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Driving screen press technology
Company president, Ryuta Sakurai, with Fespa’s international sales manager, Michael Ryan, at a recent open house in Sakurai’s London showroom
Sakurai Graphic Systems Corporation was founded in 1928 by Ryuzo Sakurai as a paper trading house. Over the past 79-years it has expanded to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sheet-fed offset and cylinder screen printing presses, with customers in more than 60 countries.
It has three branch offices in Japan (Nagoya, Osaka and Kyushu), plus subsidiary companies in London and Chicago. Company headquarters are in Tokyo and the manufacturing plant (purpose built in 1989 and one of the most ecological sensitive plants in Japan) is at Gifu. In December 2006, Sakurai installed a 100kW solar power generating system in the factory roof to reduce requirement for carbon emission fuels. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditations, observes full European CE safety standards and aims to set standards above those required under international legislation.
The Gifu plant uses high tech equipment to design and build Sakurai presses. The aim is to provide customers with equipment that fulfils their requirements and maintains performance over Its entire working lifetime. 3D CAD systems allow designers to simulate all machine functions prior to construction, reducing development times and leading to more accurate manufacturing standards. A large 3D device, developed by Carl Zeiss in Germany, is used to measure machining tolerances, thus ensuring reliability throughout the manufacturing process. All machining is computer controlled, with assembly taking place on a moving conveyor on a JIT basis. Finally, all machines are assembled and tested prior to despatch.
Screen press development
The first Sakurai screen presses were built in 1968 following a tie-up with General Research Inc in the USA. Over the past 39-years, Sakurai has become the leader in a screen market that has seen many changes. From a position in the 1980s that saw large format multi-colour posters provide the majority of work, today’s screen print market is more aligned to industrial uses such as printing mobile phone keypads and speedometer dials for cars and trucks.
In the printing industry, screen presses are now used to lay a heavy weight of varnish, apply silver scratch-off pads for lottery tickets and, with new inks and varnishes being developed, there is a new market opening for high-build textured finishes. These can vary from providing a simulated leather feel, to a relief effect similar to embossing. Another growing market is overprinting gold leaf effect on plastic credit/debit and store cards. As traditional markets wane, screen printers are able to re-invent themselves into new product markets, especially in the competitive consumer goods area, where the added value effect given by screen printing offers increased brand awareness and shelf off-take.
Screen press range
The Sakurai range of screen presses today divides into two series: the MS and SC. The MS range comprises the Double Maestro DMS 102AII, Maestro 102AII and the smaller Maestro 80A and Maestro 72A. With the Double Maestro DMS 102AII, Sakurai believes it has entered a new era of cylinder screen presses. This fully automatic stop cylinder line is servo motor controlled and fitted with an Intermediate Control System (ICS) that adjusts the position of each sheet prior to printing the second colour. Each UV dryer has two metal halide lamps with auto power control and the press line, which can be controlled from either print unit, and is capable of 2,000 two-colour sheets/hour. Sheet size capability is 1,050 by 750mm down to 420 by 297 mm at thicknesses from 0.1 to 0.8mm.
The Maestro 102AII and 80A are high performance stop cylinder presses. The MS 102AII handles formats from A1 down to A3 at 4,000 sheets/hour. This speed is possible thanks to a heavy-duty construction featuring thick cast iron frames and solid base. The drive gear, cam and other key components are hardened, tempered and precision machined, allowing printing on materials up to 0.8mm. The MS 80A is a scaled down version of the MS 102AII, but only in format capability and footprint. It handles sizes from 800 by 550mm to 270 by 200 mm at speeds up to 3,600 sheets/hour with an identical maximum thickness of 0.8mm.
There is also the JMS 162A. The Jumbo Maestro, as it is known, is the largest automatic cylinder screen press in the world, with a format capability of 1,620 by 1,220mm and a top speed of 1,500 sheets/hour.
The SC series, which features the popular reciprocal rotary cylinder mechanism, is Sakurai’s original series screen press design, with origins dating back to 1968. It features an automatic stream feeder, double feed pile board, quick plate clamp and inverter control speed. It has a bearing type pull side lay, sheet detector and delivery lowering system. Available in three standard sizes SC 72AII, SC 102AII, and SC 112AII, with sheet capabilities from 720 by 520mm to 1,130 by 800 mm, there is also an SC 142AII, with format capability of 1,420 by 1,020 mm. Top speeds vary from 3,600 sheets/hour on the SC 72AII to 2,000 sheets/hour on the SC 142AII. Stock thickness is up to 0.8 mm, or 1.0 mm on the largest press.
Fespa 2007
Visitors to this year’s FESPA exhibition are invited to visit the Sakurai stand (Hall 1.1 Stand E220) to see the three screen presses on working demonstration. There will be a DMS 80 two-colour line, MS 102AII and MS 102SD.
With servo motors driving the cylinder and screen independently, the print image size can be varied front-to-back, eliminating any growth in image area. By replacing the mechanical drive, any acceleration at the start and finish of the print cycle that would lead to uneven ink distribution, is removed, with the result that overall ink lay down is more consistent and print quality higher. Sakurai sales and technical service staff will be on hand to discuss individual customer requirements, which the company sees as an essential element in its market support.
After sales support
Sakurai prides itself on the technical training it offers customers and the after sales support network that spans more than 60 countries. Training fulfils two functions: it allows the machine to operate at maximum efficiency and productivity; and instils a regime of ongoing service and maintenance. Each Sakurai machine has its own ‘Electronic Carte’ back at headquarters, which allows engineers and technicians immediate access to detailed specifications that speed servicing and repairs.
The company is also proud of its User Group Club, built over the past 50-years, which today offers a unique insight into the Sakurai worldwide network, allowing information exchange and providing the opportunity for social occasions. The SUN (Sakurai User News) magazine is published twice a year. It provides information on the worldwide print market, trends, developments in technology, and examples of customer successes.
