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| June 2008 »
 At this so called Inkjet drupa where all sorts of new production level inkjet digital presses are being introduced or previewed, Xerox is sticking with its xerographic technology. At their drupa press conference however Xerox lifted the curtain slightly to preview how it is working with inkjet and to outline what we may expect to see in future. At the press conference Steve Hoover who is VP in charge of the Xerox Reseach Center in Webster NY, outlined some of the developments where Xerox is working with inkjet. He indicated that in the past few years Xerox had filed more than 500 inkjet patents.
In his initial comments it appeared that Hoover was telling us all the reasons why inkjet was not a suitable technology for production printing. These centered around the use of water in the inks and this he stated caused problems with paper as all the water had to be removed from the ink when it hit the paper. This could cause serious problems with the finishing operations for the paper and also it needed great amounts of heat and waste extraction to eliminate the water. He also indicated that aqueous inks had limitations and tended to sink into the paper if there were not special agents to prevent this.
He indicated that Xerox was working on alternative approaches for inkjet that would make the technology more suitable for a wide variety of applications. The first of these was the existing solid ink technology as used in many of the Xerox Phaser printer products. Solid ink is supplied like wax crayons and it is melted in the print head to become a liquid that can be jetted from the long-life stainless steel print heads. The liquid changes back to a solid on hitting the paper. The image quality however is not offset like but does give vibrant color on a range of low cost substrates. Xerox is working on technology to speed up the operation of this technology and Hoover showed a video of a prototype web press running at high speed. The impression given was that this technology could perhaps enter the market within a two year period. He also indicated that Xerox was already linking its print heads to build page wide arrays.
Hoover then described a newer technology Xerox was working on and he referred to this as Gel inks. This is a similar approach where the gel changes to a liquid for jetting and solidifies on hitting the substrate where it is heated and cured. It can work with a wide range of substrates including plastics, foils and other packaging materials. The image produced is very offset like and of potential high quality. So far Xerox has not built a press to test this out and research is still at bench level. This technology however appears to have great promise in terms of quality, speed and the range of substrates that can be imaged.
My assessment of this presentation was that Xerox is getting ready to make a major move in the new few years into the inkjet space but obviously maintaining and extending its position in the xerographic space. I think for Xerox drupa 2012 will be their inkjet drupa.
Andy Tribute
Attributes Associates
With Drupa 2008 on everyone's mind it is good to remember that it takes in reality at least two Düsseldorf cycles for new developments to show up in the majority of GA business operations.
Drupa 2004 had been declared JDF-Drupa. And where is JDF now in reality? Just in nappies, being able to talk a few words: dada., mama, and maybe copy ...
Only mature organisations have proven to be up to the enormous task of implementing the big dream. For the rest of us automated, CIM is on the investment program for the next couple of years. It is not only a matter of money but more important resources and internal and customer adjustment.
So, in reality it will take 7 years in total for this new thing to be applied across industry and regions:
* 2-4 years after the Hooray Days for the manufacturers and developers to comprehend the potential, produce and prove really reliable tools and equipment.
* At least another 2-3 years to have all organisations make the investment, digest the organisational changes and walk their own implementation paths.
That makes seven years to get to mainstream ...
This year two topics are as much hyped as JDF was last time. The Greening of the industry - and our planet - plus Inkjet technology for production printing.
Although "green" issues are important, I believe that in 4 years time the environmental conditions do not change that much of we all would produce the green way. It's the marketing and thus perception for which green issues make the difference. When all possible equipment choices are equal, then Green may be one of the decision points. But compare it to the option of extra airbags in a car and you will see how Green is different. It does not save your kids life as an airbag would do. Nevertheless, the environmental friendliness of vendor A may make a good impression. Just like I prefer a good Italian Roast of coffee over a run of the mill American brand. It sets the mood.
Production Inkjet Printing is something else. That is about new technology and most manufacturers are called to action. Whether it is their own development or a repackaged and improved system from a
colleague they called competitor not long ago. Inkjet is hot. It is the new promise of profit for print.
Having seen a number of innovations in that area it always boils down to changing the business model and that is something you do not overnight. Changing culture, customerbase, client service operations take time. From 2-7 years.
It is good that it coincides with the Drupa cycle. Look today and you know where you have to bring your business tomorrow.
Hans Andriese
Industry analyst and business consultant to medium sized printers
The first day of drupa was a predictable avalanche of press conferences, thoughtfully scheduled back-to-back so that it was necessary to leave one still in progress in order to hike to the next one. To the credit of most firms holding these sessions, they tried to keep them more or less on schedule, but it would seem that a little coordination and cooperation would go a long way. I generally avoid these opportunities to hear companies sound off on how wonderful they are, but I do make an effort to get to those of the major players.
In the Heidelberg conference Wednesday afternoon and those of HP, Kodak, Xeikon and Xerox today, all said (not unexpectedly) that digital print is here to stay and is a growing and expanding part of the printing industry. Moreover, most were in accord that one of the most important issues in the industry today is integration—refining how digital and offset printing can coexist at the same print providers and how the strengths of each can be leveraged to drive a company's business forward. Many of these vendor's customers have both digital and offset presses and say they need better integration across print technologies. Happily, most of these leading firms are working in this direction and here at drupa there are plenty of examples of workflows and software tools that make it easier and faster to shift jobs between offset and digital.
This proves the maturation of digital as a mainstream printing technology. To be sure, offset is in no danger of being supplanted by any digital printing system any time soon, but neither is it any longer the only game in town. Back in 2000, the hypesters dubbed this event the "digital drupa," because it was the first time digital presses were shown in any number. (Some of them even worked.) While that sounded good, it was little more than a label to celebrate the first puffs of a change in the wind.
This drupa is far different. Xerox's Anne Mulcahy pointed out today that the overwhelming representation of all types of digital printing technology at drupa 2008 is proof positive of what her company has been describing as the new business of printing. The number of digital print engines (of all types) now making money for print providers, the many digital technologies being shown here, the continuous evolution of all digital printing systems, and the promise of faster and more powerful machines to come show that digital --in all its forms-- will forever be as much a part of printing as words and pictures.
That makes this the DIGITAL drupa.
Noel Ward
WhatTheyThink.com
Some would say it is the biggest drupa ever since the show first launched in
1951, and they would be right. With over 1.8 million square feet (170,000
square meters) of exhibit space, 1,800 exhibitors from more than 50
countries, and 400,000 visitors expected over the two weeks, it is indeed a
grand show.
Others are calling this the inkjet drupa, or the workflow drupa or the
digital drupa. Two new buildings, Halls 8A and 8B, are dedicated to
displaying the latest and greatest digital technologies, and the Innovation
Parc, debuted at drupa 2008 in a tent on the fairgrounds, is substantially
bigger this time, with more than 160 exhibitors in eight different sections.
We could also call this the "Green" drupa, with companies from all sectors
touting their environmental sustainability initiatives.
Perhaps this is the "print buyers" drupa. Messe Dusseldorf has constructed
a new building for use only during the show to house drupaCube, a display
highlighting the value of print in modern communications, complete with live
examples and in-depth seminars for buyers of print.
Regardless of how you categorize drupa 2008, this show is all about making
business more efficient in the printing industry. Whether visitors spend
their time looking at new, highly automated presses and bindery gear; the
latest and greatest toner and inkjet presses; or solutions for leveraging
the now-defacto-standard JDF process automation, all eyes will be focused on
taking time and steps out of the print manufacturing process and opening up
opportunities for new applications and new businesses through the
application of technology.
A week is a long time to spend at a trade show, but having made those plans
long ago, I am now worried about being able to take it all in during such a
brief period in light of the flurry of announcements we have seen in the
weeks leading up to the show, and those that we expect to see during this
mega-event.
As an industry, we have been struggling to find our footing in this
rapidly-changing business communications environment in a shaky and
uncertain economy. For those with vision and an open mind, this drupa will
be Future drupa ... an opportunity to follow a print job through the
process, from concept through delivery by making the journey from Hall to
Hall to uncover the new developments that can be leveraged to build a more
profitable business and gain a solid foothold in the printing industry of
tomorrow. With persistence and perseverance, visitors will be able to find
the puzzle pieces--large and small--that will help them complete the picture
of what can be.
For my part, I will, as usual, focus on the softer side of
print--web-to-print, variable data, workflow, applications such as Books on
Demand, and Print MIS and production management solutions. I will
especially be looking at how the suppliers to the market are making it
easier to manage hybrid offset/digital workflows, and what the paper and
consumables suppliers are doing to help ensure our environmental
sustainability. And even though it is more "big iron" than I usual focus
on, I will be paying special attention to the new products, technology
demonstrations, and strategy announcements related to inkjet technology,
from wide- and superwide format, to industrial, to production--a potential
game-changer for the future as we migrate to an increasingly digital
manufacturing process.
Welcome to drupa 2008, Future drupa, where you can see it all in a way that
is unmatched by any other industry event! I will enjoy sharing in this
space some of my thoughts, conclusions and discoveries as I wander from Hall
to Hall in the coming week.
Cary Sherburne
Senior Editor, WhatTheyThink
Whether you call this drupa thing a circus, the Olympics of printing, or the mother of all print shows, there's no denying that Planet drupa has way of focusing the attention of the printing world. Pundits and hypesters to the contrary, I'm going to say it right here: the only way this 15th iteration of drupa (it's been taking place since 1951) will come down as being the drupa of some particular technology is if the loudest pundits proclaim it to be so. There's just too much in flux, too much in play, to claim that any single technology is in a position to dominate.
What it will do, though, is show that technology is once again poised to reshape the printing business, while giving us a glimpse of the future. Inkjet is going to have a huge presence from several companies, but when the drupa shuts down on June 11, inkjet will still not be positioned as the replacement for offset and vanquisher of toner-based printing that so many people seem to think it is. There are still too many unresolved issues surrounding workflows, substrates, reliability, durability, print quality, and a host of cost metrics for inkjet to be really close to a final answer. But that's not news. Toner based digital print also took some years to gain traction so there is little reason to think inkjet will be much different.
All that said, however, I think inkjet has a lot going for it and it's going to be a fascinating few years while the technology is refined and prepared for market. For that reason, any printer coming to Dusseldorf needs to take a close look at all the inkjet engines here at drupa, but more especially the technology demos and machines for which a hard release date is not available. Some of those may be a bit further off, but those are also among the machines that can be the real game changers when they roll out. Then, once you've had your look, go spend the rest of your time in Dussledorf looking for the equipment and software tools you can use to make your business more profitable this year, so you'll be ready to make the investment when the time is right for inkjet in your business.
Noel Ward
Brimstone Hill Associates
Well the waiting is almost over and drupa is just about to start. Tomorrow, Wednesday May 28 is the pre-opening day at which the different press conferences start. It used to be a slow start for the press with just Heidelberg having their press conference to start drupa. Now the first press conference is at 9.15 am for Konica Minolta and then the first of the big iron companies, MAN Roland has their event at 10.30 am. Then on the opening day of drupa, May 29, it is a press conference almost every half hour.
One of the events that’s being really looked forward to is the Xerox press event at 3.00 pm German time (9.00 am East Coast USA) when Xerox will finally pull the covers of their new announcements. Xerox has been very quiet about what it will be showing unlike most of the other vendors. We have heard a lot from HP Indigo with its new 7000 Digital Press and from HP inkjet operations with its Inkjet Web Press, Xeikon has announced its new 8000 press, Kodak has announced a new drop-on-demand inkjet Versamark, the VL2000, as well as its future STREAM Concept Press, and there have been a raft of high-speed inkjet announcements from all sorts of companies. So far Xerox has announced its 490/980 Continuous Feed Color System and the 1300 monochrome system, but nothing else. When Anne Mulcahy steps up to the podium at 3.00 pm Thursday there will be a great feeling of expectation.
In the past few days there has been one really interesting announcement from one of Xerox’s partners Fujifilm. This is a new 28 inch wide (B2 format) sheet fed inkjet press that is actually being made by Fuji Xerox sing inkjet print heads from the Fujifilm subsidiary Dimatix. The question this raises is how will this be sold and through which channels. Already a number of Fujifilm channels sell Xerox presses such as Fujifilm Graphic System in North America and Fujifilm UK. Will they now be selling the new inkjet press alongside the Xerox iGen3 and Docucolor presses?
The big buzz at drupa up to now concerned the range of high-speed continuous feed color presses. The questions raised by these are what are the markets for these presses and are there going to be buyers ready to take them. The new trend of transpromo printing is relatively new and one has difficulty finding too many companies already operating in this space. I am sure there will be great interest in these presses at drupa but will there also be buyers ready to purchase them?
I will be there tomorrow morning before 9.00 am having the first of a huge number of coffees and perhaps even a few beers over the next fourteen days. I really look forward to drupa and the opportunity to network with so many people. I also look forward to the hospitality of Messe Düsseldorf where their support for the press is second to none. I will be seeing an awful lot of equipment but also be speaking at various events. If you are at drupa I hope to see you.
Andy Tribute tribute@attributes.co.uk
Managing Partner, Attributes Associates
Drupa... The Olympics of Printing, and I'm sure 2008 will be a gold medal performance. Drupa is derived from the German words "drucken" (to print) and "papier" (paper) and has a history of bringing out the best and most innovative products from all who exhibit at the show. I think one of the questions on everyone’s mind is, “What will be the big trends we will see at drupa 2008?”
Here’s what we think are some of the biggest:
First, a dramatic expansion of digital solutions. Digital printing solutions will continue to be big news in this industry – in fact in 2008, different from past drupas, there will be 4 halls dedicated to digital solutions and, according to the Messe Düsseldorf board chairman, Werner Dornscheidt, this entire exhibit space is booked and expected to be jam-packed. You can expect to see all the latest digital technology advancements and demonstrations at the show including continuous feed, production color, inkjet, and wide format solutions. There is also a lot of interest around the co-existence of offset and digital technologies and the seamless integration into hybrid environments.
The second trend we’ll see and hear a lot about at drupa is the increased emphasis on workflow. As print providers continue to deal with the challenge of generating greater margins and profits for their business, workflow and automation tools that help reduce costs, connect with customers, and enable new applications and new revenue streams become increasingly important. You’ll also see an increased focus on producing applications and print jobs more easily as well as business development tools, resources, and services to help print providers grow their business and address this challenge.
The last trend I think you’ll see is the growing awareness of the social and environmental impact of print. This will include both what technology vendors are doing to promote “green” in their business operations and products, as well as how print providers can capture new opportunities by being more green.
According to PIRA, the digital printing opportunity is 54B Euro and is expected to double in the next 5 years. Our goal for drupa 2008 is to help print providers truly connect with this amazing opportunity, in a 3500 square meter stand with the theme "Connect with Opportunity". What's more, our stand is built from recycled or remanufactured materials wherever possible - so it's very green.
Drupa 2008...it's finally here and we're very excited about the demonstrations that we have planned for the show.
Tracy Yelencsics
Vice President, Marketing Communications
Production Systems Group
Xerox Corporation
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