Executive Forum?Servo-Driven Presses

THE USE OF servo drives in package printing, especially when incorporated into the printing press, is one of several technologies that can significantly improve quality and productivity for package printers. To get a perspective of the impact that servo technology is having, and will have on our industry, packagePRINTING interviewed executives from several press manufacturers that have staked a claim at the forefront of this state-of-the-art technology.

pP: What impact has servo technology had on the package-printing industry?

Mac Rosenbaum, vice president, Aquaflex—The speed and accuracy of servo-driven presses are making it possible to maintain margins while still satisfying customer demand for stabilized or reduced costs. Just as important, servo-based platforms enable greater "hands-off" operations, freeing operators to deal with the exception rather than the rule. In the long term, this means less dependency on craftsmanship and greater productivity per operator.

Rob Schellekens, director of sales and marketing, Drent Goebel—Until the mid-'90s, presses were mainly mechanical machines. With the high inertia in the mechanical components, presses had limits in registration quality, unless very expensive measures were taken. Only CI flexo presses were able to produce films and foils with good registration.

Servo technology, enables press manufacturers to build extremely rigid drives in the press, thus eliminating torque variation in drive shafts and gear trains. With the servo technology of today, station-based press manufacturers can secure the highest registration quality, comparable to gravure and offset.

Jon Guy, president, Gallus Inc.—Servo-drive technology is part of a whole range of improvement technologies that have been adopted in recent years to add value and cut waste and time out of the production process. To single servo drives out alone without the other sister technologies is to lose sight of the synergistic effect we gain from a well-engineered machine system as a whole.

… We do see a ubiquitous use of servo technology in the future that is in line with the overall trend toward digitalization. Presses are becoming more computer controlled and servos certainly enable that process, both within the single machine system and later integration into the business system of the company. … Industrialization of the printing process and servos has continued to remove variability out of the printing process, and also has led to improved profitability through repeatability and savings of time and material.

Paul Brauss, president, Mark Andy, Inc.—Servo motors have allowed the ability to have tighter registration and more automation, both resulting in higher productivity for the printer. In addition, they've expanded the capability of converters to manage their production environments with more efficiency.

Steve Leibin, North American sales manager, Omet Srl.—Motion controls (servo motors and electronic drives) have improved production efficiencies through reduced waste and improved quality and repeatability. Motion controls provide more precise science in the print process compared to the inconsistent art of older gear presses.

pP: Printing presses using servo technology currently bear a premium price tag. How quickly can your customers get the payback to justify this expense?

Guy—Recent studies have shown that the Gallus RCS 330 in head-to-head comparisons with other conventional technology printing presses provides a payback in less that three years. ROI tends to be faster on a well-integrated servo press system due to all the benefits that it can provide as compared to a conventional or mechanical printing press. It seems hard to believe payback is faster on an asset that sells for over $2 million when you are used to buying a press for $500K. It shows how efficient and productive the new machines truly are.

Brauss—The cost benefit of servos is directly related to the type of process and the quality level demanded by the customer. In some regards, the cost is insignificant compared to the immediate cost savings created through higher productivity, lower waste, and the ability to take advantage of technology in the operation. We've seen customers earn the return in a matter of months. On less complicated, standard work, servo may not be the right solution.

Leibin—Typically, the payback on an OMET servo press is two years or less. Through job cost analysis with customers, [we have found that] one OMET Flexy servo press can replace two or three older geared presses.

Rosenbaum—Servo presses should be viewed as a long-term investment; the short-term costs rarely project an attractive ROI. But the short-term benefits are substantial in terms of throughput, quality, and performance. The more efficient your total operation is, the faster you will able to justify the purchase. If your operational efficiencies are marginal, adding a servo press will only exacerbate the situation and payback will be elusive. The decision to buy servo is a decision to invest in positive future growth.

Schellekens—This [premium price] is not true. Servos have come down substantially in cost since the mid-'90s. In fact, the opposite is the case, as mechanical-built presses require a lot more parts and more assembly hours in the factory.

pP: Do you see the price tag of servo-driven presses coming down over time? What will allow this to occur?

Brauss—This will be determined by technology advances and the law of supply and demand. Certainly the more servo motor manufacturers that enter this market segment, the better it will be for the consumer. System integrators who find more and more efficiencies throughout the entire machine design—including servo motors—will offer even more benefit over the long run.

Leibin—Motion controls are like computers, the price keeps going down and the capabilities keep going up. Originally, motion controls (servos) came out in the mid-'80s on newspaper presses. As the price dropped, they were incorporated into mid-web presses in the '90s. Now, as the price has continued to drop, it has become economical for narrow-web presses.

Rosenbaum—Servo presses are rarely off-the-shelf. Most are custom-configured to address unique specifications. Customization keeps the cost higher. Beyond that, servo-driven presses are just beginning to become mainstream technology in narrow and mid-web and the demand is moderate. As demand increases and there is greater standardization, the price will go down. Actually, we could see servo presses costing less than traditional mechanical systems because they are less complicated to build.

Guy—Quite frankly, I do not see the price retreating. Although there are many variables to the price, it is fair to say that the costs for servo drives are stabilizing. … I do foresee a continued increase in the system power, both in drive energy and computing capability, with the prices remaining at the same level.

pP: Did your commitment to providing servo technology on your presses require a significant investment for your company? In what areas?

Leibin—We invested not only in engineering expertise, but also in training electronic technicians for production, as well as service support. Also, R&D expenses for developing these new platforms has been significant the last 12-15 years.

Rosenbaum—Obviously the cost of designing and producing any new press technology is painful for a manufacturer. However, the price of not staying at the forefront of technology is even higher—we call it extinction! At F.L. Smithe, we had the significant advantage of over 10 years of experience in designing and building complicated servo-driven converting equipment.

Schellekens—The investment in R&D is enormous—many years of engineering, testing and, more over, industrializing. This requires a great deal of input from users in the field.

Guy—Certainly in the area of R&D and committing necessary engineering assets required us to work closely with drive suppliers and computer control system integrators to achieve a total seamless integration to the press. We also invested in service support areas such as technician training, since we have moved past only mechanical levels to involve more electronics. … Additional investment into remote diagnostics with modem dial-ups provides preventive maintenance and troubleshooting services for the customer.

Brauss—As with any new technology, our engineers spent a lot of time in validating to make sure the technology could meet our quality and productivity expectations. There are many different applications for servo and we spent time analyzing the implementation that brought the best value to the converter. For example, we spent time making sure that our programming and registration algorithms could be maximized to consistently achieve the highest quality print.

pP: What is the interest level from potential customers in servo technology?

Rosenbaum—We have been surprised at the level of interest in our new Aquaflex Servo FPC. Customers are coming to us with questions and defined needs and starting serious dialogues. … Currently we're seeing nearly equal interest between our mechanical presses and our new servo offerings. It appears that the package-printing industry is ready for some fresh thinking.

Schellekens—Today, servo technology is not rocket science anymore and the marketplace has shown a wide acceptance. But as always, success is in the proof. The most successful printers and converters today are using high-end servo technology; even the sheetfed industry has now become interested in servo.

Guy—We are seeing a very high interest in this technology. Most customers are specifying that the press needs to have servo-drive technology, yet they may not necessarily know what level of integration is most suited to their business needs.

Brauss—The printers that are process oriented are all very interested in servo-drive technology. Most large converters that understand the benefits are demanding equipment that will allow them to achieve higher quality. Others are still wrestling with sticker shock and the various levels of investment required to acquire the equipment.

Leibin—More and more printers are understanding that motion control technology is the next quantum leap in the narrow-web industry. The production efficiencies of gearless-shaftless design presses help reduce costs and allow printers to be more profitable in today's competitive marketplace.

pP: As many benefits as servo provides, it is still a significant shift in new technology for first-time users. How do you support your customers to ensure a successful investment?

Schellekens—One of the biggest advantages is the remote diagnostics incorporated into the press. Modem support has decreased downtime substantially. Today, press manufacturers offer 24/7 service, so they are able to minimize downtime.

Guy—Servo-drive presses actually make it easier for an operator to adapt. This technology reduces the variables to quality printing that the operator had to juggle in the past.

… Gallus provides hands-on training before and immediately after installation of the press. Today's Gallus presses have self-diagnostics built into the machine interface, as well as maintenance schedules that require operators to perform certain maintenance tasks at the appropriate intervals. The remote modem support also allows Gallus to remotely optimize settings, conduct predictive maintenance, and prevent downtime.

Brauss—One of the great things that we've designed in combination with this technology is a robust remote diagnostics system. We now have the ability to examine faults and other issues with the press right over the Internet. This remote system support provides a unique confidence factor for first-time servo users.

Leibin—Many converters consider servos to be "black boxes" and are afraid of what they do not know. But in reality, motion control systems have fewer moving parts, are easier to service, and have better durability than traditional geared presses. OMET presses incorporate modem hook ups for instant 24/7 trouble shooting and diagnostics.

Rosenbaum—We begin that support process long before the press is delivered. We first assess the impact an Aquaflex Servo FPC will have on the entire operation. Then we work with the printer to help optimize press floor operations to maximize the benefits of the new servo press component. Then comes the human factor—we provide hands-on training for the operators and we continue that training until the operator is fully comfortable with the new technology and can demonstrate proficiency. After that we offer direct phone support, 24/7. … In some cases we have to do as much un-training as operational training. Experienced operators tend to tinker with settings and they need to learn to trust the press.

pP: What should first-time users of servo-driven printing presses know in order to get the most out of their investment?

Guy—They need to recognize that support for the workflow needs to be adjusted for the higher productivity that will be available on the new press. Work and materials need to be pre-staged since the new press will get through a job much faster than in the past. If the printer is not ready for this, then there will be a potential for lost production opportunity.

Brauss—Servo motors themselves are not enough. The complete printing plant should become more process-oriented and evaluated to look for ways to increase productivity. Servos are just one tool. With a disciplined production process and modern equipment, the converter is equipped to approach applications that will lead to higher margins and maximized productivity.

Leibin—There are different designs for servo systems that deliver varying results at various costs. Hybrid systems are the first step and combine gears with a single servo motor. This provides better tension control and less waste than a geared press, but gearless-shaftless motion control systems provide much lower waste, faster set up, and much more flexibility in the press platform at a competitive price.

Rosenbaum—First-time users of servo-driven printing presses need to understand there is a learning curve involved. That doesn't mean it's difficult, it just means it is different from what they're used to. Once operators are properly trained, operations are actually simplified and accelerated. The printer should also evaluate his press floor operations to align with their new capacity. These are very hungry presses; they consume a lot more jobs in much less time than the printer is used to.

pP: What other areas of a printer's operation could be impacted by the use of servo-driven presses?

Rosenbaum—The biggest adjustment is managing the substantially increased throughput. Capacity impacts prepress operations as well as post-press operations. Further investments in automated systems, such as roll changing and splicing, will amplify productivity and reduce labor costs and materials waste. The good news is these changes do not have to happen all at once. Higher capacity will quickly illuminate the other areas in the operation that need improvement. Each improvement has a payback that only the printer can evaluate based upon his unique business applications.

Schellekens—A servo-driven press can print higher quality, no question. The prepress environment preferably needs to be fit in with that. Film-to-plate is often being changed to CtP. These investments are adding value, not only in quality, but especially in increased uptime of the press.

Guy—Once again, the workflow of the plant must be thoroughly analyzed.

The maintenance department would need more training in electronics simply because a greater percentage of the press is now electronic.

The prepress area would benefit from upgrading to digital systems to take advantage of the printing capabilities of the servo-driven press. Computer-to-plate technology now makes more sense to improve the output volume of plates that the new press will require with more changeovers and shorter/faster runs.

By Tom Polischuk

Editor-in-Chief