FULL STORY
PrintCity alliance members MacDermid, MAN Roland, Megtec, Océ, Sun Chemical and UPM have continued working throughout 2007 on the expanded Value Added Printing of Newspapers VAPoN study, and have recently been joined by project partner Eltex, who bring a broad level of expertise in high performance Inert UV drying technology.
The VAPoN project group is now addressing the increased dimensions of Value Added Printing of Newspapers - including conventional value added web offset for all newspaper press formats and drying techniques, plus latest generation digital printing. The full PrintCity VAPoN report will be published in early 2008 including results from updated economic modelling, comparative technical & production performance and new user case studies.
Pictured right: Thomas Unterberger, chief technical officer for Herold Druck und Verlag AG, Vienna, Austria. In this photograph he is seen next to one of the Eltex Innocure Inert UV drying/curing units (centre of picture) on the MAN Colorman tower at Herold Druck’s plant in Tulln, near Vienna.
A full update of VAPoN project work is being presented at IfraExpo 2007. Its recent work includes:
Expanded and Updated VAPoN Economic Modelling - comparing alternative value added newspaper printing techniques with new data, including latest production experience with Inert UV printing
VAPoN Value Analysis - includes new testing and analysis of increased colour chroma (gamut) findings, which enhance newspaper revenue potential
New VAPoN Test Printing results and samples - latest VAPoN high speed Inert UV quality & performance results for large newspapers presses - Herold Druck, Austria, case study
Paul Casey, Sun Chemical and PrintCity VAPoN project team leader summarised the latest project achievements, ‘We have received such intense printer and publisher interest from the original PrintCity VAPoN project work, that we have now expanded the project and been joined by new project members Océ and MacDermid Printing Solutions, plus our new project partner Eltex. We believe that the PrintCity VAPoN project leads the world in the understanding and application of value added newspaper printing techniques and materials.’
Key new PrintCity VAPoN findings presented at IfraExpo 2007 include:
Expanded and updated VAPoN Economic Modelling
This includes new data from live printing experience of the world's first Eltex Innocure Inert UV installation using Sun Chemical's UniWeb Sunray inks here in Vienna at Herold Druck - at up to 11.25 m/s press speeds. New press configurations have been added to the full VAPoN analysis and all key data has been updated to reflect latest knowledge.
Key finding: It is important to note that there is no single solution for all newspaper applications. While total production cost is the key factor, there are other significant influences including the number of hours that the dryer/curing unit can be used, and the availability of space and capital finance. Heatset is the mature high speed, high quality benchmark with the lowest total production cost. However, in some cases heatset cannot be easily retrofitted. Inert UV drying is relatively easy to install on single and double-width presses and it is now delivering higher speeds. While Inert UV has a lower capital cost, its total production costs are higher than heatset. Conventional UV has a place only for slow speed presses that are not used for a significant proportion of production capacity.
VAPoN Value Analysis
An international quality and value assessment on different papers printed coldset and heatset determined their perceived quality ranking and their potential revenue premiums. The results were independently analysed by the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University. Subsequently the physical characteristics of the samples were then measured & analysed and compared to the perceived rankings.
Key finding: There is a direct correlation between the chroma (gamut) of added value paper-print products and the assessed additional revenue that these products can attract.
New VAPoN test printing results and samples
The purpose of this unique new test printing is to allow the comparison of three printing processes on three paper grades. The test printing is a cross-industry project between all the PrintCity VAPoN project members, Ifra and two newspaper printers. The print sites are Herold Druck in Austria using an Eltex Innocure Inert UV system and Passauer Neue Presse in Germany printing heatset with a Megtec Dual-Dry TNV hot air dryer - both using double-width MAN Roland Colorman presses and printing on UPM Eco H and UPM Cote H papers. A coldset test was also printed on UPM newsprint to provide a base reference between the two printing sites. This also provides a comparison with the previous test printing.
The printed results are being analysed by Dr Tim Claypole from the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating at Swansea University, UK.
Key finding: The latest expanded test printing delivers even more quantitative evidence that value added printing techniques can increase quality economically, with predictable results.
What is Value Added Printing of Newspapers?
'VAPoN' is a newspaper product with a clearly visible quality difference to standard coldset that is recognised by readers and advertisers and capable of attracting higher revenues to the newspaper and / or adding to its differentiation.
This broad PrintCity study deals with questions including how newspaper printers and publishers can open up new business opportunities to increase their revenue. Plus how they can select materials and press equipment that meet their future needs best and as economically as possible.
PrintCity VAPoN study benefits for the end user include:
• Unique cross industry shared research knowledge
• Analysis of technical - production - economic factors
• Assists informed investment planning and business growth
• Increased revenue opportunities and differentiation
• Access to world leading suppliers who work in a 'connection of competence' alliance
Any newspaper printer or publisher seriously interested in value added printing of newspapers is encouraged to read the PrintCity VAPoN study report, the latest PrintCity Webline 10 magazine and speak directly to PrintCity alliance members and project partners involved in this work, for specific best practice advice.
More about PrintCity’s VAPoN project partners specifically relating to Herold Druck in Austria and the Passauer Neue Presse in Germany. Some brief comments can be found below regarding the press, the inks, the UV curing, the hot air drying and the papers involved.
MAN Roland Colorman UV value added printing
The MAN Roland Colorman double-width newspaper press at Herold Druck in Austria is a 'world first' with its added value Inert UV satellite tower. MAN Roland and its fellow PrintCity alliance VAPoN project team members have shown that a compact Inert UV drying solution can be efficiently applied to double-width press installations, using latest generation inks, papers and curing systems.
Josef Aumiller of MAN Roland and vice president of PrintCity commented, ‘Value Added Printing is one of the most powerful business growth opportunities for newspaper printers and publishers around the world. The continuing investment of time and effort by the PrintCity VAPoN project team has created the only “one stop shop” opportunity for customers to access leading economic, technical and operational knowledge from a group of suppliers working in a connection of competence alliance.’
Sun Chemical UniWeb Sunray UV Inks
Sun Chemical's UniWeb Sunray inks are used by Herold Druck to print at more than twice the previous web speed of Conventional UV inks on newspaper presses.
Herold Druck is the first publisher in Austria to use UV inks in 4-colour newspaper and magazine printing. Thomas Unterberger (pictured above), chief technical officer for Herold Druck, said, ‘The most important opinions are those of our customers - and they are delighted with the results of this printing at very high speeds, producing high-quality newspapers and magazines. The inks are critical to success and we are extremely pleased with the results.’
Eltex Innocure Inert UV
The big advantage of Inert UV curing is that its compact size allows retrofitting to existing presses that do not have adequate space or foundations to install a hot air dryer. In addition, no air pollution control (oxidizer) or chill rolls are normally required. On the other hand, the costs of consumables - ink, rollers, blankets and washing solutions are higher than those for heatset and coldset. UV lamps are normally replaced after about 1500 hours of use.
The low temperature system maintains paper humidity without signs of fluting or shrinking. The VOC-free technology can be used up to full press speed UV inks use an acrylate chemistry (rather than solvents) and photo initiators to start UV radiation curing.
Conventional UV curing efficiency is inhibited by the oxygen boundary layer close to the paper surface. Inert UV uses a gas (like nitrogen) to reduce oxygen inhibition. The Eltex Innocure applies electronic current technology to increase the efficiency of inerting.
The result is about a 40 per cent reduction of UV lamp energy consumption that allows Herold Druck's high speed installation to run with only two UV lamps per side. A further advantage is that Inert UV does not create corrosive ozone that is a by-product of conventional UV.
Innocure is a complete industrial sub system that can either be mounted between satellite units (as at Herold Druck in Tulln), or on top of a blanket-to-blanket tower. The system includes a nitrogen tank, a cooling water and circulating system, special UV power supply (ballast) and control system.
Megtec’s Dual-Dry TNV hot air dryer
Heatset is obviously the most economical way to produce high volume value added products on all paper types without speed limitations.
‘The Dual-Dry TNV on the MAN Colorman at Passauer Neue Presse features an integrated oxidiser with the innovative ERSplus exhaust reduction system which minimises the gas consumption and operation cost,’ confirmed Andy Keil, Megtec. ‘Our experience is that a mixed product with a heatset cover can be produced at a low additional cost of only 10 – 12 per cent compared to coldset, without marks and with a high point of sale impact. The wider series of process choices when investing in added value newspaper production reinforces why Megtec is involved with the PrintCity VAPoN project.’
UPM Brite, UPM Eco H and UPM Cote H papers
UPM Brite C is an improved newsprint paper for coldset offset with a visible higher brightness than standard newsprint. End use includes newspapers, inserts, flyers and other advertising. UPM Eco H is a SC-B mechanical uncoated heatset offset magazine paper, which is online calendered. UPM Eco is defined for various end uses, such as magazines, catalogues, inserts, TV guides. UPM Cote H is a glossy LWC (lightweight coated) paper for heatset. End use includes magazines, direct mail, catalogues and much other advertising material.
Beside all standard grades an outstanding palette of special paper grades completes UPM's product family – details of which are available on the UPM Website. All papers from UPM have been proven suitable for its designed printing methods. Nevertheless, more and more newsprint and improved newsprint is used nowadays in heatset offset for many end uses. While machine finished papers can be used in heatset as well, all magazine grades need drying, which obviously limits the options for coldset printers.
Additional information on the PrintCity alliance VAPoN alliance partners and other PrintCity members and their products and solutions can be found on the PrintCity Website. This can be accessed using the button or sponsor logo links on our Home Page.
© Graphic Repro On-line, 9 October 2007.
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