Workflow
printnet at drupa 2008
Wednesday 28. May 2008 - Focus on networking and full automation
DataCollect replaces the daily docket – Automated processes with Closed-Loop PECOM and ProcessPilot – IntegrationPilot speeds up job change-over – Precise color control with ColorPilot and okBalance – Color-compliant softproof at the control console with PressProof TC
At drupa 2008 from May 29 through June 11 manroland is to present in the Print-City Hall 6 of the Düsseldorf trade show site new modules of the comprehensive workflow package printnet for digital networking and optimization of print production processes, one of four PRINTVALUE sectors.
DataCollect improves the quality of data gained from print production
DataCollect is the new solution for all manroland web and sheetfed presses for shopfloor data collection. This improves the quality of cost-relevant and technical-production data like tasks performed, resources needed and press standstills. For the first time areas can be evaluated that were earlier not accessible for automatic analysis: manual worksteps as well as presses not equipped with a data interface can be integrated through DataCollect. This makes an important contribution to increasing operating security and preventing interruptions to production.
DataCollect is another step towards thorough printing plant networking and supplements printnet Monitor, the modular production monitoring and analysis system. Via terminals, the operators can now manually enter valuable information about production progress into the system; more detailed and more meaningful than is the case with classic daily dockets. For example, in addition to simply reporting a press standstill, an operator can now directly explain the cause and this information is recorded in the system. Up till now such information could only form part of production evaluation in a very elementary manner. When a new shift starts, digitally stored notes from the previous shift provide the operators with a production overview.
Moving gradually towards full automation with ClosedLoop PECOM
The manroland ClosedLoop systems are playing a major role along the way to fully-automated printing companies. For newspaper printing, besides cut-off and color register control systems, there is now a new web tension control system. Color control will follow in the near future. ClosedLoop systems for commercial web presses already enable each production step in separate parts of the process chain to be linked in a reproducible and standardized manner. From the warehouse through prepress through printing right up to finishing and delivery there is defined inter-process communication. All the ClosedLoop systems converge in the PECOM automation system where they can be checked and evaluated.
ProcessPilot improves the printing process
The ProcessPilot tool helps check and control achieved printing standards by portraying all production steps and optimizing and automating the process right down to the finest detail.
IntegrationPilot – an option for reducing makeready time
IntegrationPilot is a new scheduling tool that makes the planning and sequence of jobs for sheetfed presses much easier and clearer. This new option enables job sequence to be automatically or manually changed so that makeready time is as short as possible. It also permits CIP3 data to be assigned to a job directly at the press. IntegrationPilot is a supplement to JobPilot in printnet PressManager perfect and improves the overall flexibility and transparency of job management.
Color Management for the highest printing quality
ColorPilot is the ideal tool for color control with sheetfed presses during production. It is an extremely precise, low maintenance system. Presetting takes place in the prepress operations, and the system needs only 14 seconds to measure a format 3B sheet. As part of the comprehensive manroland quality management system, the device can also provide documentation and evaluation. okBalance supplements the solid ink density control of the ColorPilot system with gray balance control by calculating ink slide settings based on certain priorities. This new solution even corrects process-inherent tone value changes caused by temperature variations for example.
PressProof TC
PressProof TC (True Color) from manroland brings color-compliant simulation of print results into newspaper pressrooms. This highly-automated system is integrated in the press control console and provides simulations very quickly. As opposed to other systems, selection of the color profiles needed is not done manually but instead fully automatically via the presettings at PressManager. This ensures maximum security – for content and color. When the job is loaded, the necessary image data is transferred to the control console of the press to be used. By selecting the page the operator can see the image data virtually immediately on the soft-proof monitor.