The Printing Industry

1. The Printing Industry Our First Target

2. Some Basics… • 42,916 printing establishments at last Economic Census • Total of 838,240 employees – average about 20 emp./establishment • Paper mfg, closely related – 5,896 establishments. • Estimated belting purchases: About $21 million • Printing companies are everywhere • We have products for most needs…

3. More details • SIC codes in 2700 series • NAICS code 323 series • Many types of printers: • General commercial • Job Shops • Large national chains • Newspapers • Magazines • Books…

4. Nine different processes • Letterpress • Engraving • Thermography • Screen • Flexography • Reprographics • Offset Lithography • Gravure • Digital…

5. Letterpress is dead. Engraving is low potential, and reprographics generally doesn’t use much belting. Offset lithography and gravure represent the biggest potentials, but digital printing is the wave of the future.

6. Offset Lithography Based on the principle that ink (oil based) and water do not mix. The “cylinder” is covered with a metallic plate upon which has been chemically etched the image. Ink sticks to these areas only, and is transferred to the “blanket”. It is then transferred (or “offset” to the paper.

7. Offset Lithography Picture of a 5-color web offset press. Normally, 3 colors (cyan, yellow, and magenta, along with black, can be combined to make any color. This is called “CYMK.” This press has a 5th color head, which can be used for a very precise color (our logo, for example).

8. Offset Lithography • Offset is by far the most popular printing type • Can be used in all sized operations • Many newspapers have gone to offset • 1 color to 8 color presses available • Web or sheet-fed (?)

9. Web Press Paper moves through the operation in a continuous web, and it cut into sheets after all printing is finished. The faster presses (up to 50,000 iph) are web presses. There are many OEMs, almost all foreign: KBA, Cerutti, Ryobi, Hamada, Motter, etc. Belts only used after paper is cut into single sections.

10. Sheet fed Sheet fed presses print on individual sheets. Belts are used in the in-feed and out-feed areas. There are thousands of sheet fed presses in the US. The biggest OEMs are A.B. Dick and Heidelberg.

11. Gravure (aka rotogravure) In gravure printing, the reverse image is engraved into a cylinder (usually brass). Ink is applied to the cylinder and the excess wiped away by a doctor blade. As the paper is pressed against this rotating cylinder, capillary action pulls the ink from the depressions onto the paper.

12. Gravure Modern gravure presses are always web-feed, and are called “rotogravure” presses. OEMs are all foreign: KBA and Cerutti are the biggest. Customers using rotogravure always print large runs: national magazines, advertising circulars, phone books, catalogs, etc. Some belts are in the in-feed (reel) but by far the most are in the delivery and folder sections.

13. Delivery Upper Folder Lower Folder Reel Stand Gravure

14. Gravure Delivery section on KBA rotogravure press. Major customers: World Color, R.R. Donnelley, Quebecor

15. Bindery Operation Rotogravure equipment is self-contained, with the folders and delivery sections putting out finished booklets. Offset printers, though, normally have a “bindery,” where the printed pages are assembled into books or brochures. The bindery is where you will find most belting. Common equipment is: -Buckle folders: Stahl, Moll, Baum -Inserters/Stitchers: Muller Martini, Heidleberg, McCain

16. Buckle Folder Narrow belts convey paper up a chute until it hits a stop. The paper buckles, causing a fold. By adding sections, successive folds can be made. One big page (called a “signature”) when folded three times yields 16 pages of a magazine or brochure. Major brands: Stahl (pictured), Baum, Moll

17. Saddle Stitcher A Saddle Stitcher, AKA an inserter, takes the previously folded signatures and combines them together into a bigger booket. Then, the combined signatures are stapled together. At the end, a “trimmer” cuts off the edges, and delivers the finished booklets onto a conveyor belt. Major brands you will encounter: Mueller Martini, McCain, Heidelberg (pictured).

18. What about the belts? • All belts in this industry have some common requirements: • Non-marking • Static conductive • Low permanent elongation • Specific friction (usually high, sometimes low) The higher the speed, the more important is speed of joining. On high speed rotogravure equipment, lost production is very significant, so joining speed is often the most important criteria.

19. Polyamide vs. Thermoplastic • Polyamide – clearly the best • Best splice • No breaking when jams occur • Longest life • Thermoplastic (like Hamid or Sprint) • Biggest (only?) advantage is splicing time • However, this is a very big advantage to some customers…

20. Nylon Belts Habasit F-1: Biggest seller, used on Mueller stitchers McCain, many others. Extruded carcass HAM-5P: A close second. Woven carcass HNI-5E, HNA-8P, TS-10: Low friction HAT-8P: Heavier belt, used often as delivery belt Nitta SG-250, SG-350, SG-500: Comparable to either F-1 or HAM-5P. Longer cover life, extruded. TAIR covers: Very high friction HUT covers: Low friction PU

21. Thermoplastic • Habasit Hamid: Weaker styles joined by 30 degree, stronger by Flexproof • MAM-02H, MAM-04H: elastic • MAM-5P: Basic belt • MAT-5P: High friction (EPDM) • Several stronger variations • Nitta Polysprint: All joined w/FS • TA, TC: elastic • DB-4E14: Basic belt

22. So, what do we push? • In general • Nylon core = Nitta • Conveyor = Habasit • However, if someone is using a Habasit nylon (F-1, for example) and wants longer life, switch to Nitta