The second key technology analysis of printing factory survival: secondary key technology

How can a printing company survive and succeed in today's highly competitive and low-profit era? In September this year, the largest exhibition in the western hemisphere, the National Graphic Arts Exhibition (GRAPHEXPO 2007), held the 12th Annual Executive Outlook Conference (EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference). The theme of the conference was "Printer's Successful Quartet: Economy, Market, Technology and Talent". At this conference, the MUSTSEE'EMS (Mandatory Technology Speedpost) Technology and Product Selection Committee recently announced a list of the six "survival" technologies of the printing companies. These technologies will have a profound impact on the printing business's business. The future success plays a decisive role.

Six key technologies for printing factories to survive:

1. Management Information System (MIS); 2. Digital Production Printing; 3. Workflow - Traditional and Digital Applications; 4. Information Technology (IT); 5. Web-to-print; 6. Color Management.

Secondary survival key technologies:

7. Automatic control of lithographic printing machine; 8. Computer direct plate making technology (with ink preset); 9. Pre-check software and technology; 10. Application of unique features.

Other technologies that have a major impact on the success of the printing plant:

11. Integrated production; 12. RFID (radio frequency smart label); 13. Post-press binding and processing; 14. Integrated services.

Second, secondary key technologies

7. Printing Machinery Automation - Improve ergonomics

The automation level of printing machinery is mainly manifested in four aspects: mechanization, stand-alone automation, automation of auxiliary operations and automation of printing product production processes. In the printing process, manual operations that have not yet achieved mechanization are mainly printed. After printing, many printing companies have bound books and newspapers or manually operated them; before printing, there are companies that use hand-made puzzles. These operations can be completely solved by the bookbinding equipment and the automatic layout system of newspaper automatic distribution equipment. The lower level of single-machine automation in the printing process is mainly reflected in the pre-press and post-press, such as the printing machine, copy machine, paper cutting machine, hot stamping machine, die-cutting creasing machine and so on. Printing machine-assisted operation automation, mainly for high-end offset press has been widely used in addition to frequency control, PLC, CP window, CPU, CPC, but also used automatic register, ink balance and nonlinear tracking, paper automatic conversion preset , Automatic paper wear, automatic rubber washing, automatic plate change, automatic paper, automatic reversed double-sided printing, rewind function, cut sheet features and other mature technologies. The automation of the printing product production process includes two aspects: one is the transfer of printing information, that is, the digital workflow, which is solved by the interface of standardization, software and hardware; and the other is the connection of the equipment used in the printing process, as the world has already solved. Book printing and binding once into a book device.

Here, the comprehensive automation of print information delivery using JDF/JMF is beyond the scope of this discussion because this JDF/JMF-based integrated automation is ranked second in the six survival skills. The automation level of printing machinery has greatly improved the work efficiency.

8.CTP Technology - Rapid Popularization

Computer toPlate (CTP) is another technical revolution after relay type movable type printing and laser photocopying in the printing field. It outputs digital pages of computer typesetting directly to CTP plates, achieving high speed, high quality, low cost, low pollution, making the printing process go digital in the whole process, and has become a new technological breakthrough and economic growth in today's printing industry. point.

To date, CTP technology has matured, but less than half of printers use this technology, and even fewer use it for automatic ink presetting.

However, with the rapid development of the market economy, "short-run" and personalized prints have rapidly increased, and the rapid spread of CTP technology equipment is a foregone conclusion. CTP is an unavoidable technological revolution, and some experts predict that by 2010 laser photo will be withdrawn from European and American markets.
9. Pre-check software and technology - to win customer satisfaction

In print production, pre-inspection is to ensure that all details are inspected before production. This way, the file will not destroy the raster processor and it will not cause problems with the print job due to negligence. Pre-inspection is a quality control inspection conducted early in the workflow to prevent issues such as print production and completion of processing. Pre-screening before printing is undoubtedly crucial to the entire printing process. The fast and effective pre-checking ability of a printing factory is an indispensable condition for winning customer satisfaction and saving costs.

10. Unique function application - enhance the competitiveness of Indian enterprises

Unique functional applications do not refer to a single technology, but rather refer to specific technologies that enable printers to provide unique print production and products, use existing technologies to produce unique products on the market, or use new technologies. build new business.

For example, digital printing can be used to print innovative products or produce products that are not easily produced by conventional technologies. Many printers are capable of film coating, but few printers can use existing film technology to innovate and provide differentiated products. Some printers can perform in-line die-cutting and can produce unique die-cut products quickly and economically. The increased bronzing function on the press facilitates rapid bronzing on the inside of the book. Sealed "Scratch-n-Sniff" material special applications or lens screen printing three-dimensional effect of printing or production of dialogue products using magnetic strips, etc., are examples of unique applications of printing production and products. Adopting existing or new technologies for unique printing production is a powerful magic weapon for printers to survive and enhance their competitiveness.