PRE-PRESS

ECRM
Hall 7
Violet CTP solutions are at the heart of this showing, with the spotlight on the new Mako Series, available with either a four-page format, or as a two-page CTP system (with an upgrade path to 4-page capability). In its 4-page form, the Mako System 4 accommodates a maximum plate size of 24.2 x 29.3in, space for oversize jobs such as six-page gatefolds. It delivers 20+ Heidelberg Speedmaster 74 plates per hour at 2,540dpi.

Also make note of the new Mako System 4x that employs an autopinch/auto-image feature for hands-free operation after initial plate positioning. It handles plates for press formats 8.9 x 9.9in up to 26 x 37.8in. It offers resolution from 1,200-3,556dpi and images over 20 Speedmaster 74 plates per hour at 2,540dpi. There’s also now the Mako4matic with online punching system.

HIGHWATER Hall 7 High Water is hoping visitors will be charmed by its newest two-up violet metal platesetter, the Cobra (first seen at Print 05 in the US) For an end-user cost of less than £25,000 you can buy the Cobra CTP system including a Rip and PC, which will enable you to output up to 30 metal plates per hour. Sales director Peter Flynn, says: “Our sales partners across five continents have been asking us to develop this product as there is a real gap in the market, which has been left open by CTP manufacturers that focus on large-format and automation. This market segment has until recently been faced with the compromise of using polyester plates, having to pay high costs for a larger format CTP system to produce metal plates, or staying as they are with more traditional platemaking methods, which do not have the well documented benefits that CTP offers.”

There is three years warranty on the system’s laser and the new plate registration system.

SCREEN Hall 6 If you want to produce intermediate size plates over B2 hop along to Screen to see its PlateRite 6600 which has been developed to support B2+ presses from the likes of Ryobi, Goss and others due onto the market. There are two models of the thermal system, which are both capable of imaging plates from 304 x 370mm to 980 x 685mm maximum.

The entry level PlateRite 6600E has 32 laser diodes and 18 plates/hour productivity; and the high-speed PlateRite 6600S has 64-laser diodes and is capable of imaging 30 B2 plates an hour at 2,400dpi resolution. Screen says upgrade is easy. Automation has been high on the development list with the units having single and multi-cassette plate loading, automated inline punching (for up to four punch configurations) and an in-built bridge for automated plate transfer to processor. The PlateRite 6600 supports 1200, 2400, 2438 and 2,540dpi resolutions, and FM screening. In addition to handling conventional thermal plates, the CTP devices also support the growing range of processless plates as standard. Both models will be available from July.

PRINTING

APEX Hall 5 Ryobi, in conjunction with UK distributor Apex Digital Graphics, will launch the Ryobi 526GX B3-format configuration. The development of this six-colour version of the popular GX Series is the result of demand for longer B3 presses offering more colour and more features. At IPEX the press will be demonstrated in a theatre-style setting producing special effects such as embossing and lenticular 3D printing.

Also housed within the arena will be the B2-format 758P, which will be printing with hybrid ink to illustrate the different coating effects capable with this technology. It is the first time the four-backfour configuration has been shown in the UK. Making its European debut will be the compact B2-format Ryobi 784E, which will be printing with new Fuji Brillia PRO-T processless thermal plates, imaged on a Screen CTP device.

CANON
Hall 6
Don’t miss the brand new imagePress X and imagePress Y digital colour printers from Canon (see March news). The company is also launching a range of five wide-format inkjet printers which will be demonstrated for the first time. They include the 12-colour imagePrograf iPF5000 twin-headed inkjet that costs just £1,395 (see Lessons from Focus feature).

EPSON
Hall 9 plus others
The 'Epson Everywhere’ Ipex banner is spot on, given that it will have the largest digital proofing and large-format showing, with a number of specialist Rip software vendor and distributor partners showing a diverse Epson-based applications throughout each of the event's 11 halls.

The Epson stand in hall 9 will operate as the principle central hub and you will have the opportunity discuss the various technologies, receive best practice advice from Epson specialists, as well as get guidance on where to find relevant applications around the show floor, including the reseller and software partner stands of Bodoni, Compose, GMG, Kodak, Litho Supplies, NCS, Turning Point Technologies and Xerox.

Kevin Wooldridge, sales and marketing manager, Professional Graphics, Epson, says: “We have built our market share in the graphic arts sector on the accuracy, consistency, control and strong per-print ROI of our wide format products. At IPEX 2006, we want to take this one step further and demonstrate the power and versatility of these products across a range of markets."

KOMORI Hall 5 Komori is a must visit stand if you are looking for a B2 multi-colour offset press given that it will be introducing just that in the form of the of the B2 Lithrone LS29 Series (see news).

PRESSTEK
Hall 4
What Presstek is claiming to be “among the most efficient and profitable presses ever brought to market in the 52cm landscape format size” will make it’s debut at the show. The Presstek 52DI has been to produce the lowest cost per page for print runs of 250 to 10,000. (see news)

XEIKON
Hall 4
The ‘dream.dare.do’ with Xeikon slogan of Punch Graphix takes a similar vein to Epson in that it highlights the applications led nature of the company at Ipex. It will focus on four core markets for the Xeikon presses: on-demand printing; direct marketing and transactional printing; textile transfer printing; and label printing. For the on-demand sector there will be demonstrations of a variable number of copies of a publication in full colour.

Of course there will also be introductions, though they will not be announced until the show itself.

FINISHING

DUPLO Hall 3 Duplo International, as the newly appointed UK dealer for the Ideal range of guillotines (previously from Babs) will host the worldwide launch of the 7228-06 LT hydraulic guillotine Aimed at the small to medium print segments this is a hydraulic unit which makes it faster, but just as important is its infinitely variable in pressure, which makes it much easier to handle delicate digital work.

Other features on the new Ideal 7228-06 LT include a snap-in false clamp plate to spread the pressure over a wider surface area of the work, and a self diagnostic system within the electronics which indicates if anything is not working as it should. Cutting length is 720mm and cutting height is 80mm. While you’re on the Duplo stand it might be worth your while to take a look at Eurofold’s ‘combo’ of the Creaser/Perforator DCM 45 and the Eurofold Knife Folder MKF 35 working together. Duplo is expecting it to be of particular interest to printers producing four page card brochures, greeting cards and booklet covers.

WATKISS
Hall 3
An innovative new binding machine for digital print applications takes shape in the form of the PowerSquare 200. It combines the four processes of stitching, folding, spine forming and trimming to produce SquareBack books from eight to 200 pages (80gsm) thick. The unit has fully automatic setting for different book sizes, including variable stitch leg length for varying book thickness.

The PowerSquare will be demonstrated online to an Océ VP2110 digital printer producing a wide range of different books. It will also be shown as a standalone offline unit.

OTHER

OPTIMUS
Hall 20
MIS supplier Optimus, is planning the launch of several major new modules that will enable greater integration and connectivity within the MIS environment.

Worthy of special note is the Optimus 2020 QuickSmart, which incorporates auditing and work-in-progress capabilities, greater support for fast turnaround jobs and for group functionality, more access to data for analysis and improved scheduling.

IPEX will also see the first demonstration of Optimus Connect since it was shown to customers at the company’s user group meeting in the autumn. This is a method of obtaining on-going production data from equipment on the shop floor without using JDF or JMF technology. As long as the hardware (e.g. press, folder, guillotine etc.) emits an electronic signal then Connect can use those signals to transmit data to the Optimus 2020 MIS system. Several features have been added to the system during the last few months and Optimus will be demonstrating these at the show.

The company’s main stand will be in hall 20, but the Optimus 2020 can also be seen in operation in PrintCity, the GAE netWORKflow centre, and on the stands of Heidelberg, Agfa and HP.

PITNEY BOWES
Hall 2
This may not be the most obvious ‘must-sees’ but given the recent UK postal market deregulation, you may want to investigate the potential for sorting/mailing your customers’ print.

Pitney Bowes’ professional services team will be on hand to give you a clear understanding of how to incorporate mailing into your business offering by showing how intelligent document factory solutions work and pinpointing opportunities to fine tune workflow.