WAZ Mediagroup's printing site Essen uses automatic prepress workflow Print image

The WAZ Mediagroup took the prepress workflow Print image into production at its printing site in Essen.

The request made to the project partners EAE and wobe-team was, to furnish an integrated PDF / TIFF workflow with automated plate production functionality. The new system should be able to follow complex replanning processes on the presses, without causing a delay in plate output. Despite the demand for high-speed processing, mapping of complex production processes and ease of use, the system should require less hardware resources, than the previously used workflow solution.

Print Image meet this requirements perfectly. Even during production peeks with continuous page input, receival of new production plans, and evaluation of replanned productions Print Image is continually able to fully utilize the throughput of seven CTP units. The maximum plate output capacity of those CTPs devices is measured at 1000 broadsheet plates per hour at a resolution of 1270 dpi.

RIP and CTP output processes are carried out automatically with the option of manual override by plate room staff. Manual intervention is for instance used for activating plate output on print productions instead of letting Print image do this fully automatic according to the planned press start time. Print image receives production planning information from EAE Print utilizing the exchange formats specified in the PRIME specification. Due to this specific exposure information for each individual plate is available.

Print image is also able to gracefully handle a plate production requirement specific to WAZ Meadiagroup with respect to reuse of plates in case of moving productions between press folders. Standard handling includes reexposing the plates for the new folder, because press cylinders would be equipped with fresh set of plates. In contrast WAZ Mediagroup's policy is to reuses printing plates across different sections. Print Image provides configuration switches which cater to this need and suppress plate reexposure in this case.

The hardware used, consists of two servers connected to an external RAID storage. The system is set up as a cluster with automatic failover functionality. Due to its internal multi processing and multi threading architecture Print Image utilizes the hardware that well, that even one server would be sufficient to keep up with the processing speed of all CTPs available at this site.

Following the successful project at the Essen printing site, WAZ Mediagroup is now planning the update of the existing workflow solution at its printing site in Hagen.

Smart'n'Easy Net for Indian Express

The mediagroup Indian Express equips a first site with Smart'n'Easy Net workflow.

The Indian Express, one of the biggest media service providers in India, takes the Smart'n'Easy Net prepress solution into operation at its printing site Mumbai.

Smart'n'Easy Net is offered by the Krause-Biagosch GmbH as a complement to their CTPs for sites with a smaller plate production volume. So Indian Express can build on a proven prepress / CTP combination for its smaller sites at an attractive pricing. The order for a second site has already been placed.

Smart'n'Easy Net is developed by wobe-team GmbH as part of its wNewsNet family of workflow solutions.

DER NEUE TAG takes wNewsNet into operation

The media company DER NEUE TAG in Weiden is the world's first customer who, in its new printing center, took the wNewsNet workflow with the PRIME integration for KBA PressNet into operation.

• Based on the plan data exchange between HUP (editorial),  GBIS (planning and statistics), KBA (press / PressNet) has wobe-team realized a seamless an automatic prepress workflow with its wNewsNet system.
  The plate production now automatically follows the specific requirements of the print runs on the first triple-wide KBA Commander CT in Europe. Manual decisions regarding the plate output are reduced to a minimum.
• It turned out that the modern interface specifications of the PRIME NETWORK Consortium are ideally suitable for such requirements. Also the wobe-team soft-proofing system, which is integrated with the KBA control consoles, utilizes the PRIME interface to automatically open the soft proof pages.
• In addition to controlling the plate production THE NEW DAY also uses the PDF color optimization, PDF imposition and RIP-balancing features of wNewsNet so that now a seemless and automated PDF and plate workflow is available.
• As CTP systems are two DotLine VMAX 400 CTP lines with a total capacity of 730 plates per hour installed. The plate bending is carried out by Nela systems.