Offset Printing
Quad/Graphics will be first to retrofit Sunday press with DigiRail inking system
Monday 27. October 2008 - Digital ink delivery enhancement designed to improve presetting, waste and color control
One of the largest users of Goss Sunday web presses will be the first in the world to retrofit a gapless technology press with the DigiRail digital inking system.
Quad/Graphics, the largest privately-owned printing company in North America, will replace the open fountain ink delivery system on a Sunday 3000 press with the highly precise Goss digital inking technology in early 2009. The retrofit is part of a scheduled enhancement of the eight-unit press.
“We are excited about bringing a new competitive advantage to our customers,” explains Tim Sands, vice president of press operations for Quad/Graphics. “Digital inking has the potential to improve presetting speed and accuracy, reduce start-up waste and simplify color control during operation.”
Graham Trevett, sales vice president for Goss International, says the proven DigiRail technology is a breakthrough for commercial printers that continuously invest in the latest technology available to improve and differentiate their production capabilities. “Quad/Graphics has followed this type of strategy throughout its history, and we look forward to this latest project,” Trevett says.
Goss DigiRail technology, which earned the PIA/GATF InterTech Award, utilizes gear pumps to feed ink pulses to the ink train through individual valves, which are controlled digitally. The flow of ink to the metering valves is constant for a given press speed, and the amount of ink fed to each zone is adjusted by changing the digital on/off pulse rate of each valve. The system replaces analog open fountain ink delivery and is designed to improve inker responsiveness and predictability while eliminating sensitivity to ink viscosity and temperature variations. Excess ink is also recirculated within the sealed system, reducing consumption and contamination from lint, paper dust or dampener solution.
More than 50,000 individual ink packs housing the digital control valves have been installed on Goss newspaper and insert presses worldwide. Goss International has made minor modifications to adapt the technology for commercial printing applications and has conducted extensive testing at up to 100,000 impressions per hour. DigiRail inking was also demonstrated on the Goss M-600 Folia commercial web press at drupa 2008.
Quad/Graphics has 11 web offset and gravure production facilities throughout the United States and annual revenues of more than $2 billion.