Survey Report on China's DI Press Market

Any new thing has its own development trajectory, and it has to undergo praise and depreciation during its growth, as does new technology. It will also experience different development periods, and will experience different ups and downs, development, stability, maturity, backwardness, and elimination. The stage of development should be treated rationally at any stage of its development, calm at high tide, and not avoid at low tide. DI printing presses are no exception as a symbol of new technology. The first DI printing machine launched by Heidelberg from Print 1991 shocked the industry, experienced the glory of 13 DI printing machines exhibited by Drupa 2000, and almost all the major printing press manufacturers in the world on Print 2001 launched their own DI products. , There is a large group of men competing against each other. In the past two years, the consumer market for printing machines has become more rational, and the development of DI technology has also slowed down. Although the market is no longer craving DI equipment, suppliers have never given up. In Drupa 2004, DI technology is no longer a hot spot, but there are still adherents who continue to launch new products and upgraded products, such as the new TruePress344 of the screen, the new 3404X DI of Ryobi, and the upgraded products 46Karat and 74Karat of KBA. It is still Drupa2004 A highlight. We need to look at DI from a development perspective.

Review of DI Technology Development

1. Originating from anhydrous DI technology

At the Print 1991 exhibition in Chicago, USA, Heidelberg and Presstek jointly launched the world's first DI press—GTO-DI (with a width of 520mm), marking the advent of a new era of direct plate-making presses. GTO-DI is improved on the basis of the original GTO printing machine, and still uses the modular structure of the traditional GTO printing machine. The difference is that it uses the anhydrous offset printing process, eliminating the wetting device, and installing the wetting device in the original The direct plate-making device is installed in the space position.

Until Drupa1995, Heidelberg once again launched the QM DI46-4 eight-open four-color waterless printing machine (format 340mm × 460mm), the image resolution can be up to 2540dpi, the screen line number is 150 lines / inch, and Presstek Pearl imaging is applied Technology and Pearldry Plus printing plate, the imaging time of a printing plate is less than 1 minute, the printing speed reaches 10,000 prints per hour, and 500 printing jobs can be completed in 20 minutes (including printing preparation time).

Therefore, many printing press manufacturers began to realize the market potential of DI printing presses. From 1995 to 1996, Czech printing machine manufacturer Omni-Adast and Presstek cooperated to launch the first four-open DI printing machine 745C DI (width 660mm), and soon the same type five-color printing machine 755CDI was launched. This series of printing machines all use waterless offset printing process.

In 1997, Karat Digital Printing Company, a joint venture between German KBA and Israel Sai Angel Company, used Presstek's DI technology to launch the 74 Karat four-open five-color printing machine (width 740mm). It adopts waterless offset printing technology, which can reach the printing speed of 10,000 prints / hour on various papers. One of the major features of 74 Karat is the Gravuflow inking system. This inkless keyless, self-correcting inking system can achieve a highly predictable and consistent effect, basically changing the traditional printing preparation process.

It is designed to eliminate operator intervention and focus on the color management of the pre-press part. The printing press and inking system can ensure that the printing plate is supplied with an even amount of ink without mechanical ghosting failure. It has nothing to do with image or ink coverage.

2. The development of water DI printing machine

From 1991 to 1997, eight to four DI printers based on Presstek technology used special waterless offset printing inks and waterless offset plates (Pearldry). Due to the installation of a cooling device in the inking system of the offset press, the cost of equipment and consumables has been high, which has affected the market promotion of DI presses. Afterwards, Presstek developed a water-based offset plate (Pearlgold) for DI offset presses, and developed a ProFireR laser on-board scanning component, which greatly reduced costs.

In May 1998, Creo cooperated with Heidelberg and first developed the world's first water-based DI printing press-SM74 DI. The printing speed can reach 10,000 prints per hour, using ordinary offset printing ink, and can choose CTP plate material provided by Kodak Polylight or Agfa, etc., which greatly reduces the cost of use. SM74 DI is equipped with an imaging device on the structure of the original Heidelberg SM offset press. All printing units can be imaged simultaneously through the touch screen of CP2000. The data of CIP3 is used to calculate the distribution of all the color inks of the live parts, and then transferred to the CP ink fountain for automatic setting, which helps reduce the amount of waste paper at startup and reduce the printing preparation time.

The screen also entered the DI printer market in 1998 and launched TruePress 544 four-color eight-open DI printer. It uses water offset printing technology, using its own 633nm imaging technology, the device uses a Mitsubishi Silver Digiplate polyester version.

3. DI products launched on Drupa2000

Japan Ryobi launched the A3 format four-color offset press 3404DI, equipped with a direct imaging system jointly developed by Ryobi and Presstek. The area of ​​3404 DI is only half of the traditional two-color printing press, the maximum imaging resolution is 2540dpi, the maximum screen line number is 200 lines / inch, and the maximum printing speed is 7000 sheets / hour.

Sakurai, Japan, launched an automatic four-color double-sided Oliver-474EPII-DI offset press, which uses water offset printing technology and uses Presstek's imaging technology. It integrates DI technology on a traditional offset press. It is a hybrid model that can be used for traditional and Digital printing in two ways.

Adast launched the 557, a five-color, eight-color DI printer, which uses waterless offset printing technology, with a maximum printing speed of 12,000 sheets / hour and a format of 381mm x 520mm.

Komori, Japan applied Creo's technology and exhibited the world's first folio four-color water-based DI offset printing machine-ProjectD (width 1020mm). Project D is characterized by the use of Creo's 830nm high-performance, high-reliability thermal imaging head and mature SQUAREspot technology, capable of 2400dpi resolution and 200 lines / inch screen line at 4 Imaging within minutes. Project D uses a development-free thermal plate, so you can use Kodak Polychrome or Agfa plates.

Manroland also adopted Creo's imaging technology and exhibited a DI four-web multi-color web offset press-DICOweb (width 520mm). This is the first real computer-based offset printing system on the market. For the first time, it can directly image, remove images and re-image on the printing press without having to install a plate. The imaging operation is completed by a high-resolution laser above 3200dpi, the printing speed is 3.5m / s, and the cutting length is variable.

Since expensive films and printing plates are no longer needed, production costs are greatly reduced, and they are also environmentally friendly. The new TruePress744 (with a width of 740mm) was exhibited on the screen. Its structure and performance are similar to that of TruePress544, but the format is changed.

4. The development of DI printing presses in recent years

QMDI Pro launched by Heidelberg in 2001, its main feature is the latest console based on Heidelberg CP2000 concept. All control settings are displayed on the touch screen, including job status, information, job preview, automatic color settings and paper feed display. In addition, QMDI Pro also has a stream paper feeder for five-color or six-color printing, and an automatic double-sheet detection device. The range of options; the printing machine can image with a screen number of 200 lines / inch in less than 4 minutes. In addition, an infrared dryer can also be selected for the printing machine.

In October 2001, KBA cooperated with Presstek to launch an eight-open four-color 46 Karat (a 13-inch by 18-inch format), which is very similar in structure to 74 Karat, except that it uses a traditional ink supply system. The DI printer on IPEX2002 has no outstanding performance.

To Drupa2004, two new DI products were launched, such as the new TruePress344 of screen, the new 3404X DI of Ryobi, the upgraded product 74Karat of KBA, and the expansion of glazing and other units.

Advantages of DI machine

Under the leadership of CEO Mr. Marino, Presstek, a loyal advocate of DI technology, has always insisted on the research and development of DI technology. Mr. Marino emphasized: DI technology is completely different from the traditional printing and CTP technology. The DI technology represents a simplified workflow. The positioning of DI short-color printing is workflow and customer service. Just like the 3404X DI launched by Ryobi in Drupa 2004, the operator can achieve a processing quality of 200 lines / inch with just one button, which cannot be achieved by a CTP device and a traditional printing press. It is not difficult to use a traditional process to output a 200-line / inch plate, but it is no longer an easy task to print this effect.

Mr. Marino also talked about: DI technology can be used to input all color information and calibration curves into the device, which can greatly reduce the need for experience and reduce the technical difficulty of replication. If customers need photo-quality products, DI equipment can also be faithfully reproduced. This is the breakthrough of DI technology and the realm that the printing industry has always pursued.

As Mr. Marino commented, DI technology does have its own unique features. First of all, DI technology organically combines offset printing and digital printing to fill the gap between toner-based digital printing and traditional offset printing. DI printing presses are the same as digital printing presses to complement traditional offset printing, rather than competing and replacing each other.

DI printing machine also has the following advantages:

1. In terms of registration accuracy, DI printing presses are more time-saving and more accurate than traditional offset printing presses. DI printing presses make plates directly on the plate cylinder. This plate making method has many advantages compared with the traditional printing or CTP workflow, such as improved production efficiency and printing accuracy. Because the latter is to make a plate in the prepress process, and then install the printing plate on the printing machine, this will inevitably cause a certain accuracy error, and the former is to install four blank plates on the plate cylinder, and then image simultaneously. The paper can be accurately positioned every time it passes through the printing plate, and usually the first printing sheet can achieve the required printing accuracy.

2. The data of the printing plate and text is interpreted during the transmission to the printing machine, so that the preparation process before printing can be automated, such as ink key setting.

It is no longer necessary for printing operators to complete the preparation work before printing like traditional offset printing, which greatly shortens the printing preparation time. In addition, you can change the printed content at the last moment.

3. Compared with the traditional printing method, it eliminates the output, printing, developing and other processes, and saves the manual plate adjustment process. The total production time is reduced, the cost is also saved, and the number of operators and Floor space.

4. Another difference from traditional offset printing: Most of DI printers use waterless offset printing technology, which not only reduces the consumption of chemicals and traditional fountain solution, but also is conducive to environmental protection.

5. For 500-5000 printed jobs, DI printers are more competitive than toner-based color digital printers, which can greatly reduce costs. From the perspective of market development, 2000-5000 printed jobs will be the mainstream of short-run and quick-print. Compared with digital printers, direct imaging has a higher printing quality, uses standard printing inks, can perform spot color printing and online finishing (such as drying, glazing, etc.), adapting to various papers including very thick cardboard, The digital printing press cannot be completed.

For the many advantages of DI technology, two years before the climax of the development of DI printing machines, experts who followed the development of the industry had suggested that the offset printing industry is developing in the direction of digital printing machines. We can compare the imagesetter. Now that you have a CTP system, you do n’t need to buy imagesetters again, otherwise the price will be too high. And if you buy a direct plate CTP system now, maybe seven years later, you will feel regret again: if you can image directly on the printing machine, it would be better, not only can save a lot of expenses, reduce costs, Moreover, failures can be avoided during the printing and copying process, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.

The market situation of DI machine in China

After interviewing several DI users, I was impressed by the fact that they all admitted that the DI technology itself was mature and recognized the print quality, and could also talk about DI's many advantages, but each actual device The utilization rate is generally low, and some are almost useless after purchase, and some have been idle for more than a year. This is an unavoidable fact. From the conversation with them, I can basically feel their helplessness. The first company in the mainland to introduce four-color and five-color DI equipment was confident in the first year of introduction. This heavily imported equipment did bring double benefits to the company. Equipment utilization is also high, with DI printing accounting for 80%. After only one year, it has passed. At present, DI printing accounts for only 20%. The company said that the introduction of this equipment was at the climax of DI development, and the company did not do a sufficient market research. The company is mainly based on long-term work, and is located in the underdeveloped mainland. The customers are relatively conservative and accept new things slowly; the printing plant is too far away from the urban area, and the speed advantage of DI is not fully reflected; In addition to the cost factor, the direct imaging part often fails, so this device is basically used as a traditional offset press, and the company evaluates it as a bad asset.

The relatively large number of users of 8-open DI printing machines on the market also talked about the low utilization rate of equipment, and some users have rarely used it. Analysing the reasons, they believe that first of all, it is still high in cost, and the short-lived market suitable for DI printers is not large. In general, small offset printing of the same quality (such as GTO) does not compete, and it still has a certain advantage in urgent work. They all believe that although the DI printing machine is more convenient to operate, the imaging head is not stable.

A printing company started as an advertising company in Shenyang. In 1999, it introduced the first eight-open DI machine. Two years later, it introduced two of the same equipment. They are recognized by the industry as a model of DI machine users and have been spread as good stories. I I also interviewed with confidence, but the information I got was that these three devices had all been idle since the second half of last year. The company admitted that these three DI machines were indeed used very well in the past few years, and they were running at full capacity, so they will only enter. One after another. The company is still very affectionate about these three devices. It can be said that the company is based on these three devices. It has developed into a large-scale printing company with Ryobi 4 boot and Mitsubishi pair boot, and three DI machines. Khan Ma credits.

Analysing why there was such a big market at the beginning, the company said that the competition in the past few years was not so fierce. There are relatively few printing plants in Shenyang, and there are many advertising company customers, especially short version, many unique production and sales, plus high-tech The company ’s publicity has been done well, and the speed of its work can basically offset the cost. When it comes to the reasons for abandoning DI now, I feel very sad and helpless. The company has entered new equipment, and the company's scale has also changed. The main reason is the disorderly competition in the past two years. The labor price has been suppressed very low. The DI machine has no profit due to the high cost of printing plates and inks. If you want to give up, you have to give up.

Mr. Lang of Kunming Multicolored Packaging and Printing Co., Ltd. is the highest rated DI among several companies I interviewed. Their company introduced a SM74 DI in June last year, which was used very well and the equipment utilization rate was very high. The traditional and DI methods account for half of each. DI is generally used for the printing of high-end picture albums with a printing volume of 5,000 to 20,000. When it comes to cost, Manager Lang believes that the difference is not much, because some other links are saved in the process, the overall cost is similar, but it also brings added value. When evaluating SM74 DI, he used the words "more, faster, better, and save". He said that the company intends to enter another DI device. It seems that their company has tasted the sweetness of DI. The outlook is very promising.

In 2003, when DI development entered a low point, the "Mr. Kuaiyin" franchise store Beijing Supreme Kuyin Co., Ltd. introduced a KBA 46 Karat. The company's deputy general manager Kao Tao has a unique view of DI printing presses. He believes that the current concept of digital printing in society is still based on toner and electronic ink digital printing presses. He thinks that like Fuji Xerox, HP Indigo, Océ's digital printing machine should be regarded as a large-scale high-end printing equipment, and there is still a certain gap from the real digital printing. He believes that the DI printer's dot reproduction, color reproduction and technical requirements can truly realize the concept of digital printing. The combination of digitalization and traditional printing is a good complement to the printing market. He believes that guiding consumption requires a process. He also talked about the cost and technology of DI will be higher than traditional printing. For example, a set of traditional printing plates only needs more than 100 yuan, and a set of 46 Karat printing plates costs six or seven hundred dollars. The company started to use 46 Karat in August last year, and the application situation is OK, and the equipment utilization rate is still relatively high. Kao always thinks that the number of competitive prints for this device should be 5,000 to 10,000. The print durability of this version is 10,000. The minimum print volume cannot be less than 500. The company is mainly used for printing color samples and instructions. . He emphasized that the biggest advantage of DI is speed. It takes about 10,000 jobs to print. It takes only four to five hours from printing to printing, which is faster than traditional and digital printing machines.

In response to the actual situation of China's DI market and why KBA is committed to the development of DI technology, Wang Lianbiao, general manager of sales of the leaflet department of KBA in China, made an analysis: the development of DI printers in China is not ideal, mainly due to many restrictions He believes that the biggest limitation is that the investment cost of the DI equipment itself is relatively high. Another major problem is that its consumables are expensive, which directly affects the printing cost, and the cost directly affects the benefits. The time and material costs saved cannot be offset. The purpose of quick printing is to be quick, and the price paid for quick printing may be higher than that of traditional printing, but like ordinary short-cut quick printing jobs, if you use a small offset press, multifunction machine, digital printing machine Solved, and the prices are similar, and soon, plus the unfair competition in the printing market, fighting price wars, it will make most companies unable to use and dare not use them. If you use DI, you either see no benefits or lose money, so the advantages of the DI machine are lost.

KBA has devoted itself to the promotion of DI machines in the past two years, not only to adapt to the development of the short version of the fast printing market, but also to promote waterless offset printing, because it does have many benefits. The first is environmental protection, which reduces the amount of alcohol fountain solution. Pollution, it can also avoid the problem of water and ink balance; for the operator, it is simple and easy to operate, without having to master the water and ink balance; from the point of view of the quality of the outlet, because there is no water participation, the clarity is higher, the outlet increase is small, and the waste rate is low . KBA's 46 Karat and 74Karat combine waterless offset printing with DI technology. For these reasons, KBA is pushing this technology.

The 74Karat exhibited at Drupa2004 has been improved, and many auxiliary equipments have been added on the basis of four colors, which can be used for unit-type online coating. The role of the equipment itself is also included, not just limited to quick printing, but also more widely used. It is suitable for advertising printing, commercial printing, packaging printing, etc. At the Drupa2004 exhibition site, three-dimensional printing of plastic films was carried out.

The global installed capacity of 74 Karat has exceeded 100, and the development in recent years is still very fast, and this technology is widely recognized abroad. The comparison of material cost in foreign countries is a comprehensive comparison, while the domestic one simply sees that this printing plate is more expensive than traditional printing plates, but does not consider the changes in comprehensive costs, such as fountain solution, alcohol, and film; no ink Balance, two or three prints is a qualified product, and the rate of waste and waste printing is less. Putting these into the cost should be flat, of course, in the case of ensuring a certain amount of printing, that is, the amount of printing is between 500 and 10,000.

Mr. Wang talked about a new 74 Karat user of KBA. Their idea is different from the stand-alone operation. This multinational company has factories all over the world and is particularly strict in color management, so the DI printing machine can play well effect. For example, if the headquarters digital proofs out the sample, the products printed by factories all over the world are required to be the same, and the color cannot be biased. Then use the same machine, such as 74 Karat, which is water-free and ink-free, and there will be no color difference problems. As long as the ink volume and ink color settings are the same, the copy accuracy is the same; the digital file is the same, and the version produced by the transfer is the same without deviation. For example, this company prints a trademark for a packaging product in a factory around the world. The trademark should be exactly the same, without color deviation or deviation. This company valued the packaging and printing functions that 74 Karat expanded. The things printed anywhere in the world are the same, and the advantages of its color management are not achieved by traditional printing. It is said that the two domestic companies of this multinational printing company will also introduce 74 Karat.

Mr. Wang analyzed that there is indeed a real situation in China, including waterless printing has also been promoted for 20 years, but the progress is not big. Investors first consider operating costs, mainly the cost of plates; there is also a workshop Management cost, waterless printing has extremely high requirements on the workshop environment. As far as DI and waterless printing technology itself are concerned, KBA's entry into this market is promising in the long run, but there will be no major development within five years. The most important thing is the high cost of consumables and the equipment itself. expensive. 74 Karat is more expensive than the traditional four-color offset offset press, with a one-time high investment, and the actual production cost caused by the production process is relatively high, which is the first consideration for printing companies. There are many people interested in DI technology, but hesitated as soon as practical problems were involved. Mr. Wang also mentioned that materials such as special plates and special inks will not stay at this stage forever. The market is larger, there are more equipment, and the production volume is larger. Plate suppliers will not only maintain one or two plates. The price is definitely going to come down. In China, some people will pay attention to this market, like import procedures and tariff reductions will reduce the cost of materials.

Regarding the reasons why the development of China's DI printing presses is currently blocked, in addition to the high cost of consumables, Mr. Ye Jian of the screen pointed out: the market environment is immature, the service awareness is not strong, and the improper market competition is the promotion of DI printers. A blocker.

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