Less ‘iron’ on show, but more business features: Ipex Preview - II

Of course the press and digital printer landscape will be markedly different without either of these big hitters wowing the crowds with their print machine behemoths. And yet there are other, much more positive, reasons why the look and feel of this year’s show is shaping up quite differently to years gone by.

In the past, print shows have generally been about the technology. They’ve been about manufacturers showing off their latest shiny bits of metal, showing exactly which bits do what and how. While there will inevitably still be a fair bit of this going on at this year’s Ipex, the focus will be quite different, reports Informa print group director and Ipex event director, Trevor Crawford (see interview here).

With many press vendors not bringing as many machines as they normally would, and some bringing none at all, the focus will be much more on results and applications.

“Ipex has come of age, it’s gone from being a fairly traditional machinery-based event to being something that is now very much about thought leadership, content and features, which will really help printers make efficiencies and grow and build a future,” says Crawford.

He adds, “It is okay now for manufacturers to take a smaller involvement but show a range of equipment and what it can do. People are realising they don’t have to take 2,000m2-plus to tell their story.” So there will be likes of Goss, Komori, Fujifilm follow a similar theme.

Besides, inkjet is expected to be the focus and agenda at the show. Likely on show will be Konica Minolta’s new B2 KM-1; Fujifilm three relatively new presses, Jet Press 720 B2 sheetfed press, Jet Press 540 W web press; and Graphium digital label press.

There will of course be other, not necessarily inkjet, new launches worth checking out. Other interesting show firsts will include a new MGI 3D embellishment range.
With the absence of larger players, this Ipex gives opportunity to the visitors to check out the smaller players, along with those present like KM, Fuji, MGI, on the press and digital side.

That said, the absence of the sorts of presses that have dominated previous show should not be an apparent concern to the visitors. All press and printing technologies are expected to be present and correct in some form, with conversations geared very much around what this print technology can do for printers’ businesses, rather than simply what this technology can do.

A preview of the offset presses and consumables at the show

Apex Digital Graphics    S5 F451
Apex Digital Graphics, the official UK distributor of Ryobi printing equipment and UK dealer for Konica Minolta digital equipment, will be exhibiting near the Eco Zone in the South Hall. The company will be focusing on Ryobi’s LED-UV unit for its litho press range, the recently introduced VDP chemistry-free polyester-based platesetter, and a colour digital production machine from Konica Minolta.

Encore Machinery    S2 E190
There will be a number of new product launches at this stand, including a new range of digital printers providing high-quality, short-run, low-cost-per-copy production on up to 600gsm products. There will also be the debut of a fully automated short-run one-piece mailing solution for three-side sealing. This is designed to give customers the opportunity to produce short-run digital one piece mailing products.

Goss International    S3 E295
Goss International won’t be exhibiting any presses at Ipex. It will, however, be showing a range of samples of interest to label and packaging printers and converters, including labels and pouches printed on the new Goss Sunday Vpak web offset press. It will also be talking about its Magnum Compact press for newspapers and publishing. On the commercial print side, the firm will focus on its Sunday 5000 96pp press, to be installed at Polestar shortly, and York Mailing’s new 48pp Goss Sunday 4000 press.

Hans Gronhi    N5 D411
Hans Gronhi offers offset printing equipment in all formats from B3 to SRA1, under the Gronhi and Shinohara brands. At Ipex 2014, the company’s stand will feature two five-colour presses. The Shinohara 75IV is a five-colour B2 machine, which will be shown with an optional coating unit. From the Hans Gronhi 52cm range, it will be showing the GH525 five-colour featuring the latest ‘closed loop’ on-the-run colour correction technology. The GH series has undergone a restyling and this machine will be the first to feature a new livery. Printers Superstore is the UK and Ireland distributor for Hans Gronhi and Shinohara presses.

Komori Corporation    S5 F430
Komori’s Lithrone, Enthrone, System, Chambon and currency ranges will be featured at Ipex. The Lithrone G-540, five-colour 720x1,030mm press with coater, to be exhibited at the Ipex Eco Zone will be demonstrating the green efficiency of the Komori’s H-UV drying technology, which offers printers the benefits of instant drying.

OKI Systems UK    N1 B155
OKI will unveil “the industry’s first five-colour digital LED A3” printer at Ipex. The ES9541 is the first digital printer in its class to offer a fifth spot colour in either white or clear gloss. Also on show will be the C931, a four-colour digital LED A3 printer. The printer is designed for creative agencies and design teams where producing concepts as close to the proposed design as possible is essential for client approval. It can also be used as an office printer for day-to-day printing.

Technotrans     S5 F395
Although the Technotrans stand won’t feature equipment there will be experts on hand to discuss a pressroom audit and also detail specific solutions for water treatment (right pH and hardness), filtration, bulk and cartridge based inking, temperature control and water-cooled peripherals and humidification. Hot topics discussed here will be Techntrans branching into digital press cooling and a ban of recycled r22 refrigerant due January 2015, says the company. Elsewhere the Technotrans beta.c.eco circulator will feature on the Eco Zone’s Komori HUV press. The circulator features digital scroll energy saving cooling technology which means that compressors which normally run either at 0 or 100% output, are able to operate at variable speed, saving energy and reducing carbon impact.

Ultrachem Group    N5 C420
Ultrachem will be talking visitors through its UV and conventional inks and coatings, specialist formulations, additives, Pantone references, varnishes and specially matched colours. Also being showcased will be pressroom chemicals such as manual blanket and roller washes, automatic blanket and roller washes, and specialised cleaners, plate cleaners and plate care and fount solutions.

UV-Technik    S2 F151
UV-Technik manufactures UV curing lamps, electronic power supplies, UV measurement equipment and bespoke UV curing solutions at its facilities in Germany. The company also offers high-power UV LED curing systems with UV service, support and UV related components to end-users and equipment manufacturers worldwide. At Ipex this year, the company will be showing off its new high-power UV LED systems, both water and air cooled, a new range of electronic power supplies covering the range of UV lamps, new software to better enable customers to configure the power supplies at their premise, a new slimline, economical UV lamp head, a new online UV measurement system to assist efficient process control and UV consultation service.

Van Son    N4 D382
Van Son produces a range of sheetfed offset, heatset, coldset and UV curable inks and Van Son Liquids-supplied Aqua Base Plus Series, water-based pigmented flexographic inks. The company will also be showcasing its Van Son Premium wide-format inks.

Videojet    N3 B275
Videojet is a provider of coding solutions across all industries. Its variable data printing systems apply images onto direct mail and are particularly suitable, says the firm, for administrative institutions such as educational establishments and public authorities. The company will be showcasing the Videojet BX Series Binary Array inkjet printer, the Videojet 4320 inkjet printer and the Cheshire 7000 Series Transport Base.

Xeikon    S1 E090
At Ipex, Xeikon will focus on its ‘Suites’ of end-to-end solutions for different applications, including folding cartons and commercial printing, with new Suites for book and document production to be launched at the show. The Suites include what Xeikon believes to be all the necessary elements to fulfil this end-to-end ideal, including software, consumables, equipment and recommended substrates. Printing live at the show will be Xeikon’s 3500 digital press, showcasing an automated short-run production process that allows brand owners to reduce time to market. The press will also be printing personalised cartons to highlight the potential for this type of application.