Closing the loop: APL logistics with printnet OM

Fast makeready times are becoming crucial to meeting market requirements. To save time and simultaneously provide the highest quality, many printers today are choosing the new manroland autoprint press series.

The autoprint series of printing systems from manroland are becoming fully automated step-by-step, from prepress to postpress. But what would a fully automated production system be without the right workflow system? printnet achieves homogeneous automation, networking and workflow solutions out of one platform. To enable customers to access all the advantages of a highly automated printing solution such as autoprint, together manroland and the software vendor ppi Media, a subsidiary of manroland AG, have developed the special printnet module APL sequence and output management printnet OM.

In the past, between prepress, meaning the CtP system, and postpress, automation has been lacking because the imaged printing plates were stored, sorted, and transported manually. At the printing units, the printer then had to load the plates. With autoprint, this is no longer necessary. Plates are delivered to the press cylinders automatically via APL logistics controlled by the software APL control. The APL robot arm then mounts the plates on the cylinder.

Full automation becomes possible
At this point, printnet OM enters the game: the system is an open output management system that integrates all current XML and other standard formats. Based on an automatically created workflow description, printnet OM controls all prepress systems accurately and generates a highly-automated prepress workflow that – if needed – can function without an operator. Full automation – from planning to print run – is now possible. printnet OM automates all working processes: RIP, imaging, production monitoring as well as proofing, and adjusts them to the requirements of APL.

In order to produce newspapers quickly and effectively, the transition of responsibility in the prepress process between the publishing house and the printing center must be clearly defined. printnet OM is used at the publishers to deliver plates for contents that have been released via proof to the printing center. There, fully-automated CtP output management is implemented according to the printing sequence and the requirements of APL technology which ensures the correct sequence for the automatic plate loading process. This solution saves time and money.

The advantages of printnet OM:

• Integration of production processes across production sites
• Optimized and flexible production processes
• Optimized capacity utilization
• Reduction of production costs and manning
• Increased production transparency
• Convenient and easy operation via a new user-interface design
• High investment security thanks to the possibility of retrofitting new prepress systems or other ppi products in the future

autoprint customer: Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum
One autoprint customer, the Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum in Regensburg, Germany, has already decided to use the new printnet OM prepress workflow for its COLORMAN, XXL autoprint. Moreover, the Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum has commissioned ppi Media to install the output management solution in the new printing center that is currently under construction. The publisher is looking for an end-to-end, uniform prepress solution. “After the fantastic experiences with page and ad production as well as with printnet OM, it was a logical decision to solve our new challenges using manroland’s and ppi media’s expertise”, said Ludwig Grüneisl, Managing Director of Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum.

manroland AG is the world’s second largest printing systems manufacturer and the world’s market leader in web offset. The group with its production facilities in Offenbach, Augsburg and Plauen employs almost 8,700 people and has annual sales of some Euro 1,7 billion with an export share of 80 percent.

Webfed and sheetfed offset presses provide tailor-made solutions for publishing, commercial, and packaging printing – from brochures to newspapers with circulations running into the millions. A worldwide network of about 100 sales and service centers markets manroland’s products as well as process compliant system components and pressroom products.

Web offset presses for newspapers and high-quality commercial printing of brochures, catalogs, magazines, supplements and books are manufactured in the Augsburg facility (founded 1845). They are designed to meet the continually increasing demands on print quality and performance coming from printing and publishing companies all over the world. manroland’s Plauen facility (founded 1896) is renowned for newspaper presses and paper supply systems. The sheetfed press product range built in Offenbach and Mainhausen (founded 1871) comprises system families in small, medium, large and extra-large formats for commercial printing, posters, books and packaging. Some models are available with the revolutionary direct drive system. manroland offers added value with PRINTVALUE.

manroland offers also designing, planning, building, equipping and commissioning sheetfed and web offset printing plants – from prepress through printing right up to finishing. manroland is a provider of customized 24/7 service and (remote) maintenance packages plus integrated services and training measures (printservices). The portfolio includes a certified range of pressroom products (printcom), software products, and workflow management systems (printnet). The group provides consultancy services covering all aspects of investment and building planning, organization, management, systems engineering and process optimization (printadvice).