30.09.11 - Paper is the largest cost factor in printing. That’s why the simple equation applies: less paper waste reduces expenditure. Process-compliant system components from printcom help here. They ensure smooth, coordinated production and lower paper consumption.

Overcapacity, permanently growing competitive and price pressure, higher material and energy costs, the trend towards shorter runs, high quality expectations from customers, and the demands placed on printers as a services provider: Companies can only keep pace with these developments by continually improving their efficiency, and there is savings potential everywhere.

Where do you waste your paper?
How can printers influence their waste paper ratio? On the one hand, there is paper waste prior to printing. Paper is improperly delivered or damaged in the warehouse, during transport, or during preparation for printing. Careful handling of this valuable commodity helps to avoid losses. The factors that influence paper consumption during printing are more complex. There are many areas where paper waste occurs: during makeready, restarting, production, stopping the press, washing the rollers and blankets, and in the finishing operations. The better the interplay of processes, substrates, operators, technology, and process-compliant system components works, the more positive is the waste paper ratio. Alone with ten percent less paper consumption, the cost structure of a job can be improved by more than five percent.

But how? There are many causes of paper waste, such as the ink-water balance, inking-up, smearing and doubling, restarting after washing, or register problems, and each printing company should analyze these for themselves. With the aid of a matrix calculator that records types of paper waste and their influencing variables, one can produce a detailed analysis of the actual situation including a definition of the target values and the necessary improvements. Either technical press retrofits for automated and faster makereadies, or inline color measuring and control can help. Or else success can already come through using other consumable materials, system components that are individually matched to the type of production and press. With printcom, manroland has been testing, analyzing, and delivering high-quality, compatible, process-compliant system components for the entire printing process for more than 15 years. Reduced paper waste is only one of the benefits here.

(manroland.com)