Long black jobs on a color digital press

[CathieH]

As I said in my other thread, we're going to get a new digital press, either Canon or KM, but a new color press nevetheless.

Here's my dilema: we currently have a KM C500 color machine that the powers that be (PTB) want to keep as backup when we get the new press. We also have a KM C1050 black only press, quite the workhorse and runs beautifully, runs tabs, 5 output trays, handles cover stock well, but the PTB want to get rid of it since it's big and its lease is expiring.

I've been here for just over a month and since Feb. 24, I've run 50,901 black pages and 468 color pages. (We obviously print a lot of books with black guts.) So, my concern is running so much black only on our new color press. Since we spiral bind so much and are hand punching (what a time killer), we're getting the 44-hole punch system with our new machine which is wonderful, but when I told PTB about my concerns of running so much black on the new machine, we're going to brainstorm and make sure we're going in the right direction. They say maybe a different black only machine, but it won't have the hole punch, so it would be back to manual punching. Personally, I want to keep the black only workhorse, add a puncher, get a new color machine without the bells and whistles and sack the C500. But I seriously doubt that the PTB will want to keep the 1050.

So I don't know what the solution is and wonder if any of you have suggestions. I'd also like to know if you believe that's it's a problem to run a lot of long black runs on a Canon IR ADV C9065/9075 or a KM bizhub PRESS C6000.

Thanks for your help!
Cathie

 

[mac_man_luke]

Cant imagine it being a problem other than being over kill and most likely slower than a dedicated black machine

Id imagine if you went with KM you could almost wheel the punch unit between the two

Otherwise look at offline automated punching? then you dont have to buy the punch again next time you upgrade

 

[pdan]

FWIW, our Sickinger punch runs about as fast, at it's lowest speed, than an operator can load it.

 

[DTEC]

A better solution is to get a Ricoh PRO 1357EX with a GBC stream punch, which will run at full engine 135 ppm speed even while punching. (reason I am recommending the Ricoh is because that has been my experience and not to say that Konica wouldn’t have a similar solution) Put a interposer on the unit to handle the color pages or covers and have a Fiery rip controller, it is better than the just using the Ricoh print driver. Keep the KM C500 to produce color pages it does a good job considering you are doing such low volume of color. To answer your question will the KM6000 handle 50k clicks of black per month, not a problem but here is the issue if you are thinking of running all 8.5 x 11 sheets for black then you run a 12 x18 color sheets you may find you are getting track marks in the colored solids. This is because of the 8.5 x 11 memory marks on the fuser belt or rollers are now transferring to the sheet. Best way to keep Color Electrostatic units at peak performance regardless of manufacture is to run various sizes and thickness of substrate.

 

[CathieH]

Thanks for the suggestions. They're nixing the independing spiral binding machines due to cost. One of the PTB said even a used one costs $40,000.

I'm very familiar with the track marks you mention, DTEC, had that happen on our Xerox when I was at a print shop.

So, I had a powpow with the PTB this morning to brainstorm and they're now realizing that keeping the 1050 b/w is probably a better idea and getting a good color digital press, but not big bells and whistles. Also adding a hole-punch system to our 1050.

We'll see what we end up with, but at least they had an open mind and when they looked at the numbers and the click costs, the numbers didn't lie.