No need for state-owned brands to develop digital offset presses

“The digital offset press is the mainstream model of printing equipment in China today, and the market demand is large, but we must rely on the import of this model.” Recently, Qi Fubin, deputy director of the Printing Technology Committee of China Printing and Equipment Equipment Industry Association, was interviewed He expressed his worries and helplessness.

The development of digital offset printing press is just right now, and this technology has been included in the “12th Five-year Plan” development plan for China's printing machinery industry. It is hoped that China's printing equipment companies will pay more attention to the development of digital printing equipment. Qi Fubin put forward his earnest expectations.

Qi Fubin thinks that development opportunities have come: "We still have a certain foundation and technology for the development of digital offset printing machines."

It is understood that China has been able to mass produce its own brand of computer-to-plate machines, and has successfully developed inkjet digital printers.

Qi Fubin believes that the gap between the computer-based plate-making machines and inkjet digital printing machines developed by us and the world's advanced level is small.

Looking at the international market, the economic recovery in developed countries is slow. Recently, the US debt crisis and the downgrade of credit ratings and the debt crisis in some European countries have deepened the uncertainty of economic recovery. In some countries, the printing industry has fallen into recession and the printing equipment industry has encountered difficulties. The desire of overseas companies to cooperate with foreign technology and capital has increased, which has provided a rare opportunity for the development of China's printing equipment industry.

In May last year, Shanghai Electric’s wholly-owned acquisition of Goss International was referred to as “a milestone in the acquisition and acquisition of international large-scale equipment companies by the Chinese printing equipment industry”. This has a positive effect on the acquisition of high-end technologies for international printing equipment.

The post-financial crisis not only provided an opportunity for the development of China's printing equipment industry, but also provided an excellent opportunity for China's printing equipment to go global and expand its international market share. In recent years, the rapid growth of China's printing equipment exports has proved this point.

The “Twelfth Five Year Plan” of China's printing industry announced by the General Administration of Press and Publications predicts that by the end of the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan”, the total output value of China's printing industry will exceed RMB 1100 billion, becoming the second largest printing country in the world and the world's printing center. By 2020, it will build a powerful printing country in the world. The rapid development of the printing industry has provided strong support for the rapid follow-up of printing equipment.

A number of support policies were introduced In recent years, policies have also given great support to the development of digital offset presses.

The reporter learned from the “12th Five-Year Plan” of the printing industry that the adoption of digital and networked control technologies to comprehensively increase the level of offset presses and flexo printers will be the focus of future industry development.

"Planning" points out the direction for the development of traditional printing machinery, especially offset printing presses. Digital technology is used to transform and upgrade traditional printing machinery. It is based on complete packages and focuses on the commonness of ink control systems, paper tension control systems, and automatic register systems. And core key technologies to speed up the digitization, intelligentization, and high-speed multi-function printing press industrialization. In addition, at the end of last year, the state promulgated the “Rejuvenation Plan for the Cultural Industry” and the “digital, intelligent, and high-speed multi-function printing machinery” were listed as important products for the country to cultivate and develop strategic emerging industries, providing unprecedented opportunities for the development of the printing equipment industry.

In August last year, 11 departments including the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the People's Bank jointly issued the "Opinions on Promoting the Sustainable and Healthy Development of the Export of Electromechanical Products during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period." Printing machinery is listed as one of China's key export industries for mechanical and electrical products.

The arduous gap between the tasks still exists. Qi Fubin believes that to complete the planned goals, our road is still quite arduous. This is mainly because there is still a small gap between us and the advanced level in the world. In addition to the generally low concentration of industries, the small size of enterprises, weak scientific research and innovation capabilities, the lack of smart equipment and special tools for tooling, and the low level of socialization of supporting products, there are still some issues of the industry that merit attention.

First, the proportions of high, medium and low levels are unreasonable. The production capacity of low-end equipment is surplus, the production capacity of mid-end equipment basically meets the demand, and the production capacity of high-end equipment is severely insufficient. It basically depends on imports.

Second, the proportion of sheet-fed offset presses and web offset presses is unreasonable. The printing pattern of developed countries is basically "mainly web offset printing presses, and sheet-fed offset printing presses are the second." For example, in the United States in the 1980s, web offset presses were mainly used, and web offset presses dominated the entire printing industry in the United States. Japan had 1,593 commercial web offset presses in 2009, and web offset printing sales accounted for about 57% of the entire printing market.

Our country is still a sheetfed offset press. According to the survey, in 2010, China had only 109 commercial web offset presses. It can be seen that the ratio of sheet-fed offset printing presses and web offset printing presses in China is unreasonable, and it is necessary to develop highly efficient, convenient, and flexible web offset presses to cultivate and develop new economic growth points.

Third, whether it is a sheet-fed offset press or a web offset press, only a water offset press is produced, and the waterless offset press has not yet been put on the agenda. Regardless of the development of waterless offset printing or green offset printing, waterless offset printing presses should be included in R&D as soon as possible.

Fourth, in the electrostatic imaging digital printing press, the use of offset printing (ie, digital offset printing) has made great progress abroad. Although digital offset printing presses are currently the mainstream equipment for digital printing in China, they all rely on imports.

Qi Fubin also believes that at present, a small number of enterprises in China are reluctant to put aside their "blood" in terms of technology research and development, and they always want to follow other people, "copying" and "copying."

China's printing equipment companies generally spend less than 4% on scientific research, which is far lower than the 8% of printing equipment manufacturers in Germany. In addition, the total output value of China's printing equipment is not as good as that of a large German company. The lack of scientific research funds can be imagined.

Therefore, it is imperative to develop the joint R&D of China's industry-university-research institute and the common issues of different companies. Of course, it is also necessary to improve the country's support.