Komori advances with new presses
Press manufacturing giant Komori is launching a new series of what it says are self-learning sheetfed presses. The company says they have improvements from feeder to delivery and will use a robot to feed into folder and guillotine.
Komori would have launched the Lithrone GX/G advance series of B1 presses at drupa, but they will now be seen through a series of open houses, webinars, and videos. Komori says there is a dramatic reduction of touchpoints, by use of a self-learning function, and a new control platform for linkage of high-level printing systems.
The company says the new presses have improved suitability for high-speed, long-run printing, and for short-run on demand printing.
The rationale for the new presses comes in particular, says Komori, from the demands for production of small lots, high added value products and short turnarounds have become urgent. It says to meet these demands, printing company management faces one of its most critical issues: to what extent can productivity in the printing process be raised. Other pressing issues the printing industry faces include responding to the lack of sufficient manpower, changes in work styles, and digitalisation – the evolution of the smart factory.
Komori says as a means of solving these issues, the Lithrone GX/G advance series presses were developed with top priority given to the following items, making it possible to attain high productivity and quality by means of easy operation.
Komori has strengthened collaboration with KP-Connect solution cloud, which enables the smart factory, including MIS, prepress and postpress. KP-Connect was developed based on Komori's Connected Automation concept. This realises strengthened collaboration and optimisation between processes as well as high-level automation with presets, based on information from high-end systems, so contributing to productivity improvement throughout the entire printing process.
Its automation will include setting up MBO folders, now owned by Komori, and its Apressia guillotines and finishing equipment. It has developed hands-free operation for the Apressia CTX 132 guillotine, while the MBO K8 folder can come with a CoBo Stack pallet loading system, set up from the same job information that is fed to the press.
Komori said it will use robots to between an UV LED dryer press, and the folder and guillotine.
Komori said the Lithrone GX/G advance presses enable users to obtain a significantly higher return on investment than with the conventional Lithrone. Komori believes that it will be the indispensable press for printing company management in this new age.
The new presses are the Lithrone GX40 advance, Lithrone G40 advance, Lithrone GX40RP advance, and Lithrone G37P advance. Orders will be accepted beginning on 1 October. Komori is sold and serviced by Print & Pack in Australia and New Zealand.