The Need for Digital Finishing

Paul Williams

Morgana Systems Ltd

Who Are We?

• Privately Owned UK Company

– Founded in 1977

• Based in Milton Keynes

– 80 km North of London, UK

• Originally formed as a Sales and Service company

• Started manufacturing and exporting in 1984

• First products UFO Folder and FSN Numbering Machine

– Still in range today

• circa 100 employees, Sales, Service, R&D and Production

Manufacturing Facility

What Do We Do?

• Design and build finishing machines

– Primarily for the Digital Printing Segment

• Distribute products for other manufacturers

– If they offer exclusivity and suit the digital market

• Sell and service direct in the UK

– Through distributors and dealers in other markets.

– Work with most of the Digital Engine manufacturers and

Suppliers

• Identify niche markets

– React quickly, solve printers’ problems

What Problems?• Creasing versus Scoring

Creasing versus Scoring

• Litho ink soaks into the stock

– Scoring wheel will “cut” into the surface

but when folded the colour will be seen.

Job looks OK!

• Digital print fuses to the surface

– Scoring wheel will “cut” through the toner

and when folded white stock will be seen.

Job looks terrible!

How do we Solve Problems?

• New Technology

• Matrix Crease and Rule

• 6 tonnes of pressure applied

• Fibres are compressed and not cut

• Crease even across the sheet

• Can fold in either direction

• Lifetime Warranty on Matrix

Why Finishing?

• Finishing has always been the

“Cinderella” of the Printing Industry!

• Investment in Pre-Press (DTP)

• Then in CtP, then in Automatic Presses

• Now in Digital Print Engines

– Offering excellent quality

– Getting faster

– Becoming less expensive

Why Invest in Finishing?

• Finally it is the turn for investment in Finishing!

• The print market has vast over capacity

– Pricing is under extreme pressure

• Print quality is becoming generic

– Customers expect quality in everything

• Service levels are “expected” and are less of a benefit

– A 2 day turn-around is no longer good enough

Why Invest in Finishing?

• The question being asked is:-

“If I can’t differentiate through quality and service

and if prices are in decline how do I make money?”

• The answer is:-

“By becoming a total solution provider for your customer”

What is a Total Solution?

• From “data to document”

• Customers don’t want a stack of printed sheets

• They want finished (completed) documents

• Booklets, brochures, bound reports, manuals, leaflets etc

What is a Total Solution?

• The more you do for your customer the less they will worry about the cost of it!

• Data management, design, creation, printing, finishing, mailing

• Total Fulfilment

• Remove their “headaches”

• Offer a “Data to Document” service

Why Digital Finishing?

• So if we agree that we need to supply finished documents......

• Why can’t I use my conventional finishing equipment?

• Set-up times

• Cost (purchase price and hourly)

• Waste

• Paper handling characteristics

Why can’t I use what I’ve got?

• Disruption!

• Would you set up a stitch-liner to produce

30 x 16pp page books?

– The waste would be more than the job!

– The time would be longer than the print run

– What damage may be done to the print?

Why can’t I use what I’ve got?

• Disruption!

• Would you stop the Polar guillotine to cut 250 business cards?

– Average run 13 sheets 18 cuts

– How long would it take?

– What effect on other work?

Why can’t I use what I’ve got?

• Disruption!

• Would you stop the Stahl folder to fold 50 laminated menus?

– How long would the set-up be?

– What would the waste be?

– What damage would be caused to the digital print?

– Would the print crack?

Can I Use my Existing Equipment?

• Yes...but only if you will accept

– Long set-up times

– High waste as a percentage of the total job

– Damaged print due to mechanical handling

– Unnecessary cost tying up large equipment for small runs

• So really the answer is No!

What “Digital Finishing” is Available?

• Creasing...(not scoring)

– designed to stop cracking

• Folders

– designed not to mark the printed sheet

• Booklet Makers

– designed to feed multiple weights of stock

– and to crease (cover, centre spread & individual sheets)

What “Digital Finishing” is Available

• Creaser/Folders

– will multiple crease and fold in one pass

• Creaser/Folders

– one crease and fold for greeting card market

• Perfect Binders

– using PUR glue...needed to hold digital print

• UV Coaters

– designed to protect and enhance digital print

Online versus Nearline

• Online

– Operations that produce the same product everyday

– Financial – Educational – Governmental

– Those who do not require flexibility

– The system is only as fast as its slowest component

• Nearline

– Digital Engines run at optimum speed

– Flexibility of production & finishing techniques

– Still have production if failure occurs

Digital Finishing Products

• Wide range available

• Many suppliers offer some digital products:

• Duplo – KAS – Uchida – Nagel – Graphic Wizard to name but a few.

– but only one offers everything you will ever need!

• Prices range from approx €500 to €70,000+

Table Top Creasers

Manual

Electric

Hand Fed, Computerised

Automatic Creasers

AutoCreaser Pro 33 AutoCreaser Pro 50

Creasers

• All use matrix an blade method

• All offer the same quality of crease

• All will crease in either direction

• €500 to €15,000

Folders

Major DocuFold

Semi-automatic Set-Up

Fully Automatic Set-Up

Folders

• For pre-creased stocks

• Small footprint

• Easy to use

– semi-automatic

– fully automatic

– Pre-set folds

Creaser Folders

DigiFold Pro

many have tried....few have succeeded

AutoFold Pro

Crease & Fold Technology

• No marking of the sheets

• “Flying Knife” patented Folding

• DynaCrease patented “on the fly” Creasing

• Very high speed

• DigiFold - 6000 sheets per hour

DynaCrease Technology

9 creases on 9 sheets in 9 seconds!

Flying Knife Technology

Creasing Unit Large non damaging Fold Rollers Flying Knives

1. Stock is creased

2. Stock moves into fold unit

3. First knife pushes stock up to fold on crease 1

4. Second knife pushes stock to fold on crease 2

5. Folded document arrives on the conveyor

Unique Products

DigiFold Pro- Computerised high speed creasing and folding machine

Booklet Makers

DocuMaster. The Complete Finishing System

Booklet Maker Technology

• Feeds multiple weights from one feeder

– perfect for pre-collated sets

– cover and inside stock

– sonic doubles detection

– creases cover and centre spread (or all)

– variable data camera system

– square-back option

• perfect bound look with stitch security

UV Coater

Fully Automatic UV Coater

Protect and Hold

UV Coating

• Protects the print• Scratching

• Postal damage

• Enhances the image• Gloss, matt, textured

• Easy to use• Can prime as well

• Environmentally friendly• Biodegradable

• No plastics

PUR Binders

Easy to Use Environmentally Friendly PUR Binders

PUR Binding

• 4 x stronger than hot-melt

• Will hold digital print

• Can bind into gutter or double page spreads

• Easy to use

• Limited waste

• Ideal for short runs

Smart Screen Technology

Summary

• Is Digital Finishing Different?

– Yes, as different as an iGen is from a GTO

• Do I need specialist products?

– Yes, if you want to be profitable and productive and offer a “total solution”

• Can you recommend who can help me?

– Yes, Morgana can!

Thank you very much again for inviting me and thanks for listening!