Standards for the Pressroom

[JudP]

Hello,

I am currently doing a top to bottom review of my pressroom efficiency and wanted to see if anyone had information as to what the industry standards are for make ready times on both a sheetfed (we currently run a 5 color + coater XL 105 and a heatset web (6 color).

Both presses have preset ink keys, closed loop color.

The XL 105 has semi auto plate loaders and the web has auto plate loaders.

Our average MR time on the sheetfed is 10 minutes from shut down to saving on the next job and 13 mins on the web.

I've seen various figures around but seems the industry standard is 20 mins per color.

Also, would like to get the same information for make ready waste if anyone has it.

On the web I've seen the standards set at 5,000 for an initial MR and 3,000 for a follow on MR but I haven't been able to find anything on sheetfed.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Jud

 

[tamale]

I've never heard of standards such as yours. If I were you I'd quit my job and become a consultant!

Tamale

 

[gordo]

Hello,

I am currently doing a top to bottom review of my pressroom efficiency and wanted to see if anyone had information as to what the industry standards are for make ready times on both a sheetfed (we currently run a 5 color + coater XL 105 and a heatset web (6 color).

Both presses have preset ink keys, closed loop color.

The XL 105 has semi auto plate loaders and the web has auto plate loaders.

Our average MR time on the sheetfed is 10 minutes from shut down to saving on the next job and 13 mins on the web.

I've seen various figures around but seems the industry standard is 20 mins per color.

Also, would like to get the same information for make ready waste if anyone has it.

On the web I've seen the standards set at 5,000 for an initial MR and 3,000 for a follow on MR but I haven't been able to find anything on sheetfed.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Jud

There are no "standards" but there are averages. For a 4/C press - for a run of 5-10,000 sheets from loading the plates to OK sheet is about 30 minutes. Generally the longer the press run the longer the make ready time since the cost of makeready time and wastage becomes a smaller part of the total cost of the job - there's no rush. Preset ink keys, which you have, make a dramatic impact on lowering make ready times. FM screening and ink savings/optimization (heavy GCR (re) separations) will contribute to lowering make ready times.

 

[Deleted member 16349]

On the web I've seen the standards set at 5,000 for an initial MR and 3,000 for a follow on MR but I haven't been able to find anything on sheetfed.

Just for clarity. What are the units for 5,000 and 3,000. Impressions or meters or feet?

 

[JudP]

Hi Erik,

Thanks very much for the input.

My figures of 5,000 and 3,000 are sheets/signatures.

 

[aqazi81]

45min on a 4 color press without any automation or auto plate loading for the 1st makeready and 30 min for the next job if no color change required.
With Pantone colors it can be anywhere from an hour to 1.5hours.

 

[kheslin]

For the Heidelberg XL, ask your Heidelberg rep about Performance Plus. Basically they extract production data from the press console monthly and provide a running 12 month average OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and the numbers behind the OEE. They will also compare your OEE number against other presses that are being tracked. You can do some of this with Analyze Point in Prinect Pressroom Manager also.

 

[Deleted member 16349]

Hello,

I am currently doing a top to bottom review of my pressroom efficiency and wanted to see if anyone had information as to what the industry standards are for make ready times on both a sheetfed (we currently run a 5 color + coater XL 105 and a heatset web (6 color).

Both presses have preset ink keys, closed loop color.

The XL 105 has semi auto plate loaders and the web has auto plate loaders.

Our average MR time on the sheetfed is 10 minutes from shut down to saving on the next job and 13 mins on the web.

I've seen various figures around but seems the industry standard is 20 mins per color.

Also, would like to get the same information for make ready waste if anyone has it.

On the web I've seen the standards set at 5,000 for an initial MR and 3,000 for a follow on MR but I haven't been able to find anything on sheetfed.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Jud

Your makeready times look great. I tend to think the waste could be better.

Back in the early 1990's, where I worked (Tetra Pak Canada) the set up impressions were on average about 1200. That was for a roll to roll press and the operators stopped the press between pulls. There were no on line closed loop colour controls and not auto plate changing capabilities. We did have very skilled and highly paid press operators.

Since my interest from that time has been on the general problem of very short makereadies, I have a different view of the waste situation. From computer simulations we developed, we could see that getting to in tolerance colour could be done in about 50 impressions, as long as one was going from one job to another at the same density values. So when I see values such as 5000 or even 3000 impressions, which might be considered good, i just think what a waste. That is just my personal view.

So from my work on this subject, even in those early days, there are mainly three different issues that need to be addressed before one can get to very low set up waste values. They are:

Positive ink feed. (Computer simulations always imply positive ink feed even if at this time real presses do not have them)

Accurate zero setting. This is the point where ink just starts to go into the press. This is needed since the zero set point is the datum for the presetting ink key values. Errors in zero setting causes errors in presetting. After we developed a better zero setting method, our waste dropped 20%, right away due to reducing the number of pulls required.

Accurate presetting algorithms. Basically now the presetting algorithms are faulty and will tend to drive the press to the wrong conditions and then the operator or closed loop colour control system will need to correct that. Ink consumption is NOT directly related to the amount and location of the image area of the plate.

At this time, basically all these issues have not been properly addressed in the industry. There is also no interest from any groups in the industry to correct the situation.

For your operation, you should look to see which is more important. Saving time or saving waste. IMO often saving time is not a real saving in dollars but saving waste is always a saving in dollars. If saving waste for you is actually more important, then trying different strategies might help. I don't think aiming at some industry standard is helpful. All that means is that you would be just average like everyone else.

Good luck.

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Makereadies.


A PDF from the Web Offset Association, entitled - Makereadies: 106 ways to make them faster ( published in 1999)

I hope you will find of interest and value.


Regards, Alois View attachment Makeready pg 1013.pdf