A new Czech manufacturing facility for waterless plates responds to a fivefold increase in demand, according to Toray’s Mitsunori Hayashi.
"2014 has been a big year for waterless printing," he says. "Ecological printing is no longer seen as an expensive luxury, but as a profitable business.”
The new plant is a response to increases over the past decade and makes plates more readily available to customers in Europe and the Americas.
The sales and marketing general manager of the Czech factory, Hayashi says strong attendance at an open house in September may be an indicator of interest.
Toray has produced a new edition of its waterless journal for the World Publishing Expo next month, and expects its stand to be a magnet for waterless newspaper users. The journal was printed on a KBA Cortina press by Rheinisch Bergische on their KBA waterless presses.
German daily Trierischer Volksfreund has recently installed a new KBA Cortina and is looking to the increased quality delivered by waterless printing to expand its printed offerings beyond newspapers.
"Printed products produced on the Cortina using Toray waterless plates deliver unprecedented quality," says Franz-Josef Hirsch, chief executive of DHV, the company which prints the daily newspaper.
"In addition, the smaller environmental footprint of waterless printing was a significant driver in our investment decision.”
In the Netherlands, Rodi Media – which was the first Cortina user – prints waterless 26 of its own daily and Sunday newspapers as well as work for other publishers.
In addition to improved quality and reduction in water consumption, waterless printing also reduces waste and eliminates the need for toxic chemicals in the printing process.
"Reduction of water consumption can be significant," Hayashi says, citing a Swiss waterless printer who has eliminated the use of approximately 250,000 litres of water annually.
Pictured on our homepage: Rheinisch Bergische Druckerei’s Jens Koudmani and Katja Lümmer are proud of the products not previously achievable, including this super panorama with dispersion varnish
Right: Rodi Media's founder Dick Ranzijn and his son Dick Ranzijn Jr