Digitalization Named Key Project in Printing Industry's 12th Five-Year Plan

ppzhan News:

During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the main objectives for R&D in digital workflows are: to develop workflows and interface technologies that conform to mainstream standards, to raise the level of digitalization in printing processes and the level of automation in multi-color printing equipment, and to bring some products up to advanced levels by 2015.

Digital Printing and Printing Digitalization Technology and Equipment

(1) Digital printing presses, with the focus on inkjet digital printing presses:

At present, digital printing presses fall mainly into two categories: electrostatic imaging digital printing presses and inkjet digital printing presses. Currently, the mainstream equipment used by China's digital printing companies is electrostatic imaging digital printing presses, but thanks to their advantages in format size and substrates, inkjet digital printing presses have considerable development potential. At present, China does not yet have the capability to produce electrostatic imaging digital printing presses, and all major products are imported, whereas R&D on inkjet digital printing presses has already begun and rests on a relatively solid foundation; companies such as Peking University Founder Group are already able to produce inkjet digital printing presses. In 2009, inkjet digital printing presses accounted for 10.77% of the total value of imported printing equipment, ranking second among all categories of equipment. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the printing equipment manufacturing industry must intensify R&D on digital printing presses, especially inkjet digital printing presses.

The main objectives are: to develop a series of inkjet digital printing presses with independent intellectual property rights, and to bring mainstream equipment up to today's advanced level by 2015; to achieve breakthroughs in the development of key components (such as printheads) and break the monopoly of imported products; to reach a domestic market share of 35% by 2015, thereby changing the situation of heavy reliance on imports. At the same time, R&D on electrostatic imaging digital printing presses should be actively pursued.

(2) CTP direct platemaking machines:

Some Chinese companies are already able to produce CTP direct platemaking machines, but on the whole the key core technologies for CTP direct platemaking machines are still in the hands of a small number of foreign companies, and domestically produced CTP direct platemaking machines account for only 23% of the total CTP installations in China. In 2009, the value of imported CTP equipment grew by 41.05%, ranking sixth among imports.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, the main tasks for the R&D and production of domestically produced CTP direct platemaking machines are to continue raising the technical level and equipment quality, strive to master the key core technologies, and bring major products up to today's advanced level by 2015; to further expand market share, striving for a domestic market share of more than 45% by 2015; and to substantially increase export volumes and secure a place in the market.

(3) Application of digital workflows and digital technologies in the field of multi-color printing presses:

Efforts should be made to carry out the research and development of key technologies for press control systems, so that they can be applied to the interfacing of domestically produced presses with integrated digital printing workflows — for example, high-performance automatic ink volume control devices, automatic ink-water balance control technology for presses, and high-speed, high-precision sheet control systems — integrating prepress, press and postpress into a single system, creating a digital workflow-based printing operating environment, and achieving seamless linkage between production and management. At present, China's R&D on digital workflows is still at an early stage, with only a few companies carrying out related technology R&D and tackling key problems; there is still a considerable gap with advanced levels in the integration of software and hardware and in the R&D of interface technologies, and major technical products still rely on imports.

— This article is reposted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn). Original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-362165.html