KOMORI INDIA

“As we are already in 101st anniversary of our founding, we believe that we need a compass for our continued sound development”

P3 : What are all the new machinery & equipment manufactured by Komori for the current offset printing industry?

JS : Komori’s main offset solutions range from 26” to 46” width offset sheet fed printing machines, 16 to 32-page web offset and the post press equipment of Apressia series, as well as MBO, Herzog + Heymann which joined Komori in 2020. High levels of automation in job make-ready and production start-up, offline or inline quality management system, paper handling etc. is available to bring the Smart factory operation into reality using the KP-Connect. The cloud-based information management system providing printing companies with the tools needed to streamline business, improving production processes, productivity and optimizing production output.

P3 : Could you explain us about your Lithrone GX/G advance series printing machines?

JS : Lithrone GX advance is our flagship press meeting the diverse needs of customers at a very high level. It improves productivity with added specifications and features to include the needs of the packaging market, most notable is the capability to run larger sheet size up to 750 × 1,050, sheet thicknesses up to 1mm and stable, high-quality printing up to 18,000 sheets per hour. In particular, “Super Short Makeready” devised to reduce changeover time, including special color, minimizes job changeover times.

Similarly, our G advance press offers a maximum printing speed of 17,200 sheets per hour and delivers very stable high-speed operation with a wide range of sheet thicknesses from ultrathin to thick sheets and is a value for money press. With our new EX edition launched at drupa2024, our aim is to achieve new benchmark in high productivity and sustainable printing. We introduced three eco- conscious functions which helps us to reduced power consumption also improvement in the feeder help us to realizes stable feeder and delivery operation to cut wastepaper usage, thus both achieving reduced greenhouse gas emissions and high productivity.

“Komori have set its long-term vision towards 2030 to address the social issues around the megatrends of environmental destruction and waste problem and decarbonization”

P3 : What products Komori offers to digital printing?

JS : Official sales launch of the Impremia IS29, B2 sheet fed UV inkjet digital printing system and introduction of Impremia NS40, B1 Sheet fed Nanographic printing system prototype was made in 2021. The experience obtained through the market introduction of these two models have now allowed us to launch the J-throne 29, the worlds’ fastest printing B2 sheet fed UV inkjet digital printing system planned to enter rigorous beta testing at several sites in the North America during 2025.

P3 : What is the digital press to pioneer new business fields, utilizing Komori’s full range of offset technologies?

JS : Over the past few years, we confirmed more of our products being accepted in areas where marketing strategies allow for different advertising methods in segmented geographies and populations, which are also facing rapid increase in labor cost already at its highest level due to shortage of qualified offset print engineers. Our initial target of the launch of the new J-throne 29 is to expand opportunities in such applications and businesses areas.

P3 : Could we monitor and have an easy visualization of whole press production and operating conditions by any software in Komori?

JS : Yes, the KHS-AI, Komori’s intuitive press operation interface visualizes the schedule, details and status of each print job from press changeover and make ready, operations such as ink key opening and plate registration as well as the status of quality management operations performed using the off-line PDC-S (Print density control system) or the inline PQA-S (Print quality assessment system) during production. The KP-Connect, Komori’s cloud-based information management system will enable visualization of the live status of multiple printing machines which are connected to it, providing dashboard to give comprehensive overview and the trend information of weekly or monthly operation status such as the operating rate, productivity parameters or paper wastage, as well as means to drill down into detailed operational data in case abnormalities are identified.

P3 : May we know about your Innovative UV curing system and its merits to the user?

JS : The Komori H-UV System is an innovative UV curing system that uses a UV lamp developed with Komori know-how and high-sensitivity UV ink. With just one lamp mounted in the delivery, this system offers high print quality and reliability as well as excellent economic and eco-friendly performance. Other than the stable print quality of smear-free, sharp-dot-printing, the system enables quick turnaround for finishing thanks to its immediate curing, easier handling of substrate which are sensitive to heat, elimination or reduction in use of powder spray enabling easier equipment maintenance etc., all helping to improve productivity of the entire production process.

P3 : Does Komori have any system to control the paper waste in production process?

JS : Komori is a pioneer in developing short makeready technologies which also helps minimize the paper waste during print start up. The KHS Komori High-performance system incorporates a sophisticated self-learning pre-inking control, the “High speed start up” ink and water balancing program to quickly attain target density during the print start up, thus reducing the number of test printing. Smart pre-inking programs are also available to make precise ink film adjustment without running the sheets through the press, based on the L*a*b* measurement of the PDC spectrophotometer, for trickly Pantones. Our PQA-S (Print quality assessment system) is an all-in-one quality control system which performs print quality inspection of every single production sheet, helping operator identify and manage print defects at early stage of its occurrence, and in-line color, plate register controls to ensure the print quality do not deviate off the tolerances throughout the production.

P3 : Features of your spares supply facilities and marketing operations in India?

JS : We make sure to have sufficient inventory of consumables we provide to our customers as well as fast moving spare parts in our Faridabad depot. Other parts are currently supplied from our global parts center network, located in Tokyo, Leeds, Utrecht, and Chicago around the clock. As for marketing, we try to maintain and extend our touchpoints with existing and prospective customers. We often welcoming guests to our office but also try sponsor and attend as much regional exhibitions and seminars as possible, as these events provides us the opportunities to listen to the market and customers’ voices, the most important source of inspiration in making any positive changes to our operations.

P3 : How advanced your testing facilities here in India when it comes bout reconditioning or spare replacements QA to your customers?

JS : For machines imported brand new, Komori offer a program of what we call a “Machine Health Check” to many of our customers. Thorough inspection of the machine condition will be carried out at customer premises to suggest maintenance service to bring back or keep the machine to its optimal operating condition, as necessary. Using genuine factory-sourced parts are often important to ensure that assembly accuracy and functional standards are met, to reproduce expected results and extend press uptime over longer periods of time.

P3 : Future business plans for Indian sub-continent?

JS : Under Komori’s existing global sales channel policy, Komori India is already responsible for countries such as Bangladesh and nations in the eastern Africa. On a successful establishment of our core offset and post press business in the existing territories, our ambition is to take on additional role within the group in terms of business territory, business category and to contribute in many ways to strengthen the group’s global value chain.

P3 : Challenges you are facing in the market?

JS : Our challenge lies in our own capabilities keeping up with the increasing demand for customer support from the rapidly increasing and diversifying customer base, as well as the broadening range and the rapid development cycle of the products we offer. That is why we take the formulation of our human resource development and education plan very much seriously in our business management plan over the coming years.

P3 : Being a machinery manufacturer, may We know about your environmental management policies?

JS : Komori’s history of environmental initiatives dates back in 2001 when the company launched the Environment committee and formulated the Basic Environmental Policy, now updated to its long term vision, “Komori Eco Vision 2030”, setting clear targets to reduce CO2 emissions (scope 1+2) by 50% (as compared to FY2010 level) and to achieve zero waste emissions (for its Japan-based headquarter and the group companies) by FY2030, further aiming carbon neutrality by FY2050. A group-wide project is formed to implement environmentally friendly product development, procurement, and production activities. Our corporate activities are publicized in its ESG or integrated reports over the last two decades, and further in line with TCFD recommendation as from FY2023.

P3 : What is your idea on technology advancements of printing industry in India?

JS : The industry is promoting sustainability through the implementation of recycling programs for paper, ink, and other materials, as well as the adoption of digital printing technology, unless printing in high volumes. Komori believe our waste reduction technology, power saving features of our products, our Smart factory initiatives aimed at rationalizing the entire print production process will support development of such trend in the industry. Komori is also taking strategic steps in the development of its digital printing business, in close observation of the transition in the industrial perception and market demand for digital print, as earlier stated.

P3 : What is your view on paper sustainability which is looked as need of the hour?

JS : Paper, being made of renewable resource, biodegradable and recyclable makes a sustainable and versatile material for many uses but do account for considerable amount of waste. Komori, under its long-term vision, aim to take a unique and active role in supporting the information society, culture, and economy by deepening, evolving, and creating value through the true value of print technology in a sustainable manner. In this regard, Komori implements its environmentally friendly product development, procurement and production activities based on the Basic Environmental Policy to reduce its environmental impact as described earlier, to develop low-environmental-impact production solutions for the industry.