Manroland becomes leading reseller, offering installation and start-up of Kodak Stream Inkjet technology on webfed printing systems for newspapers and print advertising; upgrading to inkjet technology enables flexible automation design, company says

Aimee Bellah

AUGSBURG, Germany , April 17, 2014 (press release) – manroland web systems offers inkjet upgrades from a single source and makes variable printing even more attractive for the newspaper market

manroland web systems is becoming the leading reseller and OEM partner for Kodak Stream Inkjet technology in the area of webfed press systems. The print heads deliver highly variable Inkjet imprints for advertising and news in newspaper production. A prominent user of this technology is Axel Springer.

Millions of readers of the German Bild newspaper benefit from the innovative inkjet partnership between manroland web systems and Kodak. In the Axel Springer AG printing houses, inkjet print heads have been integrated into the production workflow. The printed inkjet code (“day pass”) is an important part of the paid content model for the Bild newspaper and creates a bridge between print and web editions. The partnership between manroland web systems and Kodak is now set in stone with a contract. The Augsburg company is a direct reseller of the Kodak Prosper S20 and S30 inkjet imprint systems. With the integration of print heads, highly variable data can be imprinted during the newspaper production, including lottery numbers, up-to-the-minute news, QR codes and local and personalized advertising.

Inkjet upgrades from a single source
Dieter Betzmeier, Vice President Technology and Order Processing at manroland web systems, explains the expanded service: “Print customers around the world can obtain the print head and overall project management for the Integrated Inkjet from us. We have already successfully proven that we can upgrade webfed printing systems from all major manufacturers with an inkjet function.” The increased freedom for automation design provides added value for the customer. “Customers select the automation level that suits their needs, from a simple integration through to full automation where the inkjet module is completely integrated into the press control,” says Betzmeier. In this set-up, with a continuous workflow from prepress through to the print product, the inkjet application creates no additional work for the operator. Individual customer solutions are therefore as much a part of the service as retrofitting additional automation features.

manroland web systems offers technical consultation, installation, and start-up as part of its global inkjet service. Integrated Inkjet, an in-house development, is achieved via two modules, for automation and web lead. The automation module covers the control connection to the press, fully automatic imprint position control, as well as an overall system operating concept with inkjet software. The web lead module enables the structural, mechanical, and technical adjustment of the web lead.

Successful and innovative partnership
Kodak knows its Stream Inkjet technology is in good hands with manroland web systems. “We appreciate the technological and engineering experience that manroland web systems brings to the partnership. They understand how to correctly install printing heads, control micro-movements, and make fine adjustments. This results in an accurately positioned print head and highly precise prints,” explains Eric Owen, Vice President Sales & Business Development at Kodak Digital Printing & Enterprise.

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