72 | HP IndigoEli Mahal, head of Labels & Visitors were shown different routes to adding value with digital print Packaging marketing at HP Indigosuch as shrink sleeve labels will be qualifed now in production and the frst beta-testing “Running the V12 before the press is commercially released. contract has been signed with a major To cater for the longer runs the press is European converting group, with the press compared to running expected to perform, the ink containers due for installation this autumn. fexo is like driving are now bigger, with most stations including two stations with an automatic Converting endthrough a city when all revolver, increasing the interval between A B Graphic has a Digicon converting replacements. line under development for the V12, the lights are green”The new imaging architecture means built to promote high levels of speed and a different schedule for replacing press automation. Key elements include an auto consumables. ‘The new digital plate, for die-cassette system capable of holding up ‘It’s all about makeready time and example, is a once a month replacement, to ten die plates with automated loading waste,’ continued Mahal. ‘Since not all while the blanket will need replacing every and pre-positioning of the die-cut, along converters are using pitstop working, typical few days,’ explained Mahal. with 100 percent print inspection, non-stop makeready for a 5-6 color fexo job is one Looking at future changes from the Alpha turret rewinding and non-stop waste hour with around 400m waste. With the version V12, there is likely to be an optional handling. JDF/JMF implementation will V12 makeready takes minutes with 90 butt splicer and turret rewinder to allow allow for advanced integration with the percent less waste.’nonstop winding. press and workfow. Barcodes are printed ‘A typical V12 might run 10 jobs a day In terms of commercial availability, the between jobs and read with scanners on the with a sweet spot between 2-7 linear press at the HP Indigo technology campus Digicon to enable automated makeready kilometers per job. If the average job is is currently at Alpha level. Beta presses are of new jobs with minimal operator 3km, total daily waste on ten jobs would intervention. be around 400m. The equivalent fexo The Digicon line will be confgurable press runs on average at 60-100m/min and Spot Mastereither in-line, with an integrated buffer, or produces 4km waste a day over ten jobs. So near-line. Eli Mahal believes near-line will be the V12 will print these ten jobs in less than During the VIP event visitors were the most common confguration. ‘Around half the time and cut makeready waste by introduced to HP Indigo’s latest 98 percent of our presses currently run around 90 percent. And all this is before we Pantone matching system. Spot with near-line fnishing, and we expect the start talking about limited editions, variable Master uses a patented algorithm for same with the V12. Once you have in-line data and so on.’ color matching, claimed to enable operation you work at the speed of the Mahal also sees a V12 with near-line converters to reach brand colors slowest element, and there’s no way you fnishing as a better confguration for most within fve minutes with an accuracy will get a 120m/min converting speed for label converters than a hybrid (fexo + of less than 2 delta E and less than fve all jobs. digital) press.meters of waste. ‘If you had dedicated work for a major ‘The market share of hybrid is small – ‘Spot Master has been developed customer, you could see how in-line would I see them at large customers who can for converters for whom matching make sense. But our customers most allocate large volumes of the same job Pantone colors is critical,’ said Eli commonly serve multiple verticals and are day in and day out. Only if you are setting Mahal. ‘To match spot color and make changing materials four or fve times a day.’ up for spot varnish, relam/delam etc on sure it’s consistent there are many the same media with the same die-cut factors which make an impact, like V12 vs fexography can you enjoy the full productivity of the changes to humidity etc. We have A key question is how far the V12 will hybrid line.’ customers who every time they load encroach onto mid- or even long-run fexo new media run a calibration and stop territory. between jobs to check the color Mahal said running the V12 compared to Read Andy Thomas-Emans’ column is right. Spot Master is designed running fexo ‘is like driving through a city about digital closing the gap with for them.’when all the lights are green’.fexo on page 37labelsandlabeling.com