Interview
Jaume Rocabert, General Manager, EMG
– They offer innovative finishing solutions for printed products. What do you think is the importance of process automation?
Process automation not only increases efficiency and accuracy in production, it also allows for a faster response to the demands of printers’ end customers, and a reduction in operating costs.
For us, process automation involves:
- Efficiency and productivity: perform repetitive tasks quickly and accurately. In this way, we increase productivity and cut completion time.
- Product quality: by minimising human intervention, errors are reduced, achieving greater consistency in product quality.
- Flexibility thanks to the easy adaptability of automatic equipment to different types of work.
- Cost reduction: the substantial initial investment and implementation are offset by reduced labour costs and material waste.
- Greater occupational safety: the reason is that repetitive tasks with a certain risk are now carried out by automatic equipment, reducing the risk of accidents.
– How do you optimise the workflow for greater efficiency?
We must first identify where the bottlenecks are, seeing where delays or inefficiencies occur. Then, using state-of-the-art equipment and the requisite software, we optimise those parts of the process that needed to be improved.
The ability of our equipment to receive work files by JDF in some cases, Fiery Impose in others, is part of what we are able to bring to our customers. All this with tools that are very easy for operators to use.
– What differential value do you offer your customers as compared with your competitors?
Understanding how our customers work and seeing how they can improve their processes is very important in order to give them the best solutions. Our customers feel assured and at ease because we have a great after-sales service and respond quickly to any incident. That’s why, usually, after the first purchase comes a second and a third.
In addition, we work with leading brands on post-press solutions while providing a quick return on investment.
– In distribution companies, technical service, as well as spare parts and consumables, is essential. What can you tell us about EMG?
As I mentioned earlier, we believe after-sales service is essential. You can’t just sell equipment and forget about it. Although technology and automation mean that machines experience fewer and fewer incidents, it is a fact that throughout their useful life they will need technical service and spare parts. We try to be as agile as possible; we are aware of what it means for our customers when a machine is out of commission. The response to requests for parts for most brands is 24-48 hrs. EMG’s Technical team has been trained with the manufacturers; we cover the entire Spanish territory with very short deadlines for the resolution of incidents, for machine downtime it is usually the same day.
The speed of response is very important. We are geared up to be able to work always with the same agility.
– Looking to the future, what challenges do you think the sector will have to face?
The most important challenges the industry faces are:
- The way print media is produced and consumed is changing rapidly. Entrepreneurs need to integrate new technologies into production processes.
- Consumers have changed their habits. Printers need to offer attractive products that convey added value to customers.
- Increasingly globalised competition pushes us to offer more personalised, differentiated, quality services with faster delivery times.
– With your participation in Graphispag confirmed, what do you plan to present?
We are still in the process of specifying which equipment we are going to show. We want to focus on those finishing solutions for digital printers that can add value to the final products, either because they enable a true automation of a process or because they directly add value by enhancing or protecting the product.
In the first automation segment there is the Duplo multifunction cutting equipment from the DC range, with some of the versions that will have already been seen previously at Drupa. Also the makers of state-of-the-art magazines.
In the second segment of added value: varnish as embellishment, and laminate as embellishment and protection. We will be showing equipment and samples of different solutions.
-And finally, can you tell us about the company’s short- and medium-term plans?
In the short term, we will consolidate our position in the market, with our post-press equipment solutions that allow us to automate processes and add value to the products offered by our customers.
In the medium term, we plan to grow in our 4 business areas: equipment sales, parts, ST and consumables. To this end, we rely on our represented companies who work to constantly provide innovative solutions that anticipate our customers’ needs. This year’s fairs, including Graphispag, will be a very good opportunity to publicise them.
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More highly automated equipment, more innovative solutions
Many of the brands represented by EMG have recently launched new products or are about to do so. These are innovative solutions in more automated equipment with higher performance that adapt to changes and customer needs.
Duplo, continuing with its automation programme to simplify workflows, has recently introduced four units of equipment: the first of which is the DC-F100 inline press brake to be coupled to the DC-618 and DC-648 multifunction machines. In this way, they add folding to creasing, bi-directional cutting and selective perforation in the case of the DC-618 and cutting, semi-cutting and creasing in the case of the DC-648.
The second new product is the DBM-700 magazine maker, capable of making the square spine and stapling up to 50 sheets.
Another new model is the DSM-1000 die-cutter for B2 sizes with classic dies and an equipment for the production of saddle-stitched magazines for large productions ISaddle “Shensi”.
Bagel has launched the Minilam R2R for roll lamination and the new Digifav B2 DS for double-sided laminating in a single pass.
Markhunting has presented the Myacoh DC-2 and DC-30 foil application equipment, the latter also laminates. And the new Ultra 1000 varnishing machine that applies full varnish. There is a version for UV varnish and another for aqueous varnish.
Zechini presents a new hardback binding line for medium-sized production runs, the VIP Book line, in addition to the latest elements that we have incorporated for the production of lined cases.
Tecnomac the new Sprinter 4 industrial laminator with cold cutting for polyester.
Not all new equipment is brand new, in some cases significant changes have been made to existing models:
Wohlenberg has updated its City e and Sprinter e lines for paperback binding. Baumann perfects fully automated and robot-operated cutting systems with BASA and BASS elements.
Smyth, a leading brand and pioneer in stitching equipment, the DX-80 for in-line or off-line stitching and the world first, the new DX-E automatic folder-sewing machine.
GUK special folding equipment for pharmaceutical manuals and leaflets.
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Cristina Benavides, Graphispag partner
