Demonstrating Strength Though Partnerships
HIFLEX (Booth 463), a global technology leader of Web2Print and MIS solutions for print, is demonstrating integration to KBA (Booth 1255), Kodak (Booths 1227, 5227), Agfa (Booth 844), LithoTechnics (Booth 744), Muller Martini (Booth 637) and Standard Horizon (Booth 1244) technology.
Comments Gary E. Marron, HIFLEX North American president and CEO, “We are pleased and honored with the distinct position of being chosen by each of these leading industry vendors to demonstrate the real JDF integration that HIFLEX and its partners provide. Printers are looking for real and ‘on-the-floor’ functionality for their businesses and not just talk and hype; they want to see it really working and experience the ROI in their plants and they will see this in the collaboration and demonstrations we collectively will provide.”
A day in the life
A three screen theatre in the KBA booth allows printers to see ‘a day in the life of a print job,’ simulating an actual printing company with very high level automation. HIFLEX is showing an on-line order flow through to Kodak Prinergy and Agfa Apogee, where files are uploaded directly from the print buyer to the job and plates made. HIFLEX then drives the KBA Logotronic Professional System, where JDF files from HIFLEX Scheduling are used to automatically set up the entire job to be printed, typically, while a job is being produced and with minimal operator intervention. HIFLEX Scheduling is also sending JDF to the Muller Martini Automatic Make Ready System or AMYRS for full finishing automation. All of these systems provide JMF back to HIFLEX for real-time costing feedback against estimated jobs.
HIFLEX and Standard Finishing Systems are exhibiting together in the Standard Horizon booth, demonstrating live, automated machine set ups of Standard Horizon perfect binders and saddlestitchers via HIFLEX MIS and its JDF production workflow. HIFLEX MIS is being used to create a 20-page self-cover, saddlestitched book; HIFLEX Scheduling is sending JDF files of this book to the Standard Horizon ‘pXnet’ workflow and the StitchLiner 5500. The advanced Standard Horizon Stitcher consumes the HIFLEX JDFs and activate the StitchLiner 5500’s servo motors, automatically adjusting the input sheet size, score and fold settings, stitch positions and three-side trim parameters. HIFLEX is also creating a 96-page plus cover, perfect bound book and automating the Standard Horizon BQ-270C Perfect Binder and HT-30 Trimmer with the same automation and precision.
In the Agfa booth, HIFLEX MIS is sending JDF’s to Agfa’s Apogee workflow; Apogee then consumes the JDFs and dynamically creates complete layouts for all jobs entered. Simultaneously, HIFLEX sends an email order confirmation and upload link to the print buyer. The buyer then click on the link and upload files for the job, which then routes them directly to the imposition that was automatically created. All prepress operations are recorded in Apogee and then automatically sent back to HIFLEX MIS via JMF for capturing all of the actual cost bookings.
HIFLEX is also exhibiting its advanced Webshop, Web2Print software, in its own booth (463). The software received the coveted 2010 PIA InterTech Award for the second time.
