Interesting Facts about the Print Technology Center

Faster, cheaper, better, or different?

The reorientation of the manroland brand since the 2008 drupa has also had an effect on the “showcase” for manroland’s sheetfed press systems in Offenbach, Germany. The Graphic Center is now called the Print Technology Center.

Visitors come with varied, usually extremely exacting, demands. Their expectations? They want to print faster, cheaper, better, or differently than in the past, in order to provide their customers with added value. This can include everything such as inline production, machine upgrades, new types of enhancements, changed processes, or digital networking.

High ceilings, white walls, grey floors, and stainless steel accents. “This is a clean, modern print shop that makes you feel comfortable,” is one visitor’s impression. The press in the center of the pressroom whips out sheets at a speedy tempo. A group of visitors is bent over a stack of paper at the end of the ROLAND 700 DirectDrive. The guests touch, feel, check, and pull out their line tester. The commercial director monitors key data on speed, power consumption, and makeready times. We are at the Print Technology Center (PTC). A printer concentrates on controlling production. “We are always live,” comments Gerhard Augsberg, Director of the PTC. “Like in Formula 1, the team always has to show their best side when visitors are present.”

In order to ensure they fulfil the expectations of potential customers, the PTC asks many questions in advance: What is the customer’s current position? What expectations do they have for the test run? How many visitors can be expected? When can they expect the order data for the sample project? Will they supply their own materials? “Today’s print shops want to gain an advantage through the use of innovative process engineering,” states Augsberg. “This is why we have an expert for every specialization.” They advise customers on all the pros and cons of the various options – from ROLAND InlineFoiler PRINDOR, inks, and UV printing to coating or ecology. In some cases, the characteristics of the problems are as individual as are the solutions.

Among specialists

Everything has been prepared and production is running well. A system consultant is on hand to assist the customer’s technical director. He finds an answer to every question and indicates opportunities and limitations. “Due to our insight in many different companies, the customer sometimes expects us to have even broader technical knowledge than they – the actual specialist – do,” is Augsberg’s take on this from his daily experience. Colleagues at the PTC also pay close attention to customer feedback. Every visitor wish and suggestion is noted and passed on exactly so to the designers. “This keeps our developments in line with practical applications,” says the PTC director.

Everything has to be fine-tuned

“The presses alone cannot provide convincing results,” mentions Augsberg. Well-trained personnel and the materials used are just as important. “You cannot produce a premium product if the paper or ink is of a lower quality.” A printer can increase product quality and reduce press downtimes simply by recommending the right combinations of materials. “This knowledge of qualities and characteristics has been attained through years of intensive research and tests,” Augsberg reflects. The market is always changing. New colors, coatings, or chemical additives are tested intensively at the PTC in line with defined parameters and environmental factors. These are only awarded the internal printcom brand after passing stringent tests. “We invest a lot in our material tests, since this is the only way for us to provide reliable recommendations. In turn, this ensures that our presses work smoothly.”

Today’s visitors are impressed. Just as with two thirds of all demonstrations, this printing demonstration, too, results in a specific order. Augsberg is satisfied with the responses: “We almost decided on a different one, but your demonstration convinced us.”

At the Print Technology Center

•  the entire range of sheetfed presses for small, medium, and large-format presses used for demonstrations, tests, and training are located in an area of 3,000 square meters.
•  visitors can take a look at a modern, networked print shop.
•  approximately 5,000 visitors from around the world come for demonstrations, tests, trainings, and industry meetings.
•  we have 50 employees – from trainees to experienced printers, experts, and system consultants.
•  all of the PRINTVALUE areas are on display: print services with upgrade demnstrations and Services Days, printcom with materials and running tests, printnet with workflow and networking solutions, printadvice for project planning and system consultation.