ProcessAutomation

By David Zwang

process automation
Real-world examples of an incremental approach to JDF

A progress report on
T
he utopia of process automation and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) in the graphic arts has been around since before the creation of CIP3 in 1995. Practical implementation, however, has been slower to materialize. Sure, newer presses and prepress equipment implemented Print Production Format (PPF) ink-key presetting, but automation beyond that level remained largely in the domain of proprietary system integration. Many pundits opined it was impractical to extend such capability across vendor lines.

In the past year, though, with Drupa looming on the horizon, we have started to see significant development on solutions using Job Definition Format (JDF) (see JDF update on p. 45). For printers interested in using JDF to streamline their production process, the number of available options promises to increase exponentially.

Using JDF today

Some naysayers skepticism is fueled by the belief that to take advantage of the benefits of JDF requires a significant capital expense in upgrading all of a printers hardware and software. But you can actually begin to access many of the advantages of JDF today. In addition to the many new products incorporating JDF support, there are upgrades and bridges being developed to support your current production architecture. Some existing software already boasts JDF support. The following printers have begun to automate their production processes, using whats available now and planning around what will be available in the future.

Welcome to our final process automation report

AMERICAN PRINTER, together with NAPL and the CIP4 Organization, offers you the last of our threepart educational series on process automation. The first report, which appeared in March, covered the basics of JDF, a key cornerstone to process automation. Last month, we explained the competitive value of building a supply chain via JDF (to access either report, visit americanprinter.com). In this report, find out about process automation in the real world: These real-life examples from printers that have automated their production will hopefully give you a framework for automating your own facility.

Starting at the press

Century Publishing, Inc. (Post Falls, ID) prints more than 300 different magazine titles a year each month, it reportedly ships more than two million copies of publications for distribution to customers in more than 35 states. For this company, the process toward CIM began at the press. In 1997, it purchased an RGS registration system from QuadTech (Sussex, WI),

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for automated press registration. Century Publishing then retrofitted an existing press with a Microcolor II digital computer ink-key control system from Graphics Microsystems, Inc. (GMI) (Sunnyvale, CA). Microcolor reportedly can store ink-key data on an unlimited number of jobs, allowing repeat jobs to be recalled and presses to be brought up to color quickly. The company also put in new controllable fountains on the press and then the GMI ColorQuick closed-loop color-control system. Data for the system initially came from a Tobias plate scanner, but GMI later integrated Century Publishings Brisque prepress workflow directly into its press color-control system in the spring of 2002. This reportedly allowed the free flow of data from prepress to press. According to pressroom manager Rick Danskey, Century Publishing assumed a breakeven on its investments in 1312 months, but actual ROI was reached at 10 months. The company has already planned the next step toward its process-automation goal, outfitting a new Heidelberg M110 web press with ink-key presetting and registration.

Upgrades and bridges

At the heart of plant operations for Action Printing (Fond du Lac, WI), a printer of directories, manuals, catalogs, publications and books, is a continuous-improvement philosophy. After seeing a demonstration at Graph Expo 2002, Action Printing installed the Creo UpFront jobengineering and layout software in early 2003. [Creo (Billerica, MA) acquired UpFront and the Preps imposition software from ScenicSoft.] Customer service representatives were trained to use UpFront in job planning: From a stored database, they select the appropriate imposition template for each job; all attendant information then goes to prepress. Action Printing execs later researched and purchased more JDF-compliant computer bridges and machine upgrades to drive the companys legacy production equipment. In March 2003, the printer began feeding its Komori press with ink-key-setting data from its Rampage prepress workflow. Action Printing then upgraded its existing Polar cutter with the JDF-compliant CompuCut option, which allows the cutter parameters to be automatically set from job data generated at prepress. Finally, the company purchased a Prima AMRYS (Automatic MakeReadY System) saddlestitcher from Muller Martini (Hauppauge, NY). AMRYS allows job parameters to be entered
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ProcessAutomation
into the saddlestitching system by the operator or MISis setting the stage for potential future directly downloaded from prepress or manageprocess automation. At first, we went into ment information system (MIS) via the CIP3 Prinect Printready just to handle our prepress Print Production Format (PPF). Commands are production needs, he explains. We needed a sent to a network of more than 50 servo motors highly automated prepress management system that precisely achieve the required that could handle the amount of settings for each project. At the end work that goes on our presses. The of the job, all settings can be stored [possibility for] future automation on the PC for reorders. expansion is a bonus. The entire project cost about Currently, K & D uses hand$50,000 in investments and training. written job tickets and manually The increased automation has re- Neidhart+Schn AG (Zurich, keys in prepress details into the portedly already made a difference for Switzerland) has pursued a Printready system for possible reAction Printing: Average makereadorders (on reorders, staff simply invision of integrating its busiies dropped from 24 minutes to 12 puts the original projects job ness and production minutes, and from 240 impressions number to pull up relevant data). to 160 impressions, just from the auClient files, often handed directly processes. See what steps tomatic setting of ink keys. Overall this printer has taken toward to one of K & Ds two salespeople waste, primarily from setups and eron disk, are converted for processprocess automation, at rors, went from 312 percent down to ing in a PDF workflow. americanprinter.com. approximately one percent. ManageProofs are output on either a ment has further been able to elimiKodak Approval or the Designjet. nate or reassign five staff positions. Once clients approve the proof, the job is imNext on the agenda are a new JDF-compliant posed through the Prinect Signa Station imposifolder and increasing press automation beyond tion tool and a plate is output on the Topsetter. the ink-key settings. At the same time, Prinect Printready generates a tape containing the ink profiles for the job. Once Connecting the workflow a project is put on press, operators load the inkOperating on the motto of Automation with a key settings onto the CP2000 press console Personal Touch, K & D Graphics (Orange, CA) through the data tape. K & D has the option of stays abreast of the latest in technology to be able later upgrading its current workflow to an electo produce jobs efficiently and with higher qualtronic link for ink-key presetting on the press, ity. Were a relatively small company, and our rather than generating the data tapes. sales-per-employee ratio is fairly high. To achieve While prepress currently isnt linked to K & that, we focus on computerization and automaDs finishing equipment, Chew says Heidelbergs tion of all the production steps, explains vice other Prinect pieces will make this sort of automapresident Gus Chew of the $8.2 million, 45tion possible. Its just a matter of connecting the employee company. workflow, he says. Its something we will conSeveral years ago, the commercial and packag- sider at Drupa. ing printer transitioned from a conventional film workflow to the Heidelberg Delta prepress system Working with what they have feeding another vendors platesetting device. As these companies demonstrate, while JDF and Three and a half years ago, K & D brought in its benefits are in the graphic-arts industrys fuHeidelbergs (Kennesaw, GA) 40-inch Speedmas- ture, process automation can start today. These ter CD 102 press with double inline aqueous/UV- printers share a common value of continuous activated coaters. A second CD 102 joined it two process improvement in their business but also years ago. Finally, last year, the company installed took the practical approach of incremental impleHeidelbergs Prinect Printready Systems L102 mentation: None of the companies mentioned digital prepress workflow system, along with a went out and purchased all-new JDF-compliant Heidelberg Topsetter PF102 thermal platesetter equipment. Rather, they worked with what they and HP Designjet 5500 large-format printer for had through upgrades and bridge solutions. Perhaps most importantly, though, each printer has proofing. This investment cost about $500,000. experienced significant ROI on its process-autoChew says jobs at K & D tend to be highquality and high-demand, with turnaround of as mation efforts. little as 24 hours. According to the exec, the David Zwang is president of Zwang & Co. (Danbury, Prinect investmentwhose various modules, CT), specializing in the application of electronic when combined, reportedly offer printers the technology to the graphic-arts industry. Contact him ability to connect all of its prepress, press and postpress systems with each other and with their at david@zwang.com.

Process automation in Europe

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By Margaret Motamed

A JDF update
Drupa demonstrations will showcase interoperability progress

n 1999, the four vendors responsible for initial JDF development transferred these activities to the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress (CIP4), an international standards body located in Switzerland. (CIP4 is the successor of CIP3, a joint initiative of vendors for the graphicarts industry founded in 1995.) The vendors, consultants and end users that comprise CIP4 are working together to help the printing industry achieve unprecedented process automation. JDF to dominate Drupa JDF is realit will have a significant impact on the printing industry, as we will soon see at Drupa. Visitors to the shows JDF Parc, operated by CIP4 and partially funded by show organizer Messe Dsseldorf, will observe firsthand the momentum that has grown over the last year, not to mention the high level of intervendor cooperation. The JDF Parc will feature 21 vendors in 18 pods. Many other vendors will be participating in the live demonstrations from their own stands. (Messe Dsseldorf, in partnership with Deutsche Telecom and Cisco Systems, has installed Europes largest wireless network, extending throughout the entire fairgrounds.) PrintCity, a consortium of more than 40 graphic-arts vendorsmany of whom are CIP4 membershas itself joined CIP4 and will be actively
Fig. 1

JDF InterOp test results

93

Number

80 60 40 20

Pairs successful Pairs tested No. of products No. of companies

42 23 29 16

80 66

76

42 31 24

16 18 9

17

1May 2003

2Sept. 2003

3Dec. 2003

4Feb. 2004

InterOp event number/date CIP4s interoperability tests are paving the way for smooth communication between different vendors products.
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ProcessAutomation
participating in both specification development and the JDF demonstrations. pairings: creative paired with workflow, workflow paired with a press and a press paired with an MIS. As the accompanying InterOps chart indicates Interoperability testing results (Fig. 1), weve seen a dramatic growth both in the In May 2003, CIP4 conducted the first of four in- number of vendor participants as well as successteroperability tests. Dubbed InterOps, the tests ful test pairings in the past few months. Visitors to are open to any CIP4 member and ultimately will the JDF Parc will see 43 pairings, with live interhelp pave the way for seamless communication operability demonstrations. between different vendors products. Although many vendors offer integration Prior to the tests, CIP4 reviewed participating within their own product suites, JDF promises to vendors applications and paired products tohave the greatest impact communicating informagether. Product pairings were created based on tion in multivendor environments. Currently, as input/output relationships. In a graphic-arts jobs move through the production process, print workflow, each product accepts an input from shop operators often resort to swivel chair intesome other product, and creates an output, which gration, manually rekeying the output from one is delivered as an input to yet another product. computer system to another. Inevitably, errors Adobes Digital Intent (workflow), for example, (and attendant time delays) result. might generate JDF as an input to EFIs OneFlow, Using InterOps test results, CIP4 is further dewhich in turn inputs to a Heidelberg press for developing and improving the JDF job ticket and the vice setup. The Heidelberg press might then output specification itself. CIP4 is also building a set of information in the standards job messaging format Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS) (JMF) to EFIs Hagen OA MIS, to ensure autodefining the minimal levels to which products will matic data capture for runtime, paper and ink be tested for JDF conformance. Once these conusage, and so on. This example represents three formance specifications are complete, testing

JDF Parc demonstrates increased interoperability

Company Adobe Agfa Creo Dainippon Screen Dalim EFI No. of pairings 8 4 3 2 1 12 Top JDF features JDF intent created by Adobe applications consumed by management and production systems Consuming JDF intents, consuming and managing prepress processes, including JMF status feedback Bidirectional data flow and integration JDF issued from job-submittal application. JDF accepted into prepress workflow. JDF interface End-to-end JDF integration, including receiving JDF intent from job submission, processing JDF instructions upon the job content, JMF status return to MIS and JDF delivery to device for setup/print Embedding a job ticket in a PDF Job creation, stripping, status updates, approval Acceptance of JDF from workflow management tools MIS to production system integration. Consuming JDF intents, creating new job for quotation and new prepress job. Receive JMF status feedback. JDF is multilingualexport stripping for multiple prepress vendor workflows. Cross-department integrationexport cutting and folding for postpress. Bi-directional information recorded into MIS Job ticket Information recorded in MIS Job creation in MIS sent to production planning and also conventional printing device. Intent JDF compared to estimate. Create job in MIS. Send JDF to prepress. End-to-end automated and remotely managed workflow solutions. Acceptance of JDF from imposition design tools.

Enfocus Esko-Graphics Global Graphics Software Heidelberg LithoTechnics MAN Roland Oc Optimus Tharstern Vio Worldwide

3 6 5 6 7 3 1 8 4 8

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ProcessAutomation

organizations can use the ICS in a formal, independent process capable of testing a larger volume of products than the InterOp process can accommodate. As JDF development proceeds, CIP4 will continue with InterOp tests, but it will ultimately transfer the certification process to independent agencies. GATF (Sewickley, PA) is our first North American independent testing partner. We anticipate handing off the testing to GATF in the latter half of 2004. Based upon what we learn from that process, we will then engage testing partners in other parts of the world. (These discussions are already underway.) In November 2003, NGP (Networked Graphic Production) agreed that all of its members would also become CIP4 members. All NGP members are now actively participating in the process. We have had excellent cooperation and are pleased with the level of commitment that all CIP4 members are putting into making JDF interoperability a reality. Beyond Drupa After Drupa, we expect to see more printers making buying decisions that are fully or partially based on the availability of JDF support, or plans for future support. Some print providers have already either engaged consultants or trained their staff to build JDF-enabled solutions for better information gathering within their shops. Drupa will inspire others to follow their lead. Printers will clearly see the value of converting existing solutions to JDF and begin demanding end-to-end connected solutions in a multivendor environment. Underlying the JDF initiative and the efforts of CIP4 and its members is the need for the industry to serve a broader set of customer needs, increase customer satisfaction and ensure that print remains a viable communications option. JDF can boost productivity and reduce costs while enabling a print service provider to become a provider of multichannel communications services. It may help printers recapture work that has migrated to electronic delivery. In the coming months, many products will be released with JDF support. We expect to see a critical mass develop that will turn the tide, and before we know it, the market will expect JDF enablement as a standard part of product offerings in the graphic-arts industry.
Margaret Motamed is director of product planning and design for EFI (Foster City, CA), a provider of digital imaging and printmanagement systems, and also serves as chief marketing officer for the CIP4 Organization.
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drupa 2004
Dusseldorf, Germany 6th 19th May, Hall 1 + 2

To be successful, you have

Prinect from Heidelberg is a software suite that operates virtually at the press of a button. This enables you to get

to lift a finger now and again.

the very best results from your press thanks to an integrated digital workflow. Prinect offers precise, carefully

But only one we promise.

thought-out, modular software solutions that deliver maximum flexibility and can be scaled to suit your needs. Prinect integrates every step of the production process from prepress to press to postpress and simultaneously

feeds information back to management. The open architecture also ensures the greatest possible security for

your investment. The benefits? Greater speed, efficiency and reliability. You achieve outstanding results while

barely having to lift a finger.

Heidelberg USA, Inc. 1000 Gutenberg Drive NW Kennesaw, GA 30144-7028 888-472-9655 www.heidelberg.com info@heidelberg.com