Dispelling The Myths (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
have when recruiting for a flexo press operator. An operator with decades of experience in running a flexo or litho printing press, with all the mechanical set-up that is required, will likely need time and specific training to adapt to the digital process – as would be expected from someone who has spent years doing things in a cer- tain way. The general ease of using a digital press, how- ever, will soon make controlling, setting up, and optimizing the digital printing process via a touchscreen interface second nature. Given the predominance of digital devices in everyday life, even someone without prior experience in the printing industry might have an easy time adapting to operating a digital press. Myth #5: The ROI For Any Digital Printing Process Is The Same While the general benefits of digital printing versus tra- ditional printing methods are well known and apply to any digital printing process, the same cannot be said for the return on investment (ROI). Converters should pay partic- ular attention to the total cost of ownership, as running costs can vary greatly across equipment available in the market. There’s a connection between how effectively the digital and mechanical elements of a press work togeth- er that translates across to the ROI. And, ultimately, that’s what a lot of people don’t realise. It’s not a one size fits all approach across brands and digital press models. Ben Ginesi is the European Sales Manager at Digital Cor- rugated Packaging at Domino.
to run a corrugated printing press. Some digital corrugat- ed presses have a larger footprint than their flexograph- ic counterparts and building a cleanroom to create the controlled environment needed to accommodate a digital press can take up a lot of additional space and investment. However, there are corrugated digital inkjet presses on the market that use fast-drying inks that only require compact drying modules, greatly reducing the overall foot- print. In addition, some presses also feature internal en- vironmental controls for temperature and dust extraction, eliminating the need for a cleanroom – which means you can effectively place the press alongside the traditional presses in your facility. Myth #4: Finding A Digital Press Operator Is Difficult In recent years, the skills and knowledge gap in the print industry – widening as experienced professionals are retiring – has often been named as one of the key challenges for converters. Viewed from this perspective, recruiting a press operator may seem daunting. However, once converters realize a digital press op- erator requires a completely different set of skills than a traditional printing professional, finding the right person becomes a lot easier. The fact that no technical know-how specific to the printing industry is required to run a digi- tal press means that converters benefit from access to a much wider pool of potential candidates than they would
Do you need printed sheets? We have your answer.. Introducing Heartland’s ColorCorr. This is “flexo-printing in the round”. On our corrugator we can print up to 109” wide. The advantage is that we can print the equivalent of ½ roll at a time and not be required to keep several rolls of very expensive preprinted paper on the floor. Much less waste and risk. In continual print mode, we use either laser-engraved rubber rolls or solid rubber rolls to print a “flood coat” or a repeating pattern. If we are printing a repeating pattern, we can run a two-color design on the paper. Customers have found that running sheets we print can allow them to run a lighter-grade due to reduced caliper loss, and in some cases eliminate one or more machine passes.
For more information contact: Charlie Freeman | 816-500-8889 | cfreeman@heartlandsheets.com Tim Kramer | 816-841-8317 | color@heartlandsheets.com
16
www.boardconvertingnews.com
July 8, 2024
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online