Printing companies are keen to make a good impression with environment-friendly production, so long as it pays off.  The many practical solutions for doing this were explained by manroland and printing industry partners at PraxisDialog 21, held earlier this year in Offenbach, Germany.

Image enhancement, customer loyalty, higher margins: the compatibility of   “Ec-onomy and Ecology” can be a printing company’s success model.  Particularly im-pressive during this PraxisDialog session was how clearly and understandably the speakers dealing with the print value-adding chain explained the way to eco-logical production. 

Some of these types of solutions can be of huge benefit to U.S. print operators.  Special programs and incentives are available, including one that will reactivate on June 1, and printers only need know where to look in order to take advantage.

manroland positions its environmental activities under the motto CMYK+GREEN and, with manroland EcoLogic, offers ecology-compatible products and solutions.  Experts from different companies also provided information about energy and emission reductions, testing methods and certification procedures, environment-friendly consumable materials, and resource-conserving machine technology right through to financing models.

Energy efficiency and reduction of emissions
Associations play an important role in establishing environment-friendly print production and comparable standards are demanded.  For example, print buyers more often want printing companies to provide a CO2 balance sheet.  The “CO2 calculation tool,” presented by Walther Fleck from the BVDM   (German Printing and Media Industries Federation) provides printers with the template to calculate the CO@ and to test the impacts of possible process reductions.

How emission reductions can benefit printing plant workers was presented by Dr. Axl Mayer from the BG Druck and Papierverabeitung (Printing Industry Insurance Association) titled: “Health Protection is Environment Protection”.  Measures to reduce emissions have a positive effect on staff working conditions as well as the environment.  This is the reason that action groups such as the “Industry Initiative for Offset Printing,” are pushing strongly for low-emission production.

The core topic of energy efficiency was illustrated by Torsten Fritsch from Berg  Energiekontrollsystem GmbH.  The objective is to increase a printing company’s  efficiency and protect the environment by reducing energy consumption and      energy costs.  He then described the process steps necessary for comprehensive energy management. 

Consumable materials, technology and financing
When consumable materials such as paper and coating are produced in a resource-conserving manner, the print production process can build on this foundation of ecology.

Thomas Wegner-Ney from VDMH (Hesse Print and Media Association) showed why uncontrolled exploitation of forestry resources must be stopped.  He pointed out the ecological benefits of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified paper and explained how a printing company can receive FSC certification.  “TerraGreen” coating, presented by Frank Kamphuis of ACTEGA Terra, is based on natural   materials of resins and wax.  Up to 75 percent biologically degradable, this innovative coating received the 2008 German Printing Industry Innovation Award.

The press and workflow technologies available from manroland for environment-friendly print production were presented by Vincent Krafft and Joachim Ruf and were aided by a print demonstration on a 6-color ROLAND 700 HiPrint with coater module.  The press also included QuickChange options to reduce makeready time, inking unit presetting with ColorPilot, gray balance control with okBalance®,     QuickStart and PrepressLink.

There was great interest in modelling the print process improvements with the manroland “eco-counter”.  The calculator shows the costs that can be saved by  using environment-friendly technologies.  Despite all innovative progress, one thing remains the same: new technology requires investments on the part of a printing company.  Marcus Kaufmann from the KfW-Bank explained how investments in environment protection can be assisted by less expensive financial services and special financing.  He outlined the procedure involved in applying for energy        efficiency consulting subsidies and gave examples of investment calculations.

A number of available programs at U.S. based energy companies can help    commercial printers conserve energy and cash for their facilities.  Edison Electric Industries spokesman Ed Legge, suggests printers contact their utility provider to see what incentives they qualify for.  With money being set aside as part of the federal government’s stimulus package, he said energy efficiency is a major     consideration for each and every state.     

Midwest based Exelon Corp. offers a Load Response program that gives business customers financial incentives for reducing their electric usage during times of high wholesale electricity prices.   Starting June 1, the company also begins accepting new applications for the Prescriptive & Custom Smart Ideas for Your Business    incentive program.  Projects that may be eligible and qualify for a custom incentive involve those with compressed air, motors greater than 200 hp, non-HVAC       variable-speed drive applications and other unique projects that improve energy  efficiency. For more info, visit www.ComEd.com/businesssavings.

Environment-friendly production in action
Many of the options for environment-compatible print production explained at the event have already been implemented at Druck- and Verlagshaus Zarbock in Frankfurt.  The attendees were very interested to hear how Frank Zarbock has lowered energy consumption in his printing company.  This includes heat insulation of the buildings and development of a heat recovery system for all production      areas.  Like all other print experts at the PraxisDialog event, Zarbock showed that ecological awareness pays off because it also brings economic benefits.  Efficiency is the basis for establishing environment-friendly print production.  This is a matter of both corporate and social responsibility that concerns the entire industry.

Contact your local manroland sales representative if you want more information about any of these presentations.