Chinese manufacturer Hans Gronhi Printing Machinery has released a completely new design of Hans Gronhi 52cm press, which Australian supplier Pressnet says delivers affordability and precision engineering in a new premium B3 press
Where the successful single diameter Hans Gronhi GH524 was aimed at the entry level four colour B3 market, the GH524 DD is a faster seven o’clock impression, double diameter, automated B3 press, aimed at the B3 four to six colour premium market. The GH524 DD is an innovative design, developed over five years by the German press manufacturer Edelmann. Hans Gronhi Printing Machinery is the epitome of the modern globalised manufacturer. Gronhi is a majority American-owned company, producing a German Edelmann design, with Japanese Mitsubishi electronics and an Italian Monigraf ink key console.The entry level single diameter Hans Gronhi GH524 already installed and ordered by Australian printers prints at 13,000iph and has the options of CIP3, IR dryer, DL to C4 size envelope feeder, numbering and perforating, and lever action ink keys with the possibility of factory fitted or retrofitted Monigraf ink console. The premium Hans Gronhi GH524 DD prints at 15,000iph, it has double diameter impression cylinders and transferters instead of transfer cylinders, auto blanket wash and roller wash, CIP3 and IR dryer as standard, touch screen press control from the console and 0.6mm board capacity. Charlie Scandrett, managing director of Pressnet says, “The absence of any skeleton cylinder in the semi-high pile delivery, and the option of air sheet guides make this new model the benchmark in small-format, mark-free board printing.”
According to Scandrett the usual Hans Gronhi high ISO9001 engineering standards apply to all components. The hardened cylinder gears are produced in a jet engine factory and ground to the highest international tolerance possible to ensure accurate overprinting. The lubrication system is the high-volume flood lubrication that all serious press manufacturers use to ensure a long working life. Even the grippers and seals are imported from the European factories that also supply famous German press manufacturers. “This 10 tonne machine is designed to be a board master,” says Scandrett. “It is the heaviest constructed press in its class. When partnered with the Austrian made Colenta chemistry-free Revolution CTP, the affordable Hans Gronhi GH524DD is the most efficient short run -production unit in the world”. Pressnet provides a benchmark spreadsheet comparison that allows prospects to compare any digital, DI or other brand of B3 offset with the Colenta-GH524DD package. “From 400 copies of A3 colour this production package leaves digital machines behind, and is a fraction of the cost of DI and other brand presses”, says Scandrett. “Hans Gronhi is an unusual name for Aussie printers used to German or Japanese press names. However printers had better get used to it because they are now the number two B3 press manufacturer in the word, producing more than 1500 units in 2008.”
