Tokyo, July 20, 2007 - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) has developed a new sheet-fed offset press, the “DIAMOND V3000,” designed for optimal printing availability. The DIAMOND V3000, which will reach the market this September, represents the company's first totally new model of straight sheet-fed presses in seven years. While retaining the basic performance standards of MHI's earlier printing presses reputed for their high quality and reliability, the newest model realizes outstanding improvements in productivity and operability and incorporates an altogether new styling.       
The DIAMOND V3000 is a Size 3, 40-inch press that can accommodate sheet sizes up to 750mm by 1,050mm. MHI thoroughly classified the factors that contribute to non-productive operations and implemented new devices that minimize non-printing time. As a result, the DIAMOND V3000 delivers a production availability level that is more than 10% higher in comparison to existing models.
Improvements were made in more than 80 different areas in pursuit of optimal reduction of downtime and a higher press availability factor. These include: 1) reduced maintenance time: more than 70 hours/year in lubrication time trimmed through various measures, including adoption of lubricant-free bearings in cylinders; 2) less make-ready time: adoption of a newly developed simultaneous all-unit plate changer for precise plate removal and mounting in about one minute, regardless of the number of color units; and 3) elimination of waste caused by printing imperfections: adoption of new technologies throughout the press for eliminating such problems as oil splatters, irregular sheet feeding and doubling.
MHI has also reviewed the exterior design of the press from a material and styling viewpoint and implemented the industry's first use of super-plastic zinc alloy (SPZ), an extremely sturdy material frequently used in medical equipment. SPZ concurrently provides a high degree of freedom in design and structural durability. It enables not only the production of a stylish exterior but also shields out electromagnetic waves and irksome noise, thus creating a working environment friendly to press operators as well as ambient electronics devices. Adoption of flat sheet-key panels for operational control greatly enhances operability by eliminating unintentional activation of wrong buttons that might otherwise cause faulty operation.
In the area of general commercial and catalog printing, where sheet-fed presses generally excel, fierce pricing competition is being waged with other types of presses, especially web presses for high-volume printing and electronic printing systems for small-lot printing. In order to win this competition, high-quality printing, the primary value-added feature of sheet-fed presses, is essential. MHI will position the DIAMOMD V3000 as its key product, as a press that realizes high-quality printing and quick delivery, and will conduct aggressive marketing activities focusing on high-grade printing - for example, multi-color capabilities and coating - and the excellent suitability for packaging applications.
MHI will exhibit the DIAMOND V3000 at IGAS 2007, the International Graphic Arts Show to be held in Japan on September 21-27 at Tokyo Big Sight.