Heatset printing machine

Increased economic efficiency and sustainability of print production with heatset offset presses through independence from natural gas

Short name: Print production independent of natural gas

Fogra no. 35.009
Project leader: J. Gemeinhardt
Funding: BMWK (IGF) via DLR

 

Timescale: 01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024

Objective and relevance

The planned research project is to contribute to making print production with heatset offset presses more economical and sustainable.

This is to be achieved by using LED UV lamps instead of the usual gas-fired hot-air units for ink drying or by continuing to operate them with unheated air ("Coldweb").

Fogra employee Jürgen Gemeinhardt

Jürgen Gemeinhardt

Head of Printing Techniques

+49 89 431 82 - 256

Get in touch

Your contact

I would be pleased to answer your questions about the project and look forward to exchanging ideas with you.

Solution steps

A cost and CO2 calculator is to be developed, taking into account the usual work processes, which will enable a well-founded comparison between production operation with heatset dryers and with LED UV lamps. The data required for this is to be determined in the course of extensive research. In addition, papers are to be examined with regard to their suitability for the "coldweb" process, both on a practical printing press and in the laboratory.

big rolls of paper primer for printing in storage room

Targeted results

With the help of the cost and CO2 calculator, heatset printers will be able to determine individually whether a switch to LED UV is profitable for them. Only the energy required to operate the press aggregates and the printing materials are taken into account.

Furthermore, formal correlations are to be established for "coldweb" printing, with which a mathematical prediction can be made about the suitability of certain papers.