Offset Printing

Komori America Corporation Open House Report

Wednesday 01. December 2010 - On Saturday, October 2, 2010, as Halloween neared, a '20 Sheets' open house was held at KAC (Komori America Corporation), which is located in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, when the city was experiencing strong winds and a sudden cold spell.

A stage was built under a large tent in the KAC parking lot. Because of the significant drop in temperature, air was heated outside the tent using propane gas heaters and the heated air was then pumped into the tent.
Guests, including those from sponsoring manufacturers, started gathering before the reception desk opened at 3:00 p.m., and afterwards many guests from printing companies throughout the US arrived by car, bus, taxi, and limousine and formed a long line at the reception desk.
The opening ceremony at 4:00 p.m. started with a wadaiko performance by two female drummers, which was followed by welcoming remarks from Mr. Kosh Miyao, President of KAC. On the inside of the tent, images such as logos of manufacturers sponsoring the event were shown using a projector. After the opening ceremony, guests were led inside the building where the demonstration program started.
The venue was filled with approximately 300 people including more than 200 people from printing companies. As part of the welcoming ceremony, three presses were operated at their maximum printing speed: the Lithrone SX40, the Lithrone S40, and the Enthrone 29.
Many samples had been prepared and multiple patterns were created using the same images. For example, there was printing on paper followed by an application of coating, printing using the same images on aluminum metallized paper with a pseudo embossing effect, and printing using the same images on aluminum metallized paper with glossy coating.
Three types of saddle-stitched brochure samples were prepared: a combination of conventional ink and aqueous varnish, a combination of text printed with H-UV ink and a cover page with H-UV/artificial embossing, and a combination of text with H-UV glossy coating and the cover with pseudo embossing. In addition to these three, many more samples were created using different combinations of the images, and cut samples were also made using the cutting machine.
20 Sheets and Smart Feedback were demonstrated once on the Lithrone SX640, and after printing started the speed was increased to 18,000 sheets per hour and several hundred sheets were printed nonstop. Changes in color density were shown by randomly selecting 5 sheets out of the first 20 sheets. From then on, color density was measured regularly every 10 to 20 sheets, and the number was plotted on a chart to show that color density is stabilized within the first 20 sheets.
Afterward, Smart Feedback was demonstrated. Cyan density was altered by approximately 0.07 to demonstrate how the automatic control function responds to the change.
Many participants were impressed with the demonstration of this new boost to the high productivity of Komori’s flagship machine.
Two demonstrations were conducted with the Enthrone 529, which debuted at IPEX in the UK. Plate changing, printing, density measurement with the PDC-SE color control device, and fine adjustment were demonstrated. Customers who showed interest in the high-quality, high-productivity compact press with double-size cylinder design paid close attention to this demonstration and asked many questions.
The demonstration of Lithrone S840P+C, a convertible perfector equipped with H-UV, the innovative UV drying system that is already well-known in Japan, was performed three times. It was the first time that the H-UV system was shown in the US. Plate changing for all eight colors was conducted, and quickly-dried double-sided printing samples with no coating were distributed followed by samples with coating.
Opinions of the print quality, superior coating glossiness, and drying ability were extremely high, and many customers were so eager to check the printing samples that they raced to get them. All three demonstrations were very successful. The ink and coating materials used for this demonstration were provided by Toyo Ink International.
Various samples created in advance were displayed in front of the LS-640, including sheets printed on this press. A demonstration of 20 Sheets on the Lithrone SX629 was conducted for selected customers after the bar opened in the tent located outside. The demonstration, which targeted print enthusiasts, included photopolymer plate changing. Many customers paid close attention right next the machine.
Many samples were displayed in the business meeting area in the demonstration room, providing an environment suitable for offering various explanations. Comparisons of conventional oil-based printing and H-UV printing were displayed, and color stabilization within 20 sheets was shown using sequential samples. Also, 20 sequential prints and the 100th print were displayed to show conventional oil-based printing plus aqueous coating on one side and H-UV on the other side. At KAC, customers interested in purchasing a press are always taken to this room and given detailed explanations on topics such as fast printing start-up, the low quantity of waste paper, H-UV’s quality and fast drying capabilities, and contributions to the environment.
After the demonstration, food and drinks were offered in the tent. A professional emcee directed the event, and President Komori gave a speech (President Miyao acted as interpreter). The audience offered a great round of applause at President Komori’s remarks that “despite the severe market environment, Komori is determined to persevere in developing products for you.”
A gift drawing was conducted by the supporting vendors, which was followed by a talk from the famous corporate comedian Greg Schwem. He talked about Komori products and the current situation of Komori US and made the audience roar with laughter.
The event was concluded with another amazing wadaiko performance by nine drummers. Guests exchanged handshakes with President Komori and KAC members and headed by limousine to the hotel in downtown Chicago to participate in Graph Expo, which started the following day.
Thank you all very much for participating in the event. KAC and the entire Komori Group are planning to hold many more events in the future, and we sincerely look forward to your participation.