Flat Out Komori Web Press Accelerates Performance.

Only a few weeks after commissioning, the new Komori 16-page System 38II web offset press at Dutch printer TIJL is in full production 24 hours a day.

Only a few weeks after commissioning, the new Komori 16-page System 38II web offset press at Dutch printer TIJL is in full production 24 hours a day.

The company is already achieving make-ready times of less than three minutes to change all eight plates and even complete job changeovers, incorporating signature and folder alterations, are carried out in less than eight minutes.

Komori has linked the press to the Belgium made Cerm MIS system in use at TIJL, along with a Creo CTP system consisting of two Lotum Quantum platesetters.

The System 38II was scheduled be joined in January by a second new System 38II, which will be in production during March.

TIJL, which is part of the Brouwer Group, specialises in producing a wide range of short-run magazines and the first System 38II has already been used to produce runs from 10,000 up to 70,000.

The two 16-page presses, representing a 10m Euro order for Komori, replace two 16-page Heidelberg presses and an MAN Polyman press at the TIJL plant in Zwolle, central Holland.

As part of the current investment, TIJL has automated the delivery of reels to the press via an electronic trolley system.

When reels are taken from the warehouse and unpacked a barcode is automatically added, after which they travel automatically to the reel stand by the press.

The bar codes ensure that only the correct stock is used for each job because the press will reject automatically incorrect rolls.

The System 38II at TIJL incorporates Komori's reel preparation system ARP.

"We were handling around eight thousand changeovers a year on our three previous web presses so it is easy to see that any reduction in make-ready times will have a significant impact on our efficiency," said managing director Hans Daniels.

"We're very pleased with the whole project.

Within its first few weeks of operation the new Komori web press has helped us to win new print contracts, including one regular Dutch magazine that had been previously been printed in Italy.

There is no doubt that the consistent high quality of print provided by the System 38II has played a vital part in aiding us to win new business," he added.

He said that in the highly competitive world of web offset printing it was no longer sufficient to buy a web offset press as a stand-alone item of equipment.

To achieve maximum productivity a press had to be operated in conjunction with a digital management system.

"Komori's total print integration concept and its willingness to work with us to interface its press to existing systems made it an attractive partner for us," added Daniels.

With the MIS, pre-press and press all linked together the company was able to pre-set virtually every press function from the digital data for each job.

In addition, the System 38II automatically sends information back to the MIS system, so TIJL's management can make use of real time press production information.

When a job is complete the Komori KHS system on the press automatically prepares the it for the next job, based upon the digital information sent from the pre-press system.

That ensures that the ink profile precisely matches the image on the plate, resulting in an almost instant colour match when the press starts.

The KHS system also provides instant register adjustment and fold registration.

"The second Komori press will be situated alongside the first System 38II and we will operate them as one press in terms of production.

For instance, we will have the ability to run both webs through one folder to handle larger jobs," said Dani?ls.

Komori's modular folder design enables the production of 4 x 4 pages and 2 x 8 page sections.

That level of automation would mean that the folder could be changed in less than 2.5 minutes, claimed Daniels.

As well as its web offset presses the TIJL factory operates sheet-fed presses plus a wide range of finishing equipment.

Most of the magazine titles produced at Zwolle are for the Dutch market and include business titles for professional sectors such as medical, industry, real estate and insurance.

The plant also produces magazines for publishers specialising in markets such as clubs and associations.

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