The introduction also marks the debut for a new press brand – Enthrone – chosen by the Japanese manufacturer because the 13,000sph Enthrone 29 is viewed as “an entry-level Lithrone”.
Local Komori dealer Ferrostaal told ProPrint the Enthrone would help strengthen the already “strong presence” the Japanese presses held in the Australian and New Zealand B2 market.
Ferrostaal’s Gerard Wintle said pricing had not yet been finalised, “but all indications are that it will be somewhere around 20% lower than the standard Lithrone 29”.
Wintle claimed the machine would offer the benefits of a new machine at the price point of secondhand.
“At the present time, the pricing for new machines is outside the grasp of the small to medium printer and consequently we have a high demand for good late model used machines. The Enthrone fits into the used price range,” he said.
He added: “We can secure immediate shipment to Australian and New Zealand as the production process is in place and domestic testing is complete.”
At Ipex, Komori will have four different presses from its sheetfed portfolio running live on its 1,025sqm stand in hall six, and the five-colour Enthrone on display will be shown switching from 150gsm to 450gsm stock to emphasise the capabilities of its adjustment-free gripper system.
It borrows from the Spica model in that it has a small footprint and an integrated press control system at the delivery end; while also featuring the same inking unit, feeder and benderless clamp as the Lithrone S-series.
Also receiving its debut at Ipex is a new UV curing system that Komori described as “unique” because it offers benefits over both conventional UV and the emerging LED UV systems.
H-UV is ozone-free, uses relatively low-cost lamps, does not generate lots of heat, and claims power consumption that is similarly low to LED UV, according to Komori.
The new system will be shown in action on the eight-colour Lithrone S40P that will be printing the Ipex Daily, produced by live at the show by ProPrint‘s UK sister title, PrintWeek.
Also on display for the first time at a UK exhibition is the 18,000sph Lithrone SX40, in a six-colour plus coater configuration and a five-colour Lithrone S29 with coater and KHS-AI self-learning system. It will be shown printing three different jobs in 12 minutes.
In total, Komori will put on approximately 120 demonstrations throughout the event.
“We believe printers want to see presses running and we have actual presses, not virtual reality presses,” said European marketing manager Philip Dunn in a thinly-veiled sideswipe at rival Manroland, which has said it will not show any machines at the show and focus on applications instead.
“We decided at the last Ipex what we wanted to do at this one, and there hasn’t been a moment since when we haven’t thought about going there with all guns blazing.”
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