2011 No.72 - Komori

Feature 1: Lithrone G40 

The New High-Grade Model 

Komori has designed a new full-size press with never-before-available features 

and an environmental ethos throughout. The Lithrone G40 offers technologies and 

systems from feeder to delivery to satisfy today’s competitive print marketplace and 

is built to take advantage of new peripherals such as the PDC-SX spectrophotometer. 

Quality, reliability and efficiency on a level that only Komori inhabits. Plus, a closeup 

of Shanghai JHT, a Chinese packaging printer with an eye for the future. 

Feature 3: Enthrone 29 

Enthrone: ‘To seat on a throne’ 

Appraising the Enthrone 29 half-size productivity engine and Komori Machinery, 

small-format sheetfed factory where it is manufactured. With a look back at Komori’s 

long history of commitment to this format and the printers that use it. Enthrone users 

from Germany, Belgium, China, Brazil and India talk about the hands-on experience. 

Shows and Topics 

Around the World 

Feature 2: OffsetOnDemand 

The Multidisciplinary Solution 

OffsetOnDemand is just what it says. The ‘how’ is an interesting 

tale. Komori’s search for a breakthrough solution led to a 

combination of inks, lamps and advanced control. Users also 

report in. Lavezzo Gráfica e Editora, a quality packaging printer 

in Brazil, and Seio Printing, Bikou Platemaking and Fujitoppan 

Printing of Japan tell how H-UV has empowered their business. 

User Profiles 

Every Lithrone Tells a Story 

Five users, five Lithrones and five completely different business 

models. Rohrer Corporation of the US and an exotic 8-over-2 Color 

Reverse Printing LSX-840RP [8/2] + C + Extended Delivery; GPS 

Colour Graphics of Northern Ireland, UK, and its second Lithrone 

S40P; Grafiche Corrà in Italy takes delivery of a full-spec LS-540+C; 

nextdayflyers.com in the US succeeding with another LS-540+C; 

while Unique Offset from India adds a high-end LS-440. Behind 

every machine is a team of people focused on success in print. 

Open House held at KLT in Brazil, Komori UK in Leeds moves into new premises to 

accommodate an enlarged and highly automated parts warehousing facility, Komori 

user ABC Printing in Queensland, Australia, is helped by Komori to recover from 

flood damage, and cover designer Mitsuo Katsui exhibits at Le Mois du Graphisme 

in Échirolles, France. Plus, the printing specification for the cover of this issue. 

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no.72 

Komori On Press 

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Urgent Report 

March 18, 2011 

Komori Corporation 

Report on Conditions and Disaster Countermeasures 

The 2011 Tohoku Pacific Offshore Earthquake 

We would like to report on current conditions and disaster countermeasures taken by Komori after the greatest 

earthquake on record in Japan, the center of which was in the Pacific Ocean close to the Tohoku area at 

14:46 on March 11, 2011. 

The energy level of the earthquake (magnitude of 9.0) was the greatest on record in Japan and also the fourth 

largest in the world. As time goes on, the number of victims and missing persons is increasing. Also, the extent 

of the damage is becoming more apparent. The devastation is beyond our imagination and our hearts are broken. 

We, at Komori Corporation, are strengthening our support for servicing presses and equipment used by our 

customers in the afflicted areas. 

Earthquake in Japan 

Date and Time: March 11, 2011 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) / Magnitude: 9.0 (interim value; the largest 

earthquake recorded in Japan) / Epicenter: 130 km off the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region, from 

Iwate to Ibaraki Prefectures / Depth 24km 

— Source: Japan Meteorological Agency 

Komori Machinery, Yamagata • • 

Sendai, Miyagi 

Tsukuba Plant, Ibaraki 

• 

Komori Head Office, Tokyo 

• 

To Those Affected by the Tohoku Pacific Offshore Earthquake 

We wish to express our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the 

unprecedented earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011, along with 

the accompanying tsunami and aftershocks. We also offer our sincere 

prayers for the earliest recovery from this disaster. 

The energy released by this earthquake was not only the greatest in the 

history of Japan but also the fourth largest in the history of the planet. As 

time passes, the number of dead and missing increases and the scale 

of physical damage gradually becomes more clear. These conditions are 

beyond imagination and our anguish grows without limit. 

We at Komori Corporation are praying for the safety of the families and 

acquaintances of everyone stricken by this catastrophe and are doing 

everything in our power to offer maintenance support for the presses and 

systems of our customers. 

March 14, 2011 

Komori Corporation 

Condition Report 

1. Established the Disaster Countermeasures Office 

Just after the earthquake on March 11, Komori established the Disaster Countermeasures Office (headed 

by Mr. Yoshiharu Komori, CEO) to inspect the conditions of our customers, partner companies and Komori 

employees. 

2. Condition of our production facilities 

Plant facilities’ functions and safety have been checked at both the Tsukuba Plant and Komori Machinery. 

The damage on March 11 seems to have been minimal and will not affect our production for the time being. 

However, in the case of our partner companies, mainly in the Tohoku area, most had serious damage and 

can neither produce nor supply parts continuously for us. We need to stop our production temporarily at both 

factories until March 18 to determine our partners’ conditions as they relate to the supply of parts. We will 

continue our efforts to communicate with them and implement necessary measures. 

3. Responses of service activities 

The region hit by the earthquake is very wide and includes the Tohoku, Kanto and Kohshin-etsu areas. For 

the Tohoku area, the Tohoku service team has started to work on reconstruction assistance. 

In the Kanto and Kohshin-etsu areas, the Tokyo, Saitama and Sagami service teams are working on checking 

conditions and reconstruction assistance. 

In addition, service teams from other areas have gathered in Tokyo and are working on service similar to 

that noted above. 

Komori Corporation conducted quick reconstruction assistance for our customers in disasters of extreme 

severity such as the Miyagi-ken-oki earthquake (1978), the Hanshin Awaji earthquake (1995) and the Niigataken 

Chuetsu earthquake. Komori Corporation will assist our customers who have suffered damage in this 

earthquake. 

Report for disaster countermeasures from March 11 through 15, 2011 

The following is a list of our disaster countermeasures. 

Over 100 members of the disaster countermeasures team and the disaster information and administration 

team are now working. 

Confirmed number of damaged customers and presses as of March 15, 2011: 

Tohoku area, Kanto area and other areas: Total 172 customers / 445 presses 

Conditions of damaged presses at customers 

Between March 11 and 15, our team checked the displacement and leveling of presses as well as electrical 

and other conditions by phone and on site. Over 10 presses were displaced by up to 30 cm by the earthquake. 

That number is the maximum in our current inspection. Displacement between units, water leaks, broken 

motors and similar problems were also reported. The Komori team is working to reconstruct damaged presses 

and equipment one by one. 

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Komori On Press Komori On Press 

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T h e u l t i m a t e p r o d u c e r o f h i g h l y e f f i c i e n t p r i n t 

Debut of the Lithrone G40: 

The Latest High-Performance 

Model in the Lithrone Series 

Loaded with state-of-the-art technologies, the Lithrone SX40 opened a new page in 

the history of offset presses. The LSX40 has won a solid reputation in markets the world 

over as a flagship machine full of innovations offering high efficiency, quick response to 

short delivery deadlines, short-run capability for many different items, and the ability 

to reduce costs. An environmentally responsible machine thanks to the latest leadingedge 

technologies that deliver unwavering performance, excellent print quality and 

support for high added value printing. 

Now the Lithrone G40 — the direct successor of the LSX40 — has arrived. Evolved to 

address a host of high-level requirements from the global printing industry. 

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Komori 

On Press 


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Rise of the Lithrone G40 

Toward a balance of the printing 

environment, people and nature 

The Lithrone G40’s three pillars of 

eco-friendly performance 

The Lithrone G40 is based on a product concept of painstaking consideration for the 

environment. The press was developed with this overriding goal as the top priority. 

Komori believes that a healthy environment depends on mutually beneficial relationships 

— not solely for people or the enterprise or nature. A mutually beneficial balance 

among the many different things on our beautiful planet ensures a bright future. The 

environmental concept championed by Komori consists of three pillars: clean, savings 

and safety. 

The Lithrone G40 supports OffsetOnDemand (see article on page 14), the ideal mode 

of printing for the next generation that can open completely new fields of business. 

OffsetOnDemand establishes a printing environment capable of a wider range of 

work and shorter work times. By producing higher quality printed products that are 

both worker friendly and profitable for the company, this system is creating a printing 

culture that is good for the environment and a boon to both the market and society. 

Komori conceives of its mission as providing products and solutions that will advance 

this type of mutually beneficial circle. 

[Clean] 

• Reduced use of printing materials and consumables 

• Reduced use of lubricants and cleaning fluid 

• Improved printing plant environment 

• Enhanced control of pressroom environment and dispersion of spray powder 

[Savings] 

• Reduced power consumption 

• Reduced printing waste 

• Reduced waste of paper and ink 

[Safety] 

• Ergonomic design 

• Scheduled preventive maintenance for the machine 

• Enhanced self-diagnostic functions 

Operation to achieve OffsetOnDemand 

• Automation: Reduced work tasks due to benderless APC (Automatic Plate Changer) 

• Standardization: KHS-AI (Advanced Interface), PDC-SX (Spectral Print Density Control-SX) 

and PQA-S (Print Quality Assessment System) 

• Innovation: H-UV System and 20Matching 

Basic Press Configuration Designs 

LITHRONE G40: 4-Color with H-UV (Innovative Curing System) Specification 

UV lamp for H-UV 

LITHRONE G40: 6-Color Plus Coater with Conventional UV Specification 

In addition to the environmentally friendly performance of the machine itself, no effort is spared to 

ensure that the processes and the production environment that produce the press are good for the 

natural environment. 

Komori’s Commitment: Environmental priorities in the manufacturing process 

• Established eco-friendly manufacturing processes 

• Reduced manufacturing man-hours 

• Reduced use of energy for handling 

• Reduced use of secondary materials in manufacturing 

• Established eco-friendly production environment 

• Achieved zero emissions 

• Implemented lubricating oil recycling 

• Developed wind and solar power systems 

• Initiated a zero inventories production line adapted from the Toyota Production System* 

* The Toyota Production System (TPS) organizes manufacturing and logistics, including interaction 

with suppliers and customers. The system is a major precursor of the more generic ‘lean 

manufacturing.’ 

Interdeck UV lamp 

Interdeck UV lamp 

• Interdeck drying may be specified for any printing unit. 

LITHRONE G40P: 8-Color Convertible Perfecting with H-UV (Innovative Curing System) Specification 

Specifications 

LITHRONE G40 (40" Offset Press) Specifications 

Model GL-240 GL-440 GL-540 GL-640 GL-740 GL-840 

Number of colors 2 4 5 6 7 8 

Max. printing speed sph 16,500 15,000 

Max. sheet size mm (in.) 720 x 1,030 (28 11 /32 x 40 9 /16) 



LITHRONE G40P (40" Convertible Perfecting Offset Printing Press ) Specifications 

Model GL-440P GL-540P GL-640P GL-740P GL-840P GL-1040P 

Number of colors 4 5 6 7 8 10 

Max. printing speed sph 15,000 13,000 

Max. sheet size mm (in.) Single-sided :720 x 1,030 (28 11 /32 x 40 9 /16) Double-sided :700 x 1,020 (27 9 /16 x 40 5 /32) 

All specifications stated herein are current as of March 2011. Komori reserves the right to 

change specifications without notice. 

8 

Komori On Press Komori On Press 

9


Dawn of the Lithrone G40 Age 

China’s Shanghai JHT Corporation introduces six-color Lithrone G40 with coater 

Strategic investment to power growth 

Zhang Jiu Zhi, General Manager 

Shanghai Jinhuitong Gift Box Packing Co. Ltd. was established 

in November 2002, launching an Innovation Design Center 

at the same time. With the goal of becoming a ‘one-stop 

service provider that manages everything from design to 

production,’ Shanghai Jinhuitong Gift Box Packing started its 

challenging journey. In 2009, the company changed its name 

to Shanghai JHT, and after the company’s transformation 

into a publicly traded company, Shanghai JHT Corporation 

was established in 2010. 

Steady growth pays off in recognition 

Initially, Shanghai JHT primarily provided various design 

services to customers. General Manager Zhang Jiu Zhi 

has over 20 years of experience in a variety of business 

fields. Under the leadership of Mr. Zhang, Shanghai JHT 

slowly expanded its scope of work and recruited many 

talented people to the company. Proactive teams were 

created and after about eight years of effort, the company’s 

own office building was built in Shanghai. The company 

had transformed itself from a small business with about 10 

people to a company with over 500 employees, and was 

now designated a ‘5-Star Package Design Company’ by the 

Shanghai Package Technology Association. Clearly, Shanghai 

JHT was making an impression as a comprehensive package 

provider driven by innovation. 

One-stop package design and printing service 

Shanghai JHT is known for paying close attention to its 

clients’ market positioning and consumer needs when 

creating innovative designs that match the product image. 

Shanghai JHT is proud to provide one-stop package design 

and printing services to customers. 

Today the printer focuses on creating food packaging and 

gift packages using regular paper and art paper from 80 to 

400 gsm as well as various other printed package products 

for different industries. Prominent domestic and foreign 

brands such as Germany’s Braun, Shanghai LaoFengXiang, 

Shangri-La Hotel Group, Bosch, Nu Skin, Gillette, South 

Beauty Group and Nescafé are some of Shanghai JHT’s clients. 

To offer products that will appeal to its high-end customers, 

the printer not only creates unique packaging ideas but also 

guarantees top-class printing quality. 

LS-440 ‘the right choice’ 

To accommodate its expansion, Shanghai JHT began 

researching the equipment of the leading printing press 

manufacturers. After careful evaluation and comparison, 

Shanghai JHT purchased a Komori four-color Lithrone S40 

sheetfed offset printing press to establish a pilot factory in 

2004. Soon after the press started to operate, it was clear that 

the right choice had been made. The printer is very pleased 

with the Komori Lithrone S40’s performance, particularly 

the stable sheet feeding and delivery, high register accuracy, 

excellent ink feeding and superior print quality. 

The Komori LS-440 has the ability to smoothly print both 

thin sheets and heavy stock, and can easily meet the demand 

for various types of package printing. The short makeready 

and the fact that the press rarely produces paper waste 

at print start-up were also major points for Shanghai JHT. 

In 2006, the company again invested in Komori, this time 

introducing a five-color Lithrone S40 with a coater unit and 

quickly achieved increased package printing productivity. 

Building its own brand 

To attain its goal of producing superior products that are 

‘created in China,’ Shanghai JHT is working not only to provide 

first-class printed package products to customers in various 

industries but also to establish its own brand. ‘JHT Tea Boxes’ 

comprises a line of tea packages for the tea industry. A onestop 

business model that includes the innovative design, 

manufacturing, and sales of products has been established. 

‘JHT Creative Paper Products’ is a product line owned as 

an independent asset for which the printer has complete 

control of all production steps, including design, research 

and development, production and sales. It is an example 

of the company’s success in transforming its innovative 

design capabilities into actual products. With subsidiaries 

in Beijing and Fuzhou, Shanghai JHT is building a system with 

superior marketing capabilities, innovative development and 

comprehensive services. 

Purchasing the Komori Lithrone G40 

In 2009, Shanghai JHT obtained ISO 9001 certification 

and was recognized as a ‘company with new and superior 

technology in Shanghai.’ Having achieved the international 

standard for quality management, it resolved to continue 

producing the highest quality printed products and also do 

everything possible to protect the environment. Purchasing 

the Komori six-color Lithrone G40 sheetfed offset printing 

press with aqueous coater unit was one of the most important 

strategic decisions Shanghai JHT ever made. The new 

Lithrone G40 reflects Komori’s determination to protect 

the environment in every aspect of its design. 

The Lithrone G40 is superior in other areas as well, such as 

print quality, ease of operation, and productivity, and easily 

meets the various needs of a printing company. “Our two 

existing Komori presses perform with complete reliability 

and superb printing quality. And the services provided by 

Shanghai AFA are so thorough that we can purchase Komori 

presses with utter confidence,” says Mr. Zhang. 

The six-color Lithrone G40 that Shanghai JHT Corporation 

is purchasing is equipped with an aqueous coater unit that 

can provide a coating that both protects the printed products 

and enhances the surface gloss. The treatment increases the 

added value of the printed products and helps support the 

brand value of its customers. The G40 is scheduled to arrive 

at Shanghai JHT Corporation’s factory in May 2011, and after 

that the press is expected to tackle the enormous work of 

printing food packages. 

The new era of ‘Created in China’ 

Shanghai JHT is determined to contribute to the innovative 

print industry of China by maximizing the value of its products. 

In the words of Chairman Yang Zhong Tong, “We, the 

innovators of Shanghai JHT, must utilize our own abilities 

and say good-bye to the era of ‘Made in China,’ and vigorously 

push forward into the new era of ‘Created in China.’” 

10 Komori On Press Komori On Press 

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13 


Main Features 

1. High-speed printing on the full range of 

stocks 

World-class maximum printing speed of 16,500 

sheets per hour. The fusion of a new delivery, 

new feeder and a variety of preset technologies 

substantially improves high-speed printing stability. 

Sheet feeding in the most popular thicknesses does 

not require gripper pad height adjustment. 

2. Improved registration accuracy thanks to new 

clamp 

Significantly improved plate registration accuracy 

due to the adoption of benderless automatic plate 

changing (flat plate clamp). In addition to minimal 

damage to plate edges and easy re-use of old plates, 

this design greatly reduces preparation time. 

3. High print quality and improved printing 

stability through on-press color control 

The Lithrone G40 is capable of consistently 

maintaining the highest level of print quality when it 

is equipped with KHS-AI. Add to this the new PDC-SX 

spectrophotometer and this capacity increases 

exponentially. The PDC-SX will control the color 

by measuring the color bars in any position on the 

sheet. By using printed ‘Mini Spots’ it will also control 

the register automatically from the first sheet. Using 

the PQA-S (Print Quality Assessment System) allows 

automatic control of the color and the image quality 

on the run, throughout the job. 

4. Improved operability and maintainability 

thanks to ergonomic design 

Improved operability and maintenance thanks 

to adoption of low-level operating-side steps. The 

underneath positioning of impression cylinder 

cleaning systems (which use pre-soaked cloth) makes 

it easy to pull them out from the operating side. The 

new operating panel at the front of the delivery now 

offers better visibility. 

Komori’s Toride Plant was awarded ISO 14001 

certification in December 2001. All other production 

facilities followed suit and obtained this certification 

in 2003, and the entire company embarked on a 

program of wide-ranging efforts that can serve as 

a model for the industry. All production facilities 

attained the goal of zero emissions of industrial 

waste in November 2004. Two facilities have already 

achieved zero emissions of ordinary waste, and the 

other facilities are working toward meeting this target. 

Proper control of hazardous substances, promotion 

of energy savings, reduction or recycling of 

waste, support for resource conservation and the 

development of environmentally friendly products 

are now unmistakable corporate missions and 

duties. This thinking infuses each component of 

the Lithrone G40. 

Technologies at work in Komori’s 

environmentally friendly products 

• Reduced paper waste by PQA-S, KHS-AI 

• Improved work environment/control of hazardous 

VOCs by spray powder collection device, 

Komorimatic (dampening system), cleaning system 

that uses pre-soaked cloth 

• Increased energy savings by use of inverter motors 

(for main motors and blowers) 

• Implemented noise countermeasures by soundproof 

cabinets 

Certificate of compliance with 

BG* environmental standards 

Having achieved ver y low emissions, the 

Lithrone G40 has completed testing for the BG 

Emission Test Certificate and has been certified. 

* BG standards are awarded to printing presses that 

reduce emission of various wastes, print without 

alcohol, and operate with low noise.

Concept 

‘OffsetOnDemand’ empowers printers to cut paper waste to an extremely low level and meet market 

demands that entail small runs with very tight delivery deadlines. The core of the system is the KHS-AI 

together with Komori’s advanced H-UV curing system. 

The thoroughly evolved KHS-AI system enables the press to produce stable color, meeting standards 

for solids within just 20 sheets of printing start-up. The self-learning function of the system optimizes 

color matching through the construction of a simple database that stores the most appropriate 

compensations for all different printing conditions and materials. This permits a major reduction 

in paper waste. In addition, unlike conventional printing with oil-based ink, H-UV solves a host of 

problems by virtue of being a powderless drying system, contributing to a further reduction of paper 

waste. These two systems together allow the simple implementation of ‘OffsetOnDemand.’ 

The Optimal Way to Satisfy Demanding Requirements 

The New Mode of Printing 

The Utmost in Efficiency and Eco-Friendliness 

In recent years, print order conditions have 

been deteriorating due to factors such as short 

runs and tight delivery deadlines. And now 

with the rise of e-books, the printing industry 

is facing ever more demanding conditions. In 

addition, companies as ‘corporate citizens’ face 

greater pressure to become environmentally 

responsible. Thus, more printing company 

executives are seeking a way out of the present 

difficulties. 

With these printing challenges in mind, 

Komori began an exhaustive search for a means 

of dealing with short runs and tight delivery 

schedules. The goal: cut print preparation 

time, paper waste and the time needed for 

all printing processes but retain both the 

high print quality and high productivity 

that are the outstanding feature of offset 

presses. Komori was also determined that 

its new mode of printing would protect the 

environment. Komori’s solution of original 

genius is called OffsetOnDemand. Configured 

with a temperature control system, it combines 

the KHS-AI integrated control system, which 

enables the press to dramatically reduce paper 

waste by reaching stable color within 20 sheets 

of start-up, with the H-UV drying system that 

allows printed work to be immediately sent 

on to the next process without the need for 

any drying time. 

In fact, OffsetOnDemand is a major element 

of the Lithrone G40, the new model offering 

outstanding environmental performance that 

debuts this spring and is introduced on page 6. 

14 



15

User Profile 

Ricardo Lavezzo, Owner 

time was booming. 

Every year Lavezzo receives awards in Brazil 

for his distinguished packaging products, and 

in 2009 Lavezzo attained the celebrated WPO 

Packaging Award, recognizing Lavezzo’s quality 

worldwide. “Our packaging is for the whole 

world!” says Ricardo with a grin of satisfaction. 

Sight unseen 

In mid-2010, Ricardo intended to buy a 

second Komori, having the same specifications 

as his first. He needed another machine to 

cope with the growing market. When he 

contacted Gutenberg, he learned for the 

first time about Komori’s new development — 

H-UV. Ricardo recognized immediately that 

this was the printing process he needed and 

had been waiting for. Low energy consumption, 

completely dry printed sheets at delivery, and 

high gloss were the features that made Ricardo 

use of a powder sprayer. With H-UV it is very 

easy to get a glossy or a dull surface depending 

on the job’s requirements.” 

Lavezzo is the only Brazilian print shop 

certified to print packaging for cosmetics 

with H-UV. This gives Lavezzo an edge over 

his competitors. Today Lavezzo prints all lipstick, 

blush, perfume and hair color packages with 

his new Komori LS-529 + C + H-UV and his 

customers are thrilled with a quality never 

before seen or imagined. 

16 Komori On Press H-UV User Profile: 

Lavezzo Gráfica e Editora in São Paulo 

Modernization. With this key word, Lavezzo 

Gráfica e Editora is opening its doors to the 

new millennium. Lavezzo is a family-owned 

company already in its third generation and 

managed today by Ricardo Lavezzo. What 

Ricardo has in common with his forefathers is 

his determination to produce only high quality 

printing jobs to guarantee the full satisfaction 

of his customers. And there is no doubt that the 

very demanding packaging customers are even 

more satisfied with Lavezzo’s work now that 

he owns two state-of-the-art Komori presses. 

Background of specialization 

The company was established in São Paulo, 

Brazil, in 1945 by Rogério Lavezzo, who hailed 

from Italy. Initially, the business was a small 

typographical print shop that produced 

all commercial printed matter, a common 

practice at the time. With the great success of 

this shop, the second generation, represented 

by Eddie Lavezzo, moved the company in 

1960 into larger facilities and replaced the 

old typographical platen presses with modern 

offset printing presses. In addition, Eddie 

Lavezzo realized that too many commercial 

printers were in the game and that greater 

possibilities could be found in the packaging 

market. By 1970 Lavezzo was already known 

for the production of high quality cartons 

for cosmetics, fine beverages and foods, and 

similar products. Lavezzo was a pioneer in 

the production of cardboard boxes and other 

packages made of aluminum-laminated paper 

that could be produced at a better price with 

more quality compared to hot stamping, which 

was very popular at the time. Because it was 

still very difficult to get metalized cardboard 

in Brazil in the 1970s, Lavezzo produced this 

cardboard in-house to his own specification. 

By 1990 Lavezzo started to focus on UV 

varnish and today the company is proud to 

have a dedicated division for UV printing and 

varnishing. Most of the packages and labels 

produced today by Lavezzo are UV coated, 

which is the only way to get the high gloss 

so appreciated by Brazilian customers and 

also to protect products from scratches when 

handled or stocked. 

Kudos from the industry 

In 2007 Lavezzo established a second 

production unit in Cotia, not far from São Paulo. 

The new production unit was inaugurated 

with the installation of a brand new Komori 

six-color Lithrone 29 with coater to assure 

high printing quality and increase production 

— the Brazilian luxury packaging market at the 

H-UV breakthrough in quality packaging 

sign the order for a Komori LS-529+C+H-UV 

right away. When he signed the order he had 

not even seen a single sheet of paper printed 

with H-UV! The first printed samples arrived 

at Gutenberg only a couple of weeks later, 

and when Ricardo inspected the samples, he 

confirmed the order, knowing that he bought 

the right press. In fact, Gutenberg’s showroom 

LS-529 + C +H-UV was the machine that would 

be installed at Lavezzo, but first it had to be 

displayed at the Brazilian graphic arts show, 

EXPOPRINT. Lavezzo was thus forced to spend 

a few weeks eagerly awaiting his new press. 

‘The future of the industry’ 

After some initial tests to gain the proper 

know-how for cardboard H-UV printing and 

with the help of Toyo Ink, a great partner in this 

process, the first H-UV printed packages and 

labels were printed to the full satisfaction of 

Lavezzo and the customers who received the 

products. Ricardo, still enchanted by this new 

printing/drying process, remarks: “I have the 

feeling that H-UV is the future of the graphic 

industry. With its low energy consumption, it 

surpasses by far traditional UV printing, and 

it’s also possible to print on most different 

substrates, always achieving excellent printing 

results and completely dry sheets without the 

From left: José Hilton Soares, staff, 

and Ricardo Lavezzo 

2009 WPO Packaging 

Award 


17

Case Studies 

‘We have expanded our work mix thanks to H-UV.’ 

Seio Printing was founded in 1951. Deeply involved in 

the film industry, Seio produces programs and posters 

for cinema and theater and is often designated 

the preferred printer by television stations, publishers, 

large companies and well-known designers. 

Specializes in sepia-toned work. 

Tokyo 

Specialties: 

Prepress, printing and postpress 

Installed an H-UV-equipped four-color Lithrone S40 in May 2010. 

H-UV Case Studies 

plant environment. 

new technologies. 

18 Komori On Press 

How do customers actually rate OffsetOnDemand? Their opinions as heard at 

exhibitions and open house events are gratifying: increased working efficiency because 

of the amazingly quick drying, consistently high print quality, and an improved 

OffsetOnDemand’s innovative concept has invigorated an industry that badly 

needed new technologies and solutions. More than 60 Lithrones equipped with the 

H-UV system, the core of the OffsetOnDemand system, have already been sold. This 

strong commitment by the printing industry, which had been hit by a sharp decline in 

publishing with the advent of e-books, gave these early adopters differentiation from 

their competitors and triggered new customer trends. Komori aims for the expansion 

of the OffsetOnDemand market and will never avert its focus from the development of 

Seio Printing Co., Ltd. 

Goal of Installation 

• For reasons of quality, cost and the environment, no machine other than an H-UV-equipped press was even 

considered. Because it produces no odor and installation of an exhaust duct to control heat emission is not 

necessary, it met our need to consider the surrounding environment of downtown office buildings. Due to the 

restricted amount of plant space available, installation of a conventional long-delivery UV press would have 

been difficult. Installation of a UV press would have been impossible without H-UV. 

• To meet the need for high printing quality in the demanding field of cinema and theater-related work. 

• Since we are located in the center of Tokyo and thus pay considerable attention to the surrounding environment, 

we appreciated the system for not producing odors and for holding down heat emissions. 

Evaluation 

by management 

• Being able to meet tight delivery deadlines was an urgent issue, and we have been able to implement a system 

where work is passed smoothly to bindery and thus expand our orders. 

• The system contributes to our business in many ways because our plant floor space is limited. 

from the pressroom floor 

Plant Manager Hisamitsu explains: “With conventional printing, work sometimes had to be sent to bindery before 

the ink was dry, and this caused problems such as ink set-off on the reverse side of sheets and scratches or marking. 

The new press is a UV machine, but it is also the solution for many issues that we had.” 

• Allows us to speed up the approval process when the client is present. 

• Gives us the solution to bottlenecks that occur in the printing process. 

• Nearly eliminates dry-down that occurs when printing on matte paper. 


19

Case Studies 

‘H-UV printing will be the printing of the future.’ 

‘We can deliver products with 100 percent confidence.’ 

Bikou Platemaking was established by Masami Motoyoshi, 

Fujitoppan Printing was founded in 1963 with the 

20 Komori On Press a platemaking specialist, in 1981. As digitalization advanced 

during the 1990s, Bikou succeeded with fast service and 

grew as one of the ‘winning’ platemaking firms. A four-color 

aim of ‘giving shape to customers’ ideas.’ President 

Yamamoto, the third-generation chief of the 

14-employee company, manages the business 

Lithrone was installed in 2001, and the compaany became 

through face-to-face relationships with customers. 

Sapporo 

the first printer in Hokkaido to offer on-press proofing and 

The company prints mainly posters, catalogs and 

Nagoya 

color calibration. Later Bikou added bindery and other postpress 

flyers. 

Installed an H-UV-equipped four-color Lithrone S40 in September 2010. 

facilities and grew into a full-service printer, including 

packaging. Currently the company operates three printing 

presses. 

Specialties: 

Prepress, printing and postpress 

Specialties: 

Sales, planning, design, prepress, printing 

and postpress 

Installed an H-UV-equipped four-color Lithrone S26 in June 2010. 

Bikou Platemaking Co., Ltd. 

Fujitoppan Printing Co., Ltd 



• President Motoyoshi explains: “I saw the demonstration at Komori’s Tsukuba Plant, and it hit me that since the 

system is powderless and offers quick drying, it would solve our problems — of ink set-off on the reverse side 

of sheets and spray powder — and also allow us to meet tight turnaround deadlines. And we could expand 

“I was very impressed when I visited Komori’s Tsukuba Plant. I thought, ‘I would like our company to grow with 

Komori.’ To meet greater customer requirements for improved print quality. To strengthen employee output 

through a state-of-the-art press.” 

our range of work because it can print on heavy stock. I thought, ‘H-UV printing will be the printing of the 

future.’ I calculated that being one of the first to invest in this system would reap considerable advantage, so 

I decided to install it.” 

• The best press available to help us transition from a platemaking to a printing company. 

• Because this was the first installation in Hokkaido, we planned to expand our business by getting an edge over 

our competitors. 

Evaluation 

by management 

‘It’s good for the environment.’ 

• We thought it would be impossible to acquire a UV press because of our limited space and the environmental 

aspects. The H-UV press, however, does not generate heat and does not require powder, so it is environmentally 

friendly. 

Evaluation 

by management 

Executive Director Takagi says that, from the sales standpoint, “We can deliver products with 100 percent 

confidence. With this machine, we have not had even one of the kind of claims that we had in the past when 

printing. For sales personnel, the quick turnaround and not having to think about waiting for drying really takes 

the stress out of work and lets us concentrate on sales. I can recommend this press even for jobs with full coverage 

of solid colors.” 

• We now finish in one day a job that used to take three days with conventional ink. This is a big strong point for 

sales. 

• We are now able to produce packaging and heavy stock printing in-house instead of outsourcing. 

• We are able to meet tight delivery deadlines with plenty of leeway. In addition, we can take on a wider range 

of work, and the press is a powerful tool for management. 

•Our work mix has expanded because we have been able to address the problems of meeting tight delivery 

deadlines and printing on thick sheets. 

•A major advantage is that just one operator is needed because press operation is easy. 


‘It’s not a rapid start-up — it’s a lightning start-up.’ 

Actually the effect of this press was realized immediately after it was installed. As for quick turnaround, on the 


‘The more work we get the more powerful it becomes.’ 

• For a job of 5,000 copies, if we get the data in the morning, we can do CTP output, front and back printing, 

cutting, folding and saddle stitching by evening of the same day. 

• The speed of drying is quite sufficient. And unlike printing with conventional ink, there are no worries about 

ink set-off on the reverse side of sheets, scratches or marking. 

• We can concentrate entirely on improving print quality without having to be concerned with postpress. 

• The color that is set in prepress is the color that we get. And we were surprised by the fact that the color printed 

does not change at all after drying. 

second day of test operation, we had a customer come in with a rush job — four-color, both sides — at 3:00 in 

the afternoon. We started printing at 4:30 p.m., did cutting, folding and other finishing tasks and delivered the 

job at 6:30 p.m. All of our pressroom personnel were astonished. When printing cookbooks, where excellent 

reproduction of photographs is a must, the press allows us to get color very quickly. 

• Color stability is excellent regardless of the length of the run. 

• Suitability with thick sheets, which can easily get out of control, is extremely good and the flow of sheets is very 

smooth. 

• Because no odor is produced, the system is very good for package printing, which has stringent conditions for 

odors. 


21

New Advances: Integrated Control System for Enhanced 

Productivity 

KHS-AI (Komori KHS Advanced Interface) 

KHS is an innovative system developed to enhance productivity by reducing job changeover time 

and paper waste to an absolute minimum. The system uses job data and presetting information 

from prepress, which is linked to the CTP workflow. KHS-AI with self-learning is a further evolution 

of the original KHS system. Color matching is optimized by constant analysis and automatic 

compensation of the image area ratio and ink key openings. Such analysis and compensation 

is made with respect to the machine condition, the printing environment and changes in the 

printing materials. KHS-AI air and register adjustment preset functions — corresponding to the 

paper size, thickness, grade and grain — ensure stable sheet feeding and delivery. In addition, 

KHS-AI manages the operating record, status history and maintenance data of the press. The 

system includes a self-diagnostic function for troubleshooting. Customer support also benefits 

from the ability to accommodate remote diagnostics in an emergency. 

Productivity and Costs Transformed: 

The incredible power of KHS-AI combined with H-UV 

Printing without the KHS-AI system inevitably generated a considerable number of waste sheets 

because register adjustment, checking densities, and checking colors always depended on the 

experience, skills and instinct of the operator. Simply equipping the press with KHS-AI sharply 

reduces the number of waste sheets before the start of production printing (OK sheet). Combining 

this outstanding system with the H-UV drying system instantly boosts efficiency during and after 

the run. Unlike conventional printing with oil-based ink, there is no waiting for printed work 

to dry. Printed items can be immediately sent to finishing, making it much easier to meet tight 

delivery deadlines. Since no spray powder is used, the quality problems caused by spray powder 

as well as press stoppages and excess paper waste due to powder buildup are a thing of the past. 

Offering total competence with high added value printing, work such as heavy ink coverage 

on special paper that has traditionally been difficult to dry, OffsetOnDemand — the KHS-AI 

and H-UV power duo — gives the printer a very forceful advantage in growing the order book. 

Innovative H-UV Curing System: 

High quality, reliability, ecology and economy 

H-UV 

For OffsetOnDemand, Komori’s innovative new H-UV drying system is the indispensable 

complement to KHS-AI. A joint development between Komori and ink and dryer manufacturers, 

H-UV delivers lightning-quick curing of high-sensitivity ink by a new ozone-free UV lamp. 

More than 60 H-UV-equipped sheetfed offset presses have been delivered in the 15 months 

since the system was introduced in October 2009, indicating the incredible versatility that this 

innovation offers. 

Advantages of New H-UV Curing System: Powder-free quick drying 

• Ensures less variation in printed products and maintains clean machine environment. 

• Meets tight delivery deadlines and reduces work in process. 

• Offers design freedom with any printing stock even when printing solids. 

• Allows easy, on-the-spot decisions on colors because there is no dry-down phenomenon. 

• Integrates with the print process without regard to images or number of sheets, and allows 

cost reductions by means of work and turn printing. 

• Reduces paper waste and dramatically cuts the trouble of reprinting. 

Breaking News 

H-UV System Garners Prized Honor 

Komori’s revolutionary new H-UV Innovative Curing System has captured 

one of the most prestigious awards in the Japanese printing industry. At its 

annual meeting on February 18, 2011, the Japanese Society of Printing Science 

and Technology presented Komori Corporation with the coveted Technical 

Award for its development of the H-UV system. This award is given to the ‘ key 

individual or corporation central to the advancement of technology that has 

made a conspicuous contribution to the development of the printing industry.’ 

Entries are judged for their novelty, their revolutionary character, their potential 

to create a market, and their expandability. 

This noteworthy prize affirms the decisions of the scores of printers who have 

adopted the system and are reaping the rewards of expanded business, greater 

customer satisfaction and vastly shorter turnaround times. 


23

KOMORI ENTHRONE SERIES 

K o m o r i : 8 8 Y e a r s i n t h e P r i n t i n g I n d u s t r y 

Enthrone: ‘To seat on a throne’ 

The Essence of 85 Years of Offset Press Manufacturing Technologies in a Compact Body 

The Enthrone, a machine in which Komori has complete confidence. As one printer called it, “Unmistakably, a small yet 

mighty hero.” ‘Enthrone’ means ‘to seat on a throne.’ As the name of the press, it denotes Komori’s conviction: 

‘The Enthrone will create new profits and lead to outstanding success.’ 

The Enthrone 29 (530 mm x 750 mm) half-size offset 

press made its worldwide debut in May 2010 at IPEX 

in Birmingham, UK. Since that dynamic debut, the 

29-inch press has won a sterling reputation in all the major 

markets. The development concept was ‘quality and performance 

that resonate.’ The Enthrone incorporates the 

high printing quality and leading-edge technologies that 

Komori is known for. Designed with a configuration of 

double-size impression cylinders and double-size transfer 

cylinders, which are emblematic of concentrated functionality, 

the press provides stable performance and the ability 

to produce a wide range of printed items. Offering consistent 

high print quality, reliable printing with a wide range 

of sheet thicknesses, from 0.04 mm up to a maximum of 

0.6 mm, and the ability to handle short-run work profitably, 

the Enthrone significantly shortens changeover time 

and maximizes economic efficiency by enabling changeover 

from thin sheets to thick sheets without adjustment 

of the height of the gripper pads on the transfer cylinders. 

This press not only concentrates the basic performance 

required of a press but also offers a compact footprint, 

including an ergonomic step-less operator’s-side design, 

that means it can be installed practically anywhere. The 

extremely fast pace of today’s industry necessitates short 

runs and tight delivery deadlines — work that entails 

slender margins. A host of other thorny issues demand 

solutions, always with the overriding requirement for high 

print quality. Against this background, the Enthrone can 

function as the primary machine — a press that will provide 

the essential breakthrough for print solutions. Or, the 

Enthrone will also deliver outstanding performance as a 

‘sub-machine’ that will reliably produce profits. Certain 

competence to meet all needs at the highest level. 

Five-color Enthrone 29 


25



Power Backed by History 

The Years of Technology Committed to the Enthrone 

Perhaps it is a trend of the times we live in. 

The world’s leading printing press makers 

seem to have discontinued development 

of small-format printing presses. In the 85 

years since Komori shipped its first offset 

press in 1926, the company has built up 

a deep reservoir of technologies through 

the development of heavy offset and 

large-format offset presses as well as the 

manufacture of currency printing presses 

– machines whose products embody the 

dignity of the nation. Throughout these 

decades, Komori has never slackened in 

its efforts to crystallize these technologies 

into small-format (half-size) presses. And 

this stance will never change. 

While there is demand for high-end 

large-format presses from economically 

advanced countries, the demand for 

small-format offset machines in the countries 

that will register strong economic 

growth in the future but are still in the early 

stages of development shows no sign of 

weakening. As a company that has the 

ripening of printing culture and support 

for development as one of its corporate 

ideals, Komori considers strengthening its 

full lineup and shipping these machines 

to printers around the globe to be one of 

its most important duties. The following is 

a brief outline of Komori’s history of 26-, 

29-, and 32-inch press development. 

Founder Yoshikazu Komori develops 32-inch (610 mm x 820 mm) offset press with hand-feeder. 

Full-fledged start of development of 44-inch (820 mm x 1,130 mm) offset press. First export of half-size press. 

Development of model ‘Uni 25’* (480 mm x 660 mm) offset press. World debut at Chicago international printing 

exhibition. * Origin of the current Lithrone 26/29 and Enthrone 29. 

Uni 25 further evolved and best-seller Sprint Series (480 mm x 660 mm) announced at IPEX 71, international 

printing exhibition in the UK. Winner of industrial design award. 

Original Sprint evolved into two series of half-size presses: the Sprint and the Lithrone 26 Series. 

Lithrone Series was expanded into a full range from half-size to large-format size (A double size) featuring doublesize 

impression cylinders and double-size transfer cylinders. 

Sprint 26 Series 

Specialized production plant for half-size offset presses established in Yamagata Prefecture (the present KKM). 

Start of production of Lithrone 26/29 Series and Sprint 26 Series. 

Release of the Spica Series (480 mm x 660 mm and 530 mm x 750 mm), an evolution of the Sprint Series. 

Release of the Enthrone Series, an evolution of the Spica Series. Cylinder configuration: Double-size cylinder 

configuration, same as Lithrone Series (appropriate for printing on thick sheets). 

Komori’s Environmentally Friendly Products 

Ninety-five percent of the environmental 

impact of a press takes place during 

the usage stage. For this reason, Komori 

develops printing presses and systems 

that have a low environmental impact 

achieved by saving energy and resources 

through reduction of makeready time 

and paper waste and by reducing harmful 

chemical substances such as volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs) released 

during printing. Komori products also 

Komori Machinery 

comply with the Restriction of Hazardous 

Substances Directive (RoHS) of the European 

Union and incorporate features to 

minimize noise. BG certification from the 

prestigious German BG-Prüfzert (accident 

insurance and prevention institution) certifies 

compliance with stringent standards 

on the dispersion of various substances 

and noise during printing. The Enthrone 29 

has been awarded the certificate of compliance 

with BG environmental standards. 

Established May 25, 1970 

Site area 91,585 square meters 

Building area 29,206 square meters (PGC 3,837 square meters) 

Business line Manufacture of small-format offset printing presses and 

feeders, gears and inkers in all sizes 

ENTHRONE 29 (29-inch Sheetfed Offset Press) Specifications 

Model E-229 E-429 E-529 

Number of colors 2 4 5 

Maximum printing speed (sph) 13,000 

Maximum sheet size mm (inch) 530 x 750 (20 7 /8 x 29 17 /32) 

Minimum sheet size mm (inch) 200 x 280 (7 7 /8 x 11 1 /32) 

Maximum printing area mm (inch) 

520 x 740 (520 x 736 optional) 

(20 15 /32 x 29 1 /8 [20 15 /32 x 28 31 /32 optional]) 

Sheet thickness range mm (inch) 0.04 ~ 0.6 (0.0016~0.024) 

Dimensions: L/W/H mm (inch) 

6,322/2,520/1,170 (E-429) 2,147* 

(20'9"/8'3"/5'10" (E-429) 7'*) 

Notes: 

1. The maximum printing speed is subject to change depending on the paper quality, 

paper thickness, printing contents and other conditions. 

2. Power consumption may differ on machines with user-mounted options or devices. 

3. * The height up to the guardrail of the operation stand. 

Komori Machinery Profile 

Masters of Small-Format Sheetfeds 

Located in Yamagata Prefecture in the 

Tohoku region of Japan, the Komori 

Yamagata Machinery Plant was established 

in 1986 to specialize in the production of 

small-format sheetfed presses. The main 

products being manufactured today are 

the award-winning Lithrone 26/29 presses 

and the new Enthrone 29 presses. All, of 

course, are available with a wide range of 

options that are also produced in the plant. 

Now incorporated as Komori Machinery 

Co., Ltd., the plant is very close to the 

Komori Precision Gear Center and Komori 

Electronics Co., Ltd., both fully owned 

subsidiaries. The Precision Gear Center 

produces gears, while Komori Electronics 

manufactures electronic devices for 

Komori’s full line of printing machines. 

Yamagata is a historic part of Japan known 

for its incredible beauty, famous ski resorts, 

and delicious fruit. The city is served by 

the Shinkansen ‘bullet’ train. Among the 

many sights worth taking in is the splendid 

Bunsyokan, the English Renaissance-style 

former prefectural office building that was 

built in 1916. 


27


K o mKo or mi : o r8 i 8 : Y8 e8 a r Ys e ai n r s t hi n e Pt hr ie n tP i rn i g n t I i nnd g u s I t nr dy 

u s t r y 

Enthrones Everywhere 

Indonesia 

Event: All Print Indonesia 

Place: Jakarta International Expo 

Visitors 2010: 15,000 

Dates: October 27–30 

Event: Grafische Vakbeurs 2011 

Place: Gorinchem, The Netherlands 

Visitors 2011: 17,768 

Dates: February 1-3 

Enthrone in Shows 

The Netherlands 

Two things are pretty astounding about Komori’s 

Enthrone presses: the extremely wide range of printing 

work they produce and the excellent print quality they 

offer — for a very reasonable investment. Versatility and 

quality mean that the Enthrone is found in many different 

types of shops, from small printers who want to gain the 

latest technology and double-size cylinder design on a 

modest budget to operators of fleets of Lithrones. The 

Enthrone’s small footprint also makes a big difference to 

printers with downtown plants that are short on space. 

Nothing illustrates these points as well as the stories 

of the users on the following pages. Virtually the only 

thing they share is satisfaction with their new press. An 

Enthrone 29. 

Enthrone 29 Users 

p30 

p31 

p32 

p33 

p34 

p35 

Erdnuß Druck GmbH, Germany 

Paragraph, Belgium 

Shandong Hailan Printing, China 

Yiwu Wansheng Color Printing, 

China 

Marpress, Brazil 

Supressa Graphics Pvt. Ltd., India 

28 Komori On Press 


29



Erdnuß Druck GmbH 

Sendenhorst, Germany 

Paragraph 

Fleurus, Belgium 

Enthrone 529 – ‘A good match for us’ 

Early adopter delighted with choice 

When technical novelties enter the market, people either 

wait and see what happens or embrace the novelties because 

they trust the brand. Philippe Guillaume, managing director 

of Paragraph, located in Fleurus near Charleroi in Belgium, 

belongs to the second category. He is the first printer in the 

Benelux countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg 

to own an Enthrone 29. 

His story is closely connected to Komori. Son and grandson 

of printers, he claimed his independence in 1996 and launched 

a business in photoengraving. Then, in 2003, he decided to go 

back to his ‘genetic’ trade: printing. But the sector was in the 

middle of a crisis, and nobody wanted to follow him. “Komori 

was the only one to have confidence in my project,” he recalls. 

“As I had few resources, they found a secondhand Lithrone 426 

for me, reconditioned it, and repackaged it before selling it to 

me. Thus, I got warranty and technical support from Komori.” 

Guillaume never forgot this gesture. Last year, when he had to 

replace this old machine, he contacted Komori exclusively. 

aspects of low delivery,” says Guillaume. “More than anything, 

it has all of Komori’s innovations. It has semiautomatic platechanging, 

and we specified it with CIP3 compatibility and a print 

quality controller. Due to its double-diameter cylinders, we 

can print anything from very thin paper to cardboard without 

any damage to the sheet. Also, it meets the strictest ecological 

requirements.” 

Quality at an accessible price for the small printer 

Paragraph, occupying 400 square meters, has six employees. 

The printer continues to develop in the market of small runs, 

and the Enthrone is a real advantage. “Since we started working 

with it on January 7, 2011, we have gained almost 30 percent in 

productivity,” says Philippe Guillaume. “We will be able to take 

on new clients and do an impeccable job while staying highly 

competitive.” Paragraph — and its two press operators – can 

look at the future with serenity. 

From left: Bernhard Erdmannn, Managing Director, Erdnuß Druck; Wolfgang Wesseler, CEO, Hubertus Wesseler GmbH, 

and Gisbert Annuß, Managing Director, Erdnuß Druck 

An ultra-compact press with the latest technologies 

“We wish to maintain the 53 x 75 cm format because most 

of our jobs are runs of up to 50,000 copies. The Enthrone 29 

offers both the printing units of the Lithrone and the convenient 

Printer Erdnuß Druck in Sendenhorst, in the German state 

of Westphalia, has invested in the new Enthrone 529 and 

is getting ready for the future with this highly productive 

press. The Enthrone 529 is now the first half-size press at 

Erdnuß Druck, and the first step in the long-term strategy for 

restructuring the way this company does business. 

Gaining a flawless reputation 

Managing Directors Bernhard Erdmann and Gisbert Annuß 

have been consistently working on further development since 

they founded the company in 1994. During their founding year, 

space requirements made a move to a more modern facility 

necessary, and Erdnuß Druck entered the multicolor market 

with a 20-inch two-color press. 

The next step followed in 1997: they invested in a four-color 

Lithrone 20 and, shortly after, became a flourishing company 

with 14 employees, gaining a flawless reputation and many 

repeat customers for their exceptional print quality and good 

service. The L-420 was replaced by a more modern five-color 

Lithrone 20 in 2005, and in 2009, the printer moved once 

more to a bigger and more accessible facility. 

Changing press size 

“The new Enthrone 529 is a perfect match for us,” says Gisbert 

Annuß. “Changing to the 29-inch size was indispensable for 

our company to achieve further growth. The Enthrone offers 

everything we had been looking for, in a compact design and 

at a reasonable price.” The Enthrone is equipped with Semi- 

APC, the Komorimatic dampening system, automatic cleaning 

devices, automatic preset functions and a compact PQC 

operation stand which is integrated in the delivery, including 

PDC-SE and an automatic pre-inking and de-inking system. 

Remarkable efficiency 

Bernhard Erdmann adds: “The future in the small-size print 

market is definitely for digital systems. We are also going to 

offer digital printing service for short runs of small jobs. With 

the new 29-inch Enthrone and its outstanding productivity we 

are much more competitive in other markets. One shift can 

now handle the amount of jobs that before had to be done in 

two shifts. Efficiency and print quality are remarkable.” 

Wolfgang Wesseler of Komori distributor Hubertus Wesseler 

GmbH says: “The Enthrone is a great press and sure to succeed 

on the market. Best print quality and outstanding functions at 

a reasonable price – that is simply very convincing.” 

From left: Philippe and Cécile Guillaume, Managing Directors, and press operators Olivier Guillaume and Aimé François. 

30 Komori On Press Komori On Press 31



Shandong Hailan Printing 

Jinan City, Shandong Province, China 

Yiwu Wansheng Color Printing 

Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, China 

Shandong Hailan grows with Enthrone 29 

Yiwu Wansheng adds Enthrone to Lithrone fleet 

Jinan City in Shandong Province is surrounded by the Taishan 

Massif mountains to the south and the Yellow River on the north. 

Numerous other rivers run through the city, complementing 

the many famous springs such as Baotu Spring, Baimai Spring, 

and Black Tiger Spring. In fact, Jinan City has long been known 

as the “City of Springs.” Shandong Hailan Printing Co. Ltd. is 

located in Jinan City, the provincial capital. When it was first 

established, the company had approximately 30 employees 

and only two pre-owned printing presses. After seven years 

of hard work, the company has grown from a small, no-name 

company into an exclusive general printing company with 130 

employees that specializes in small-lot commercial printing. 

Shandong Hailan owns several sheetfed offset printing 

presses made by Komori and other well-known manufacturers. 

Furthermore, the company also operates peripheral equipment 

such as a Muller Martini glue binder, a Kodak CTP system 

and a Polar digitally controlled guillotine. The prepress plate 

production employs a complete digital workflow. Shandong 

Hailan creates products such as posters and sample collections 

using art paper and matte paper in weights from 60 to 300 gsm. 

The printer also produces books, including high-end picture 

books, magazines, product catalogs, manuals and calendars. 

Shandong Hailan’s sales reached 28 million yuan (US$4.25 

million) in 2010. 

36 jobs per 12-hour shift 

Shandong Hailan first learned about the Komori brand through 

a visit from Infotech, Komori’s representative in China. Currently, 

there are two Komori printing presses in Shandong Hailan’s 

factory. One is a standard-specification four-color Lithrone S40 

and the other is the newest four-color Enthrone 29 sheetfed 

offset press. Since its establishment, Shandong Hailan Printing 

has followed its motto: “Our top priority is client trust and 

high quality.” It purchased the Komori E-429 to meet its need 

for high print quality. In addition to the standard features, the 

newest Komori four-color Enthrone 29 is equipped with the 

PDM PQC data manager. It can receive job preset data over 

the network from PCC (converting PPF data and CMYK-TIFF 

data into PQC ink key data) or from the K-Station and provide 

job result data such as sheets printed and paper loss to the 

K-Station. Thanks to the PDM system, Komori presses can by 

linked to other systems using standardized data. 

The Komori four-color Enthrone 29 arrived at Shandong 

Hailan’s factory in October 2010, and after a 10-day installation 

period, the press was officially commissioned. The company 

appreciates the press for its great accuracy with both light and 

heavy stocks and its high productivity. Currently, Shandong 

Hailan prints short-run jobs on the Enthrone. During peak 

periods, the press has printed as many as 36 jobs per 12-hour 

shift. 

Small investment yields high quality and efficiency 

Shandong Hailan’s manager concludes: “The Enthrone 

requires a small investment, provides high print quality and 

superb efficiency, and offers high cost performance.” In the 

future, the printer hopes to see Komori provide even greater 

presses and technologies to its Chinese users. Shandong Hailan 

aims to grow to be the best commercial printer in the local 

market and to further expand by extending its focus to publication 

printing. 

Yiwu Wansheng Color Printing Co. Ltd. is located in Yiwu City 

in Zhejiang Province, China. Boasting a facility of 15,000 square 

meters, Yiwu Wansheng is one of the few printing companies 

certified for printing publications in Yiwu City. With a perfect 

workflow of design, platemaking, printing, and postpress, the 

printer creates various high-end items such as commercial 

packaging, illustrated books and other publications as well 

as paper bags and business cards, using stock from 65 to 400 

gsm (mainly art book paper). Clients include many renowned 

cosmetics manufacturers and publishing companies. 

Yiwu Wansheng Color Printing was founded in 2002 and 

started its journey with approximately 30 employees and 

one second-hand Manroland press and one Beiren press. 

As the head of the company, General Manager Zhao Pinhui 

skillfully obtained business opportunities in the market with his 

remarkable talent and vision. Although there was a huge need 

for commercial printing in the Yiwu printing market, in 2002 

there was no printing company that operated exclusively for 

commercial printing in Yiwu City. Mr. Zhao made well-timed 

decisions with the goal of improving print quality by introducing 

a new press to focus on commercial printing and also to start 

package printing. 

Purchasing a Komori press: an astute decision 

In the second half of 2002, Yiwu Wansheng learned about 

the Komori brand through another printing company. To 

make the best investment decision, the printer meticulously 

compared various printing press manufacturers, including 

Komori and other makers. After careful consideration, Yiwu 

Wansheng Color Printing decided to purchase the Komori 

four-color Lithrone 28. Mr. Zhao describes the company’s 

journey: “Looking back now, I truly believe we made the best 

decision. After introducing the Komori four-color sheetfed 

offset printing press, we established a position of superiority 

in the market, continued to expand our business scale in 

commercial printing, and grew to become the number one 

high-end printing company in Zhejiang.” 

With tremendous support from Shanghai AFA Printing 

Machinery Co. Ltd, the Komori representative in China, Yiwu 

Wansheng purchased one LS-540, three LS-440s, and one 

LS-429 sheetfed offset printing presses — one after the other 

during the next eight years. In addition, multiple pieces of 

postpress equipment have also been added. The facility is 

powerfully equipped with the Komori machines as its dominant 

presses, and the number of employees has now risen to more 

than 200. The speed of Yiwu Wansheng’s growth has been 

exceptionally fast in the Yiwu printing market. 

The arrival of the Komori E-429 

In December 2010, the company introduced a new printing 

press, the Enthrone 29, Komori’s new sheetfed offset printing 

press. The Komori press is equipped with Semi-APC (semiautomatic 

plate-changing system), uses a benderless clamping 

system to eliminate the plate-bending process and shorten 

the plate-changing time even further. The new press is also 

equipped with an automatic cleaning system that not only 

shortens the blanket-cleaning time by using presoaked 

microencapsulated cloth but also decreases consumption of 

cloth to offer even greater environmental protection. 

Mr. Zhao describes the newest Komori four-color Enthrone 

29: “The Komori press offers stable printing quality, extremely 

high productivity, and very few printing issues. We are very 

impressed. The new Enthrone has outstanding potential as a 

printing press — covering almost all of the numerous functions 

and advantages of the LS-429, featuring the Komori KHS system 

and integrating smoothly with the CTP system. Our work 

structure consists of two 12-hour shifts, and we are creating 

a large quantity of printed materials using the Komori E-429.” 

Looking into the future 

In the past eight years, Yiwu Wansheng Color Printing has 

grown rapidly and has been purchasing almost one Komori 

press every year. In 2011, the company aims to further improve 

its corporate management, work structure, and production. 

The company is expecting Komori to develop equipment with 

even higher efficiency, quality and stability. In 2012, it plans to 

introduce a Komori eight-color perfector for its 10th anniversary 

and hopes to share the joy of the occasion with Komori. 

Zhao Pinhui, General Manager 


33



Marpress 

Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil 

Marpress grows its business target 

“We chose a Komori press after evaluating all available 

equipment in the Brazilian market. We studied the results that 

other printing shops were achieving with Komori presses and 

talked to many of our colleagues. Komori guaranteed us the 

lowest paper waste compared to its competitors. We were also 

impressed by the strong ecological appeal of Komori’s water 

fountain — an alcohol-free fountain solution. These features — 

plus the fact that the equipment has distinguished itself from 

competitors — met our business needs and environmental 

commitment. In addition to reducing emissions, our company 

has a very strong recycling program for unused documents. 

Marpress sends printing waste, unused products and returned 

mail to recycling companies. And we donate the money 

collected to social associations in the city where our head 

office is located,” states Mr. Nascimento. 

“In fact, we saw an 80 percent reduction in paper waste over 

the total printing process. With the gain in productivity, we not 

only eliminated the bottlenecks in our production but also 

acquired new customers attracted by the high printing standard 

that we could deliver after installing the Komori Enthrone,” 

continues Nascimento. 

“The Brazilian market has gotten more and more demanding 

with respect to the quality of printed products and the time to 

produce and deliver a job. Only with a state-of-the-art printing 

press like the Komori Enthrone 29 is it possible to meet all of 

these demands without risking any waste of time and supplies,” 

concludes Marcelo Nascimento. 

Supressa Graphics Pvt. Ltd. 

Mumbai, India 

Enthrone thrives in Mumbai’s ‘Print City’ 

From left: R.R. Subbu, 

CEO, and Prasad Sawant, 

Managing Director, of 

Supressa Graphics Pvt. 

Ltd., Mumbai 

Marcelo A. Nascimento, Director 

Brazilian commercial printer Marpress bought its first Komori 

press, a brand new Enthrone 29, in September 2010 from 

Gutenberg Máquinas e Materiais Gráficos. According to 

executives of the group, Gutenberg provided very good service, 

from the initial business contact through to the installation of 

the equipment and the final training of the employees. It was 

the first Komori Enthrone press delivered to Brazil and one of 

the first installed in the Latin America market. This new press 

was part of the Marpress Group’s plan to develop into one of 

the most important suppliers of commercial printing in the 

São Paulo area. The company is located in the city of Mogi 

das Cruzes, just a few minutes away from the big center of São 

Paulo and connected by modern highways. Mogi das Cruzes 

is one of the Brazilian towns where many Japanese immigrants 

settled just after World War I. This Japanese population is 

completely integrated with the local people, who have lived 

in the region since 1560, when Mogi das Cruzes was founded 

by the Portuguese conquerors just 60 years after landing in 

Brazil. Marpress occupies a facility of 3,400 square meters that 

houses six different companies belonging to the same group. 

When Marpress started business some 17 years ago, it was 

dedicated solely to the production of bank forms and banking 

invoices. Over the years, Marpress extended its product line 

to other commercial printing products, creating a group of 

companies, each with the specific know-how for printing 

one product. The product lines offered today still include 

the products for banks but also cover high quality magazines 

and small commercial newspapers. The Enthrone is already 

responsible for printing advertising flyers, banking invoices, 

newspapers and magazines. 

Marcelo A. Nascimento, director of the Marpress Group, 

explains why it was so important to buy a new modern printing 

press in the second half of 2010, when Brazil had weathered 

most of the international financial crisis: “We are the first 

Brazilian group to purchase a Komori Enthrone 529 in the format 

75 x 53 cm. We now have the ability to print in five colors at a 

speed of 13,000 sheets per hour for a very low initial investment. 

So we can accept almost all orders of our regular customers, 

mostly companies not affected by any international or local 

economic crisis. Today we can print any type of job within a 

short period of time with the highest quality. We are so satisfied 

with the press that we are even considering more ambitious 

projects for development right away. With the increase in 

our commercial staff, Marpress intends to improve its market 

share among commercial associations located in the state of 

São Paulo. With the Enthrone press, we are able to produce 

banking forms for many more customers. Thanks to this piece 

of equipment, we have enlarged our business target,” he adds. 

Mumbai-based Supressa Graphics Pvt. Ltd. has installed 

India’s first Komori Enthrone series four-color offset press. The 

new Komori Enthrone was installed by Printools Corporation 

of Bangalore, the Komori distributor in India. 

Supressa Graphics operates in one of the most printerpopulated 

industrial areas in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, also 

known as Print City. More than 30 years ago, Dilip Sawant, 

the company’s current chairman, started Supressa Graphics. 

Sawant’s son, Prasad, who received his training in the UK, is now 

managing director of the company. Prasad along with his team 

was key to making the decision to opt for the newly launched 

Komori Enthrone — after conducting some serious research 

to find their new machine. They conducted printing trials on 

various machines, and then visited several Komori users in 

the western region of India. They came to a clear conclusion: 

Komori offers excellent performance, high reliability and the 

shortest makeready time compared with similar machines of 

other manufacturers. 

The printer selected a four-color Komori Enthrone machine, 

which is the perfect size for its small facility. The features of the 

Komori Enthrone were also a perfect fit — semi-high pile delivery, 

low power consumption, a double-size impression cylinder that 

prints paper or cardboard from 0.04 to 0.6 mm in thickness 

without compromising on quality and speed. In addition, 

job changeover time from lightweight paper to heavyweight 

cardboard is significantly reduced. The most critical advantage 

is that the machine operates in a facility adjoining Supressa’s 

office in Lower Parel Mumbai. At this location, the printer wins 

many short-run jobs by offering competitive prices. Besides 

the high quality and productivity of this press, the Enthrone is 

extremely beneficial in terms of production costs. 

As Prasad Sawant explains, “We normally talk more about 

product and less about product cost. This new Enthrone will 

improve profitability while satisfying our client’s requirements. 

We are very impressed by the Enthrone’s print quality and low 

maintenance cost, and we are receiving excellent support from 

Printools, the Komori distributor in India.” 


35

User Profile 

User Profile 

Building success as partners 

Rohrer Corporation, Wadsworth, Ohio, US 

manufacturers offer convertible technologies 

that flip the sheet to print the bottom side, but 

Adkins believes this convertibility creates a 

weak link in the system making it wear quickly 

and require frequent maintenance. 

The new perfector is Rohrer’s fifth Komori 

press, and Adkins states that over the years his 

company has been “weeding out” its presses 

from other manufacturers as the relationship 

with Komori continues to grow. 

Rohrer Corporation is home to an LSX-840RP [8/2] + C + Extended Delivery with UV — the first of its kind in the world. 

Rohrer Corporation, headquartered in 

Wadsworth, Ohio, with facilities in Georgia 

and Illinois, believes in providing attentive 

and responsive service to its customers, and 

it expects the same from its suppliers. The 

company specializes in producing highvisibility 

display packaging for consumer 

products. Such packaging includes blister 

packs, skin packaging, thermoformed blisters 

and clamshells, and a variety of other, similar 

packaging styles that incorporate printed cards 

and thermoformed plastics to show consumers 

exactly what they’re getting. Traditionally, the 

hardware industry has been a key market for 

Rohrer, but the company now serves several 

industries including consumer cosmetics and 

personal care. 

Komori listens 

A longtime Komori partner, Rohrer has always 

been interested in the engineering changes 

and new features Komori has designed for 

its presses over the years. Rohrer enjoys the 

fact that, as a customer, it can make solid 

suggestions from field experience on ways 

to make each new press more powerful than 

the model before it — and Komori listens. 

Only months ago, Rohrer took delivery of 

the first-of-its-kind Komori LSX-840RP [8/2] 

perfecting press, designed to serve Rohrer’s 

very particular printing needs. The company 

already had — and is keeping — earlier Komori 

RP press models, but the new 41" press with 

8-over-2 color capabilities adds all the highly 

automated time and cost-saving technologies 

of Komori’s SX series. 

“We were in need of additional capabilities 

and capacity,” says Scot Adkins, president 

and CEO of Rohrer. “We were looking for the 

latest efficiency tools, all the things that Komori 

has done to increase productivity, decrease 

downtime, and reduce our makeready times. 

So we encouraged them to come up with an 

RP solution that would go with the advanced 

design of their current press line, and this press 

is it. It is the fastest press in terms of speed we 

have on the floor, and it delivers the Komori 

quality we love. From our perspective, Komori 

has just made a great press even better.” 

Flipping without marking the sheet 

The LSX-840RP [8/2] is unique in that it prints 

on both sides of the sheet without flipping the 

stock. The ink on the bottom of the substrate 

is UV cured before the top units print. In not 

flipping the sheet, Rohrer can avoid marking 

the stock. In fact, the press can print both sides 

of heavy board, thus eliminating the need for 

a gripper margin on the tail, providing stock 

savings. Perfecting presses from most other 

‘Komori: They don’t make promises they 

can’t keep’ 

“The relationship between Rohrer and 

Komori has been very solid,” he notes. “What 

I like about Komori is it’s a very conservative 

company. They don’t make promises they can’t 

keep, and that’s a good way to do business. 

Making sure they can deliver what they say, and 

many times deliver more than what they say, 

is something that Komori believes in. So even 

though it is a press that is new to the market, 

when they tell us, ‘Yes, the press will do this. 

Yes, it’ll run this. Yes, it will accomplish these 

goals that you have,’ we have every confidence 

that it will.” 

The LSX-840RP [8/2] was installed at Rohrer’s 

plant in Buford, Georgia, in the fourth quarter 

of 2010. Because it’s the first installation of this 

model anywhere, it was as new to Komori 

personnel as it was to Rohrer, and the two 

companies shared the experience of bringing 

the press to full functionality. 

“Komori had quite a good team in on the 

installation,” Adkins explains. “Our plant 

managers and project coordinator worked 

very closely with Komori and their engineering 

team to make sure that everything was right. 

We were up and running in less than six weeks, 

so it was an extremely quick and thorough 

installation. I was very impressed with that.” 

Although the press has been in operation for 

only three months, Adkins is pleased with the 

results so far. “Even though we’re still learning,” 

he says, “the production numbers are very 

impressive in terms of our total throughput, 

that is, the number of printed sheets per shift. 

We’re seeing tremendous improvements 

already.” 

From left: Rob van Gilse, Vice President Sales and 

Marketing, with Scot Adkins, President and CEO of 

Rohrer Corporation 

Additionally, because Rohrer is in the 

packaging business, the company has a special 

interest in environmental sustainability. Rohrer 

uses only water-based inks, offers FSC and 

SFI-certified materials, and recycles 15 million 

pounds of materials every year. 

“With all of the automation this press affords, 

there’s obviously a resource savings in running 

less sheets to get to color, but this new printing 

press has the additional feature of a fountain 

solution recycling system,” Adkins notes. 

“Essentially what it does is recycle and replenish 

the fountain solution. Basically, we don’t throw 

anything down the drain.” 

Summing up, Adkins says, “I think the way 

Komori supports us is the way we like to 

support our customers. Rohrer makes it a 

point to excel at customer service. And I think 

Komori is like us in that way. They respond 

to us very well. And buying a press with that 

kind of confidence in the manufacturer helps 

us be the best company in terms of service in 

our industry. Relying on partners like Komori 

makes it possible for us to meet that goal.” 

8-over-2 Color Reverse Printing Plus Coater Specification LSX-840RP [8/2] + C + Extended Delivery 


37

User Profile 

User Profile 

GPS installs second LS40P 

38 

GPS Colour Graphics, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 

From left: Helen McClay, Chairman, and Ian McCurry, Managing Director 


Northern Ireland’s GPS Colour Graphics has 

become the first company in the UK to install 

two Lithrone S40 long perfectors. An eightcolor 

Lithrone S40P perfector has just taken 

its place at the Belfast company alongside the 

10-color Lithrone S40P, which was installed 

in 2008. 

Since the 10-color S40P was installed, 

replacing two straight Komori Lithrones, the 

company’s annual turnover has increased 

by 20 percent. Says Managing Director Ian 

McCurry, “Job turnaround time on the 10-color 

perfector is very impressive and we can rely 

on changing over in 15 to 20 minutes.” 

Mr. McCurry also highlights increased 

efficiency levels on the shop floor since the 

first 10-color press has been in operation. 

“Through the inherent benefits of printing both 

sides in one pass, we have no half-completed 

sheets on the floor waiting for back-up, and, 

as a further consequence, we’ve reduced 

makeready waste.” 

Adds Chairman Helen McClay: “During 2010, 

our Lithrone S40P was so busy that, because 

we won’t ever let customers down, we found 

ourselves having to turn away new, very 

tight deadline work, even though we were 

working 24/7. That’s one of the many reasons 

we have now introduced a second Lithrone 

S40 perfector. And, as you’d expect, with the 

added capacity, part of our new sales drive is 

to alert our customers and prospects that with 

eighteen 40-inch Lithrone units we can easily 

handle more work.” 

Following a 10-color perfector with an 

eight-color 

When GPS installed its first Lithrone S40P it 

had already experienced the benefits of fifth 

units for sealing and spot coating with one of 

its straight Lithrones, so it had no doubts that 

a five-over-five perfector was essential. 

So, why has GPS now followed up the 10-color 

S40P with an eight-color version? 

Mrs. McClay explains: “It’s quite simple. We’re 

actually adopting exactly the same philosophy 

as we had before, when our production 

was based around five-color and four-color 

Lithrone printing — albeit on straight Lithrone 

40s — not perfectors. Just as then, a substantial 

volume of our work involves sealing along with 

some special-color applications. When we 

switched to perfecting, it was to ensure that we 

had the production power to complete printing 

in a single pass, whether it be four color, five 

color or four plus seal. The 10-color was our 

way to guarantee this. However, its installation 

also brought an increase in publication work 

— from short-run commercial jobs to long-run 

consumer monthly magazines. The new eightcolor 

perfector can handle these four-over-four 

sections with consummate ease, freeing our 

10-color for work such as five-color covers and 

work requiring sealing.” 

McCurry adds: “Indeed, as the two Lithrone 

S40Ps are so precisely compatible, we can use 

them in tandem to print different sections of 

the same job, or — if the deadline is really tight 

or the run length very long — even to print the 

same job at the same time on both presses. 

Our production department is also looking 

forward to the extra flexibility to make lastminute 

decisions regarding which Lithrone 

perfector will print which job.” 

No problems with heavy stock 

Strongly influencing the printer’s selection of 

another Lithrone S40P was its ability to print on 

thick materials. Before the first perfector was 

installed, the company conducted strenuous 

trials to make sure that there was no marking 

or scuffing on heavyweight stocks — a general 

reservation about perfecting presses that had 

deterred GPS from entering the perfecting 

arena in the past. Says McCurry: “Soon 

after installing the first S40P, we recognized 

that Komori’s three double-size perfecting 

cylinders ensured that there were no problems 

in printing more rigid materials, such as 

magazine covers and folders, of up to 400 

gsm, without marking.” 

Another significant observation made quickly 

by GPS was that its next press was definitely 

going to be a second Lithrone S40 perfector. 

So much so that the company embarked 

immediately on gearing up its workflow, 

prepress and finishing facilities for the next 

press. Following closely on the heels of the 

first S40P installation was the purchase of a 

Prism Management Information System and 

Prinergy workflow. More recently, a new MBO 

T960 Perfection Folder was installed, and then 

a Heidelberg saddle stitcher was added to its 

extended finishing department — expansions 

that required hiring 10 new employees, 

bringing the staff up to more than 50. 

To ensure 24/7 job completion, GPS also 

installed a Synergy Digit 76 laminator — so that 

lamination of covers, folders and educational 

training cards could be undertaken in-house. 

Then, just prior to the delivery of its second 

S40P, the company installed a second Screen 

Platerite platemaker, this time the faster and 

highly automated 8800Z. 

“It’s three times as fast as our other Platerite, 

and along with our MIS and Prinergy workflow, 

it’s all part of our plan to move into full JDF/ 

CIP4 production very shortly,” says McCurry. 

Well ahead in green initiatives 

With such focus on machinery over the 

last two years, it’s worth noting that the 

company has not lost its pioneering eco 

initiatives. Back in 2006, GPS was the first 

commercial printer in Ireland to become a 

Carbon Neutral® company and in 2008 it 

was the first in Northern Ireland to gain FSC 

accreditation. Helen McClay asserts that GPS 

is still well ahead of its competitors in green 

initiatives: “Having achieved a whole host of 

accreditations, we’re constantly working with 

our consumables suppliers and with Komori to 

further improve our eco-friendliness. And the 

new Komori Lithrone S40P, with its even lower 

waste levels, makes a further contribution to 

this aim.” 

The first Lithrone S40P at GPS, a ten-color machine, installed in 2008. 


39

User Profile 

User Profile 

Corrà’s turning point with Komori 

Grafiche Corrà, Arcole, Italy 

Davide Corrà (far right), Owner 

to live up to our expectations — both in terms 

of printing technology and after-sales service. 

When we chose the LS-840P, we thought 

we would just use it to print large volumes; 

however, as soon as it was installed we found 

it capable of combining great productivity with 

extraordinary quality. The perfecting unit was 

an important factor in our selection process – 

it was the only one that fulfilled our stringent 

standards,” Davide explains. 

The LS-840P in a 72 x 103 cm format chosen 

by Grafiche Corrà is a 4+4 perfector with Full- 

APC (automatic plate changer), three washing 

processes, format and sheet thickness presets, 

ink distributor roller washing, ink removal in 

all printing units, PDC-SII and connection to 

the PCC 2.2.x prepress. 

“We chose this press,” adds Davide, 

“because we do printing jobs that require a 

long perfector. In fact, we print specialized 

magazines for market niches that can also be 

sold at bookstores. But since it is a long press we 

can also use it as a straight press whenever we 

need to print very complex, six- to seven-color 

catalogs with a protective layer of varnish. Its 

printing quality amazes us and after the initial 

training, our operators have not experienced 

any problems whatsoever. We are very satisfied 

with its printing stability and register accuracy. 

It also features an in-line densitometer that 

guarantees optimum production and quality.” 

through Edigit and the Komori K-Station. 

“Our selection of the LS-540 + C was driven 

by the need to standardize our printing tools. 

In fact, since the plate size is the same for both 

presses, we can make a last-minute decision 

on whether to use the five-color or the eightcolor 

press based on their actual availability. 

Without any doubt this is a very important 

operational advantage,” Davide says. 

Why this choice? 

“We chose the Komori brand because the 

Lithrone S presses are completely automatic. 

They all perform a complete and fully automatic 

job changeover in just a few minutes. They are 

able to move sequentially through the various 

functions involved such as ink removal, run 

stopping, blanket and impression cylinder 

cleaning, plate changing, start-up, pre-inking, 

feeder activation and finally production 

printing itself.” 

“Technology is very advanced in these presses,” 

concludes Davide Corrà. “We chose not only 

for their automation, which makes changeover 

times so fast and quality so consistently high, 

but also for the Komori reliability. Plus, we 

enjoy an excellent relationship with the Komori 

Italian distributor.” 

40 


Grafiche Corrà is a printer located in Arcole 

in the Verona province of northeastern Italy. 

For nearly a quarter of a century, the company 

has made careful and discerning investments 

to improve printing quality and productivity. 

The result has been steadily increasing sales 

turnover and a growing customer base. 

“Our company began in 1986 with a passion 

for the graphics industry,” says Davide Corrà, 

who is at the helm of the company along with 

his father, Gianni. “We are a family enterprise 

deeply committed to developing the print 

business. We’ve grown dynamically on all 

fronts — in sales, production capacity, facility 

size and employee strength. Today we are a 

one-stop service supplier, from prepress to 

packaging, offering a wide range of digital 

and offset solutions with outstanding quality, 

speed and value. This is why we dare to 

challenge the market: Gives us free rein and 

you’ll never regret it!” 

Corrà moves to the beat of Komori 

Thanks to this successful growth, each 

department of the company features the best 

in terms of currently available technologies. 

However the printing department, with its 

two Komori Lithrones as the main production 

pillars, is truly state-of-the-art: an eight-color 

long press and a five-color press equipped with 

an acrylic varnish unit and a dryer. With the 

sheetfed presses, the company is able to cover 

the whole lithographic, commercial, publishing 

and paper-transformation market. And the 

flexibility and speed of the 72 x 103 cm format 

bring real quality and economic advantages for 

the end user. In total, 13 print units are installed 

and work is done in three shifts. 

The eight-color press 

“Our first Komori press was an eight-color 

Lithrone S40 perfector. We needed a perfecting 

press but at the same time we insisted on a 

machine with proven technology that met our 

requirements. Komori has been the only one 

The five-color press 

“In mid 2009, we felt that we needed to add 

a second press to our shop. Considering how 

satisfied we were with the first Komori, and 

after a long evaluation phase, we decided 

on another Komori — a five-color press that 

standardizes the print shop,” continues Davide. 

“This decision gave us the utmost satisfaction — 

with respect to the ease of use of the presses as 

well as other benefits, from saving on solvents 

and alcohol to low maintenance, from the 

automatic wash-up system to the in-line 

spectrometer, which ensures a consistent print 

quality. In other words, just like the LS-840P, 

the handling of this second press is simplified 

in a way that makes it surpass the competition.” 

The LS-540 + C in a 72 x 103 cm format, which 

was installed in 2009, is equipped with an 

in-line coating unit, automated plate changing 

(Full-APC), three wash-ups, automatic sheet 

size and thickness presets, IR drier, ink roller 

cooling, ink removal in units 1 and 5 based on 

actual needs, inking adjustment with PDC-SII 

and the PCC 2.2.x. prepress connection 


41

User Profile 

User Profile 

nextdayflyers.com: consistency 

42 

nextdayflyers.com, Rancho Dominguez, California, US 

From left: David Handmaker, President, Ben Nouri, Vice President of Operations, and Richard True, District Sales Manager of Komori America 


Words like efficiency, quality and consistency 

def ine nextday f lyers.com in Rancho 

Dominguez, California. The 13-year-old 

company entered the web-to-print arena 

just as it was starting to take off — and the 

company, home to a five-color Lithrone S40 

with coater, has remained ahead of the curve 

ever since. President David Handmaker says: 

“What separates us from our competition is 

consistency — consistency in our print quality, 

our turn around time and our customer service.” 

Unique level of service 

Handmaker says nextdayflyers.com is more 

flexible than other online printing companies. 

“The options we provide are more extensive. 

We can provide custom shipping options or 

proofing options. Our customers have one 

single point of contact — a customer care 

representative who is assigned to their account 

and that’s the person they always work with. 

The customer is building a personal relationship 

with our company. We frequently hear from 

our customers that this level of service doesn’t 

occur with other web-to-print providers.” 

What allows nextdayflyers.com to deliver 

consistency across their organization is their 

unique approach to continual improvement. 

Early on, Handmaker knew that the company 

needed a process-driven approach to grow 

the business and improve efficiency. “When 

I started this company, I had a vision that we 

could institute lean manufacturing in a printing 

environment, but I didn’t know the steps it 

would take to get there.” Handmaker hired 

consultants, studied the Toyota manufacturing 

method, and got his employees excited about 

process improvement. “Once they saw that 

the changes and improvements actually had 

a positive effect on the business, our people 

bought into the process.” 

Handmaker says the most important part of 

the process is the company’s employees. “You 

start with hiring the right people. If someone 

doesn’t want to participate in the system, then 

they wouldn’t be a good fit for our company. 

Continual improvement is one of our core 

values, so we need to have people who are 

aligned with the value. That’s one of the good 

things about our culture.” 

Strategy watchword: lean manufacturing 

VP of Operations Ben Nouri plays a big role 

in the company’s continual improvement 

process. An engineer by training, with a strong 

background in 6 Sigma and lean manufacturing, 

Nouri had no background in the printing 

industry before joining nextdayflyers.com. “I 

saw the potential of the company and the great 

team. Plus, they were in the right industry as far 

as the e-commerce portion of the business and 

I saw some opportunities to make the company 

better. Our potential is really good.” 

Nouri says the company measures everything 

related to the bottom line. “Everything we 

do is a process or a procedure. And to make 

improvements you have to develop action 

items or you can’t make the change.” Nouri says 

that the action items are prioritized by which 

ones will have the biggest impact. “Quality is 

#1 for us — we have to make sure that the action 

items we’re working on will have the biggest 

impact on quality improvement. We’re doing 

a lot of really good stuff here.” 

Critical to the success of any lean 

manufacturing operation is buy-in to the 

process from the top down. Nouri credits 

Handmaker with being the driving force 

behind the process. “David is very assertive 

in his decision making and wants to take the 

company to the next level.” 

‘Ben tore the manual apart’ 

The continuous improvement process even 

included the Komori team as the company 

installed their LS-540. Komori District Sales 

Manager Richard True was an active participant 

in the process. “For every press Komori America 

installs, there is a pre-installation meeting and 

a manual that outlines the procedure. Ben tore 

the manual apart. We met every week to go 

over the schedule, ensuring that everything 

was on track.” The meeting included Komori 

service technicians as well as nextdayflyers. 

com staff. True adds, “It was a great experience. 

Everyone was on the same page and knew 

their roles and responsibilities. I wish we could 

duplicate it with every installation.” 

Handmaker explains why he chose Komori: 

“We really liked the features on the press. 

It suited our business very well in terms of 

consistency and speed and we liked the fast 

makeready. We knew that we could execute 

for our customers with the Komori.” 

Channels: social media, search engine 

optimization and blogs 

The company currently serves over 100,000 

customers across the US and promotes the 

business primarily through online channels 

such as social media, search engine 

optimization (SEO) and blogs. “Our goal is 

to add many new products to our offering, 

improve our ability to market on the web and 

find ways to deliver product even faster to 

our customers,” says Handmaker. While the 

competition is fierce, it doesn’t bother him. 

“Yes, it’s a cutthroat market, but we don’t react 

to outside competition. We concentrate on 

what we do, how we do it, and don’t let it bother 

us.” And with their eye on quality, consistency 

and always improving the process, the sky 

seems to be the limit for nextdayflyers.com. 

Ben Nouri and David Handmaker of nextdayflyers.com are focused on 

continuous improvement for their business. 


43

User Profile 

Open House 

at KLT in 

Brazil 

Indian success with LS-440 

Unique Offset, Pune, India 

Nandkumar Navale 

(front left) and Mandar 

Thakurdesai (front right), 

owners of Unique Offset, 

with staff 

Unique Offset is recognized as a premier 

offset printer in Pune, India. Nandkumar 

Navale and Mandar Thakurdesai, the owners 

of Unique Offset, have been in the printing 

business for the past two decades. After 

completing their education in printing, 

they initially started an offset platemaking 

company. Having earned the confidence of 

their customers, they ventured into the printing 

business. 

From Spica 426 to full-size Lithrone 

After some years using other presses, they 

zeroed in on the Komori Spica 426 in March 

2007. As Mr. Thakurdesai explains, “Our 

decision to buy the Spica proved to be 

very beneficial as we are now running the 

machine almost to capacity, even though it 

runs at very high speeds and has an incredibly 

short makeready time on every job change. 

Our increased turnover and profitability was 

mainly due to the purchase of this machine. 

The service we got from Mr. Bhojraj of Printools 

Corporation, the Komori distributor, was very 

good. Having experienced the quality and 

results of the Komori Spica 426, we decided 

to purchase the latest version of a new press 

from Komori — a four-color LS40. We are one 

of the first buyers of this KHS-AI version in India 

and we are confident that our progress will be 

even more accelerated with this new gem.” 

Confidence in a high-spec machine 

“We decided to purchase the Komori LS-440 

after a thorough comparative study of the 

machines in use and available in India. We 

felt that the LS-440 suited our needs almost 

perfectly. The most important features of the 

machine were very fast makeready, including 

de-inking and pre-inking, excellent speed, 

and the presetting function for paper size and 

thickness.” 

“Being the latest version of this press, it has 

enabled us to keep abreast of the competition 

in the field. The unique features of the machine 

will allow us to expand into a wider spectrum 

of jobs.” 

With the LS-440, Unique Offset has now 

become a one-stop shop for its customers. 

As Thakurdesai says, “The Lithrone’s excellent 

adaptability to our prepress and postpress 

setup saves our customers critical time — we 

can meet all of their requirements in our facility.” 

“We visited the Komori Tsukuba Plant to 

get an on-the-spot feel for the company. We 

had a very informative tour and were even 

introduced to President Yoshiharu Komori. 

We felt really proud of being a member of the 

Komori family.” 

The Komori Latin America Technical Service Center (Gutenberg Office) in Brazil held an Open House on February 10, 2011. 

A four-color Lithrone SX29 + Coater and a five-color Enthrone 29 were exhibited. 

information 

Komori U.K. Limited 

Unit 3001 

Victoria Business Park 

Victoria Road Seacroft 

Leeds LS14 2LA, UK 

Tel:+44-113-823-9200 

Fax:+44-113-823-9201 

Komori UK’s Parts Manager Darren Etherington at the 

company’s new European Spare Parts Centre in Leeds. 

Komori UK Move Expands Parts Centre 

Komori UK Limited has moved into new premises in Leeds to 

provide additional facilities for its expanding European Spare 

Parts Centre. 

The company has invested over a half million euros in enlarging 

the spare parts operation at its new UK headquarters, where 

it has also constructed purpose-built new sales, service and 

administration offices. 

Says Komori UK Managing Director Neil Sutton: “Our enlarged 

and highly automated warehousing facility has enabled us to 

The new European Spare Parts Centre at Komori UK’s new 

premises. 

increase our stock to around 8 million euros worth of parts to 

support sheet and web presses, both old and new.” 

As Neil Sutton explains: “The new premises will enable us, 

when appropriate, to augment the outstandingly successful 

new Komori Graphic Technology Centre at our European HQ 

in Utrecht, where we now have a complete range of Komori 

sheetfed presses and management systems permanently 

available for demonstrations, training and print trials.” 

44 



45

Komori to the Rescue 

The city of Brisbane in Queensland, 

Australia, was struck by record flooding 

in mid-January (summer in Australia, of 

course), and ABC Printing, a Komori user 

located in the inner suburb of Milton, was 

hit particularly hard. 

Mitsuo Katsui 

at the 

‘Mois du 

Graphisme’ 

Yoshiharu Komori, chairman, president and CEO of Komori Corporation, 

took note of the disaster and immediately sent a letter to affected customers 

in the area, offering to help in the recovery effort. And Komori’s concern 

went beyond just words. The company flew a factory-trained engineer from 

Japan to Australia to assess ABC’s four- and six-color machines free of charge. 

ABC Printing Director Alan Atterton says: “The generosity of Komori as 

well as Ferrostaal, which helped organize the engineer from Japan as well 

as send a mechanic, has been overwhelming and we cannot really put a 

value on it. We now know for sure that Komori presses and filthy floodwater 

combined are not a recipe for healthy machines.” 

Mitsuo Katsui, the designer of the covers of 

On Press since No. 70, participated in the 

20th anniversary of Le Mois du Graphisme, 

an exhibition of graphic design held by the 

Centre du Graphisme in Échirolles, France, 

near Grenoble, from November 20, 2010, 

to January 30, 2011. As described by the 

organizers, this exhibition was ‘a geopolitical 

and graphical journey — of the United 

States, Japan and Russia — through the 

studios of three graphic designers who, 

although dissimilar in terms of their work, 

are comparable in terms of their talent.’ Katsui 

represented Japan with a show entitled ‘Live 

in Tokyo: At the studio of Mitsuo Katsui / 

Tokyo / Monographic Exhibition’ at the 

Moulins de Villancourt venue. 

November 20 marked the first day of Graphic 

Design Month and featured various shows 

and performances, including the screening 

of the film Live in Tokyo by Carla Sonia in the 

presence of Mitsuo Katsui. 

Mitsuo Katsui with Catherine 

Ressuge of Komori France 

46 Komori On Press ONPRESS72 en USA 48P May. 2011 11.2K IC

2011 No.72 - Komori

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