International print exhibitions such as IGAS always attract visitors from various countries operating in different segments and seeking distinct solutions. On Press spoke with printers from Asia, Europe and North America who had come to the Komori booth to discover the right answer for their company's future. Their interests were as broad as the Komori lineup — sheetfed and web, offset and digital, and postpress too. But trust in Komori and its people was also fundamental to their thinking.
From UK
We actually just installed an eight-color Lithrone S29P H-UV after installing another machine with the same specifications two and a half years ago, so we are the only printer in the world running two of these presses. We were coming to Japan anyway and wanted to come during IGAS and see the Komori booth. We're also very impressed with Komori's new Apressia DC105 guillotine, and we want to learn more about digital and inkjet. We've had Komori presses since before we bought Indigo Press. And since we became the owners in 2004, we've bought four Komori presses: a brand-new five-color press, a brand-new 10-color press and now two eight-color H-UV perfectors. But to us, the most important thing is that we have a partnership with Komori. The machine is obviously a major item, but our partnership with Komori and their people is the real key.
From China
I'm at IGAS to study the global printing industry and current trends as well as look at how far automation has progressed. Also, Komori has been our trusted partner for many years. I am most interested in the System G38 H-UV web offset press, which I intend to invest in. We generally print textbooks, reference books and children's books. The volume of this work is not changing but the demand for higher quality is growing all the time. Our current equipment is inadequate for this need, so we must acquire presses that will help us attain a higher level of quality. We're located in Hunan Province, a growing region, and we're getting orders from India and Vietnam. We want to increase this business, which is another reason we need to upgrade our equipment. I also think the System G38 will be an environmental plus since it uses H-UV. We will configure the press with a sheeter.
From Mexico
We've been a Komori user since 2008. We bought our second Komori machine three years ago, and now we have come to IGAS to purchase our third Komori press. And also to say hello to Mr. Komori because we always have a great time with him. We're looking at printing machinery mainly, but we've also seen postpress and prepress equipment that we might be interested in buying. The pace of change in the printing industry is very fast. We are very happy in the packaging segment, but we also think that digital holds the key to the future. So, packaging and digital. We like Komori machines, but the thing that we like best is their people. The way they treat you, the way they talk to you. They don't sell you machinery, they sell you solutions. They go beyond what we expect. I love the people, I love the technology. My wife and I are delighted with the opportunities exhibited here at IGAS.
From Japan
My purpose in coming to IGAS is to see the latest developments in printing technology and search for the right machine to take our company into the future. With that in mind, we purchased the Impremia IS29 digital printing system being demonstrated here in the Komori booth. We think that this machine has amazing color output capabilities. It puts us where we want to be. We want to be a print manufacturer specializing in color using state-of-the-art color control. The Impremia IS29 will let us achieve this goal. It will be a foothold for our growth. By succeeding with this machine we will be able to install an offset press like the Lithrone. I am also very interested in die cutters and other postpress equipment.
From Korea
Today's printing industry is undergoing tremendous change. I came to IGAS to learn about current trends and the future of the industry. I am particularly interested in the Lithrone GX40RP, which I plan to install in the new factory we are building. The Korean industry faces a shortage of experienced operators and difficulty in recruiting new candidates. In Korea, working hours are being shortened by law, so without raising productivity, competitiveness will decline and sales will fall. We think that it is important to cut costs by investing in efficient, highly automated equipment to deal with this situation, and it also necessary to select presses capable of handling small lots of diverse products. We decided that the Lithrone GX40RP can maximize our productivity and plan to install it for printing educational materials and books, which are our key products.
