The largest offered by major press makers are: the 13,000-sph KBA Rapida 162 in 44"64'' format and the 9,000-sph KBA Rapida 205 in 591/2"81'' format; the MAN Roland 900 XXL in 12,000-sph 47"64'' and 10,000-sph 51"73'' format; and the 14,000-sph Diamond 6000 LS and LX in 49"56'' format from Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses. They are faster, more automated and more flexible than rebuilt Harris presses.

  The Big Ones combine state-of-the-art automation with industry-wide advances in prepress, makeready and plant management, including CTP, CIP3/CIP4 and JDF. They offer short makeready times, fast run rates, quick job turnarounds and manning levels comparable to today's best 40'' presses: all the while printing on a sheet that is much larger. This translates into the ability to produce larger products and/or much higher output of conventional-size products per shift.

  Once the equipment of choice primarily for carton and label making, the large-format presses in their latest versions are beginning to see use in commercial work. "Over the last couple of years, the commercial market has started to see the benefit of large-format presses," says John Santie, sheetfed product manager at Mitsubishi (MLP). "Recently, printers who have not normally been large-format prospects have been inquiring about them."

  State-of-the-art designs have made possible this new generation of large-format presses. And, a wide range of auxiliaries and accessories have given them great flexibility and huge productivity gains over the old models. Print quality is acknowledged to be every bit as good as on the latest 40'' presses.

  The KBA Rapida 205 press features open architecture NGP and JDF-compliant controls, compatibility with MIS systems, standard automatic plate changer (APC), Colortronic inking system and separate piling in delivery. Automatic internal register control, a shaftless feeder/infeed capable of handling three-ton sheet piles and speed-compensated delivery are included. The Rapida 205 can run paper stocks from 50 lb. to 64 pt. To date, KBA has sold more than 40 of these presses worldwide, nine of which are in the U.S.

  Producing a new generation of high-quality, large-format presses was not simply a matter of scaling up an engineering drawing. KBA attributes the success of its design to four factors: 1) a newly installed 3-D CAD software system that forecasts the dynamics of press performance; 2) a one-piece iron substructure casting for press line rigidity; 3) simplified inking and dampening systems; and 4) insourcing critical components, such as cylinder turning and plasma coating.

  MAN Roland says flat sheet travel of substrates through the press is one advancement that makes high-speed production on supersize presses possible. A second is the 900 XXL's AirGlide delivery, designed for higher productivity through smoother sheet travel, improved sheet control and more efficient sheet slowdown through the suction wheels.

  Mitsubishi cites long experience with larger-format presses, dating back to its F Series introduced in 1988. Its designs favor bearings over sleeves, and bushings (instead of moving parts) to enhance precision and durability.

  For sheetfed printers already into large formats: and for printers who want to escape the tough price competition of the 40'' market: these new presses offer significant advantages. KBA's Eric Frank, marketing VP, points out that a jumbo press can help a printer differentiate itself.

  And, it can open new markets, including poster and sign printing and high-volume, high-quality jobs. As they come on line, the Big Ones are bringing in new business for their owners and new customers who appreciate what the new large-format presses can do.

  "In analyzing the market for this press, we asked virtually every one of our current 64'' customers if they would be interested in the larger format," says Mike McLaughlin, director of production at IMAGINE! Print Solutions (the former Challenge Printing), Shakopee, MN, which bought the first Rapida 205 in North America. "Without exception, they all said 'absolutely.' "

  Dave Kornbau, operations VP for Strine Printing Co., York, PA, sees its 900 XXL as a new business generator: "A lot of work comes in the door when they find out we have this 73'' MAN Roland.

  "Print buyers are becoming aware of the efficiencies that large format delivers when it's driven by modern technology," says Kornbau. "They're getting 40'' quality and speed on a sheet that delivers 21/2 times more output."

  An unexpected dividend is that large-format installations tend to draw attention. "This Rapida 205 created more 'buzz' than any other single piece of equipment we have brought in-house," says McLaughlin of Imagine. "We were even getting calls from non-customers asking when it would be up and running."

  Today's large-format presses permit great product flexibility, operation with small press crews and, often, higher prices for press time.

  Mike Strine, Sr., president and CEO of Strine Printing, notes that his company's MAN Roland 900 XXL offers advantages in size and hybrid UV capabilities: "The 900 helps us in two ways: It gives us the ability to handle larger formats and to print on substrates like plastics and heavy board."

  Kornbau adds, "With a modern large-format press, you can usually charge a higher hourly rate than with a 40'' because: let's face it: the 40'' market is saturated. We have 40s, 55s and now the 73, and the staffing is the same: two people on each machine. Autoplate technology and the things that go with it make it feasible to run without all the manpower and lengthy makeready of older equipment. It gives us a lot of competitive advantage." (See a case study on p.56.)
By running multiple-up products and signatures, a large-format sheetfed printer with inline slitter can print in high volumes while offering the special inks, coatings and effects that web offset competitors cannot deliver. "You can produce a 64-page signature on a single sheet on the 900 XXL," says Strine.

  Printing multi-up sigs allows one of KBA's sheetfed customers to compete against web presses in producing high-end import car brochures. A KBA study concluded that the 591/2"81'' Rapida 205 can run the equivalent of four conventional 40'' sheets, ideal for fast ROI on long runs of signature work. Output of conventional size products was calculated to equal a 40'' press running 36,000 sph.

  Products produced on the large-format presses include packaging: both litho-lamination and the cartons themselves: retail-related signage, point-of-purchase and free-standing displays, "multiple-up" signatures and ganged work, labels, catalogs, textbook and other book printing. Imagine uses the KBA 205 to produce point-of-sale signage for in-store marketing and free-standing POP floor displays, including life-size human figures, that can now be printed on a single sheet.

  For Strine, POP work includes multi-color litho wraps on 10- and 12-pt. stock, which are then laminated to corrugated stock and diecut to create a folding carton or stand-up display.

  The market for large retail posters was pioneered by digital inkjet equipment, despite its slow speed and volume limitations. Major chains that can order in volume are now buying the big posters at a lower cost per piece on large-format sheetfed presses: and getting true PMS colors.

  The advantages of, and applications for, large-format presses are many, but along with a greater investment are project planning and budgeting challenges. "The press is the tip of the iceberg," says McLaughlin of Imagine. "When we bought the 64'' press four years ago, we needed to upgrade platemaking, diecutting and material handling equipment for the larger format, and we had to do that all over again with the new press."

  Imagine installed a new Creo (now Kodak) Magnus platesetter for larger plates, ordered a custom-designed larger format load turner with higher weight capacity and purchased a higher capacity pallet jack to handle 6,000-lb. pallets of 80'' paper. Because the shop does a large volume of diecutting, a larger automatic diecutter also was purchased.

  Among the changes necessitated by the new Roland 900 XXL at Strine Printing were a more powerful pallet mover and higher capacity dock plates. Although it already had two 55'' presses and capability for a lot of large-format work, Strine is in the process of buying an 80'' sheeter and a skid turner.

  An array of auxiliaries and accessories allows printers to equip large-format sheetfeds for the most efficient operation in a chosen market. KBA offers the Rapida 205 with an anilox coating system, IR, UV or hybrid drying options, Densitronic quality control system, automated multi-purpose washing system, inline perforating and inline slitting. The Qualitronic II inline system provides 100% inspection of each sheet at full press speed using a color camera to scan the sheet as it leaves the last impression cylinder.

  To properly grow large-format business, MAN Roland emphasizes looking at the press investment as a productivity system. The company offers an inline roll sheeter, inline slitting, inline sorter/EagleEye, UV and hybrid printing capabilities, inline embossing and diecutting, Inline Observer (for quality control) and TelePresence support (remote diagnosis for increased up-time).