LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. September 11, 2007 -- When it comes to commercial printing, the 40-inch sheetfed press continues to be the pressroom star. The Diamond 3000LS, the premier press of commercial printing, will headline the Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses booth (#617) at Graph Expo, September 9-12 at Chicago's McCormick Place.
Mitsubishi constantly updates Diamond series sheetfed presses to help printers make more money on every sheet produced. The demonstration press will feature eight printing units, aqueous coater, delivery extension and lots of special advantages for speedy turnarounds.
How many colors do you need?
Printers frequently say their customers are asking for more colors, especially on high-end designs, custom materials and lush promotional pieces. The eight-color Diamond 3000LS can simplify complex jobs. It facilitates printing with multiple spot colors, pearlescent inks, metallics or varnishes in one pass.
Eight-color printing delivers smooth color gradations and skin tones with lifelike hues. It also is popular among label printers, where enhanced graphics further promote brand identity.
Easy makereadies
The Diamond 3000LS is loaded with automation technology to slash makeready times. Most impressive at shaving off precious minutes is SimulChanger. The simultaneous plate cylinder repositioning system replaces old plates with new ones on every unit in one operation.
SimulChanger can change plates in approximately one minute, regardless of whether a job requires four colors or 10. A vast improvement over the typical 60-second to 90-second replacement time on each unit, SimulChanger alone can reduce makereadies on the eight-color Diamond 3000LS by 10 minutes.
Color satisfaction
Mitsubishi developments also have focused on automating tasks that previously required an operator to evaluate and adjust variables such as color. The Mitsubishi Color Control System V (MCCS-V) image-scanning spectrophotometer controls print color tone by measuring the entire print image. The MCCS-V supports input from four straight presses or two perfectors. It scans the entire pull sheet or proof by scanning the image only, color bar only or combination of the two.
Closed-loop connectivity to the press lets the data be used to control ink keys and maintain color consistency. The MCCS-V can read OK sheets from previous jobs to accelerate the setups of reruns.
Workflow integration
Because printers view their operations not just as pressrooms but as manufacturing environments, many companies want a platform to organize the flow of job information beyond prepress and pressroom and into the bindery.
At Graph Expo, Mitsubishi will emphasize the compliance with the Print Production Format and Job Definition Format as a standard workflow. The Diamond 3000LS will include the power of the Kodak Unified Workflow Solution, the end-to-end digital infrastructure for printing.
Sheetfed print inspection
Demand for high-quality, defect-free products makes the Symphony automated print inspection system from DAC Engineering Co., Ltd. a perfect match for the Diamond 3000LS. DAC developed this sophisticated, high-end inspection system to meet the rigorous standards of the pharmaceutical and securities industries.
The DAC system checks for dirt, scratches, missing ink and other imperfections that can escape visual inspection. Identifying the causes of defects improves production efficiency and reduces waste, labor and material cost. You can see the DAC Symphony in operation in the Mitsubishi booth.