, March 2009. InfoTrends

Screen compared to digital UV

Valuable comparisons can still be made in this field between conventional screen printing

and digital wide format production printing, but the end result is different from the

situation ten years ago.

Compared to screen printing, digital wide format UV inkjet productivity has increased in a

straight line in terms of volumes and run length, between 2000 and 2009. Moreover, as

expected the inflection point between conventional and digital has changed. The reason

being that conventional screen printing methods have not changed much, whereas digital

production printing is developing almost year by year. The average run lengths per job

printed with UV-inkjet increased from 100 in 2000 till 1600 in 2010.

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figure 02: Wide Format UV-Inkjet Productivity and Run Length Digital

Trend in run lengths printed with UV-inkjet

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

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mb

er

of

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figure 03: Wide Format UV-Inkjet Productivity and Run Length Digital

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Key factors

However, this not only concerns the trend in the number of sheets per job printed with UV

inkjet, it also relates to the larger volume that can be produced with shorter run lengths in a

given period. In store promotion needs products in lower numbers (sometimes even

personalized), in shorter run lengths and with shorter turnarounds - but still in top quality.

Retailers and consumer brands require a faster turnaround because their customers demand

faster time to market in order to gain more benefit from the shorter life cycles of their

products. Looking at the turnaround time in job days in digital printing over the last ten

years, we see that it has gone from weeks to days, to even hours, during this period.

figure 04: Turnaround Requirement

Turnaround Speed required by Retailers and Consumer Brands

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2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

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Business growth opportunities

As a result of analyzing these market developments digital short run printing is growing at a

natural rate and new growth opportunities are presenting themselves in long run digital

printing. Screen printing will increasingly be replaced by digital wide format high speed and

high production printing. The break-even point will shift to longer run lengths, in favour of

digital wide format printing.

Key success factors for long run digital printing include efficiency in the entire production

workflow, starting with proficient media handling from stock to fast printing, to cost-

effective finishing and shipping. Job changes have to be highly efficient. High volumes

combined with shorter run lengths are only achievable when jobs come and go very quickly

in a highly automated environment, involving data management (variable data printing, job

control and tracking) and printer automation (printing queues, media handling, unattended

printing capability).

It is obvious that wide format print production companies will benefit from having printing

systems in place that can handle these criteria, including versatility and flexibility in long

run printing and achieving a customer required quality level at production speeds.

Enabling factors for productivity

A printing system that is able to fulfil all these needs has to be state of the art in terms of

print head technology, number of nozzles, firing frequency, reliable jetting, manufacturing

design and print arrays. It benefits from precise engineering and manufacturing, media

handling automation, inventive ink technology, drying properties for high speed printing,

data handling, RIP capacity and data transfer to the print head.

figure 05: Rho 1000 front

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Rho 1000

The Rho 1000 is a continuous inkjet production system designed to integrate into your

manufacturing process, as described above. It has exceptional productivity due to

continuous board printing and it can print up to 200 sheets/hr (4 x 8 ft / 250 x 125 cm), or

600 m2/hr. In POP 6c quality it produces 90+ sheets/hr (4 x 8 ft / 250 cm x 125 cm) or >300

m2/h.

The media handling system features an automatic loading table, a Rho 1000 vacuum belt

transportation system and an automatic unloading table. A screen printing feeder/stacker

can be integrated to interface with an existing screen printing production line. Media

handling modes include full automation, three quarter automation, manual feed and a roll-

to-roll system.

figure 06: Rho 1000 back

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Advantages

The advantages of this continuous inkjet production system comprise a short set-up time,

automated continuous printing of boards and sheets, maximum material flexibility (heavy

boards, sheets, roll-to-roll printing), maximum sheet size flexibility (250 cm x any length),

fast media changes to enable the printing of a complete campaign using different media in

one operation. Existing loading and unloading devices can also be connected to the Rho

1000.

– Short set-up time

– Automated continuous printing of boards and sheets

– Highest material flexibility (heavy boards, sheets, roll-to-roll printing)

– Highest flexibility of sheet sizes (250cm x any length)

– Fast media change enables the printing of a whole campaign using different media in

on operation

– Existing loading and unloading devices can be connected to the Rho 1000

Actual case study - Screen printing versus Rho 1000 UV inkjet printing

The requirement is to produce an image of 5900 x 2270 mm (232“ x 89“), divided into five

1180 mm (46.5“) panels on PVC sheets, with a total of 375 sheets / 5022 m2 – 54,056 sq ft

(300 for sale - 4018 m2 – 43,250 sq ft). The printing machines used in the comparison are the

Thieme 4 colour screen printing line and the Durst Rho 1000.

figure 07: Example of a print-job

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Screen printing workflow

In the screen printing environment prepress is followed by the preparation of the screen,

machine set-up and printing.

A 26 MB PDF print ready file is delivered by the customer, loaded onto a Macintosh G5 with

an ISO coated colour space and divided into 5 rows with CS3 Indesign. A PostScript file is

created for a Harlequin Rip, the file is being RIPped and viewed on the monitor providing a

soft proof. After accordance, the file is loaded onto the screen imaging machine. There is no

ICC output colour management involved.

figure 08: Screen printing workflow

Screen preparation requires 20 screens for the job, with a single screen taking 1 hr 20 mins

to be produced. Then the fabric has to be stretched onto the frame. A screen wash unit and

drying are needed (emulsifying and imaging washing out emulsion and masking).

Then the screen machine itself has to be adjusted, including alignment of the frames for all

colours, unloading old and loading new screens. It takes about 5 minutes to change 4 frames,

i.e. 55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned. Tuning the colours to match a fogra proof

requires 30 minutes to achieve the required colours. The machine set-up will take another

10 minutes, to discuss colour and eventually print another proof.

Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing

Machine set-up

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figure 09: Screen printing - machine setup

Printing follows, 375 sheets are printed in 1 hr 25 mins. Then another machine set-up is

needed for the second panel and machine adjustment for the alignment of the frames for all

colours. Unloading old and loading new screens requires 5 minutes to change 4 frames, i.e.

55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned.

Other problems may occur, for instance, when the colours don’t match and have to be

adjusted by modifying the linear speed and squeegee pressure.

Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing

Machine adjustment –

unloading old/loading new screens

5 minutes to change 4 frames

Aligning the frames for all colours

55 minutes to get the 4 frames aligned

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figure 10: Screen printing - colours do not match

With a set-up time of 1 hr 40 mins for the 1st panel, 1 hr 15 mins for the 2nd panel, 1 hr 35

mins for the 3rd panel, 1 hr 40 mins for the 4th panel and 1 hr 50 mins for the 5th panel the

total machine set-up time amounted to 8 hours.

Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing

Problem: colours do not match

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Colour has to be adjusted by modifying linear

speed and squeegee pressure

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S

figure 11: Screen printing - machine setup for panels

The overall production time was 16 hrs 47 mins.

Production time

���� Product efficiency is only 38%

figure 12: Screen printing - production efficiency

Prepress Screen preparation Machine setup Printing

Machine set-up

1st panel:

2nd panel:

3rd panel:

4th panel:

5th panel:

Total machine setup: 8 hours

Screen preparation Machine setup Prepress Printing

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Rho 1000 workflow

figure 13: Rho 1000 printing workflow

In this case the overall production process appears to be much easier. Prepress includes an

ICC optimized proof, while the Rho set-up has a printing POP quality of 300 m2/hr. 300

sheets (4018 m2 in total) require 14.75 hrs. The set-up for the Rho itself is 0.25 hrs and 0.33

hrs. The total production time for 300 sheets is 15.3 hrs!!

figure 14: Rho 1000 - Production Efficiency

Prepress

including

ICC optimized

proof

Rho

setup

Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h

Prepress

including

ICC optimized

proof

Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h

14,75 hrs for 300 sheets (4018 sqm)

Production efficiency is 96%

Rho

setup

0,25 h 0,33 h

Total Production time: 15,3 hrs for 300 sheets

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Conclusions

In terms of production time the Rho 1000 is faster than the screen printing machine.

figure 15: Time Comparison Rho 1000 vs. Screen Printing

In terms of cost, including prepress and screen preparation, machine set-up and machine

cost incl. operators, ink and printing cost, printing on the Rho is less expensive.

figure 16: Cost Comparison Rho 1000 vs Screen Printing

Process Time Man hours Process Time Man hours Process Time Man hours

Prepress 0,33 0,33 1,00 1,00 0,67 0,67

Screen Preparation - - 8,00 32,00 8,00 32,00

Machine Setup 0,25 0,25 8,00 16,00 7,75 15,75

Printing 14,75 14,75 6,47 12,94 -8,28 -1,81

Total Time 15,33 15,33 23,47 61,94 8,14 46,61

Time Comparison

Rho 1000 Screen Printing Difference

Prepress

including

ICC optimized

proof

Rho

setup

Printing POP quality 300 sqm/h

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Summary of Critical success factors

Finally, we are able to draw some conclusions comparing the Product quality and The critical

success factors of both printing methods.

Product quality

In terms of product quality, the Rho 1000 is provided with standardised colour management

with ICC profiles. Moreover, a Proof can be printed of all the panels immediately after the

prepress (ripping) process and before the production run. Colour consistency is achieved via

electronically repeated dot setting.

With Screen Printing on the contrary, Colour matching has to be based on trial and error (40

minutes for colour matching and proof for a single panel). Proofs can be printed panel by

panel only. Full image can only be proofed after printing the last panel. There’s an ongoing

colour adjustment required via linear speed and squeegee pressure settings.

Two factors determine the critical success: Product cost and turnaround speed

Product cost and turnaround speed

With the Rho 1000, there’s a high share of variable cost (48% of total cost for the job), that

enables rapid adjustment to volatile demand. There’s also a better cost transparency and

contribution margin calculation facilitates that will improve customer specific pricing. Last

but not least there’s a high production efficiency (96%) maximising flexibility and swift

reaction to customer demands.

Compared to that advantages, with Screen Printing it will be difficult to adapt to rapidly

changing demands with 80% fixed cost, which consists of machine and labour cost process

steps. Moreover, because of the high share of fixed costs, optimum utilisation of capacity is

vital for the survival of the company, in a poor economic climate with unpredictable

demand.

created by Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology GmbH