The printing press is getting longer and longer behind

How do you understand the "length" of a printing press? Simply put, it is the length of the fuselage. The question is: the printing press is the body of steel, why will it become longer? The real meaning behind the word "long" is: the number of printing press units is increasing.

In the 1980 s and 1990 s, let alone a four-color machine, there was a two-color machine or even a monochromatic machine. Can you make a lot of money by throwing off your arms? After 2000, there were more and more four-color machines. However, at the beginning, the format was generally smaller, but later it became larger and larger, from eight-open and four-open to two-open and full-open. Later, the four-color machine seemed not enough, so there were more and more machines like 5+1 and 6+1.

what is the situation now? According to the data given by Roland, 77% of the printers sold in 2018 were seven-color and above. In 2017, the 1 figure was only 44%. Back to 2013, it was only 17%.

As the unit grows, the press naturally grows longer. In Yutong, Luzhou, the Roland ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION excellent printing machine under production is the 1 customized model of "8 colors + glazing + double drying", with a visual length of about 20 meters.

At present, Roland's longest installed printing machine in China is the ultra-long custom machine with 9 colors and double glazing and connected cold ironing system introduced by Kunshan Kewang. The machine has a total of 13 units with a length of more than 30 meters.

Domestic printing companies are investing in longer presses, and I believe Gaobao feels the same way. At the end of 2018, Gao Bao cooperated with many enterprises to hold itinerant technical seminars and live demonstration activities.

Among them, Libida 106 in Yongji, Guizhou is the 1 ultra-long model with 13 units in 10 colors and double glazing and a cold ironing unit. Libida 106 in Hubei Jinjia has 10 printing groups, 2 glazing groups and 2 drying seats, with a total of 14 units and a length of 26 meters.

as the leader of offset printing machine market, Heidelberg company said in a media exchange activity in 2018 that the proportion of long machines with more than six colors in sales in China has increased rapidly, accounting for 59% in terms of units and 44% in terms of units.

The three major German offset press manufacturers all show the same trend. It can be seen that the boss of the domestic printing factory is indeed more and more like the printing machine with more units and longer fuselage.

Behind the Printing Press

This is the case in the Chinese market, and foreign countries seem to have started earlier than us in this direction.

At the end of 2016, it was reported that Gao Bao installed the world's longest sheet-fed offset press for packaging and printing in Germany. The machine has a total of 14 printing and post-press processing units with a length of 42 meters.

in November 2017, Roland installed the world's longest ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION excellent printing press in the United States, equipped with 14 units and 45 meters in length.

are there any sheet-fed offset presses longer than 45 meters? The boss you have seen may wish to leave a message in the comment area.

Why are printing presses getting longer and longer? The reason is actually very simple, as Roland said, one of the important reasons why printing companies invest in longer printing presses is to avoid direct price competition, because four-color or five-color jobs are facing tremendous price pressure.

To put it bluntly: printing machines with more and more units and longer bodies can bring new competitive advantages to printing enterprises.

What are these advantages? At least three:

The 1 is a significant increase in productivity. Simply put, many ultra-long printing presses are like multicolor machines, glazing machines,