April 23, 2015

Fujifilm, joined "PRINT CHINA 2015" hosted at China's "Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center" from April 7-12, and showcased its leading-edge systems that caters to the latest global needs.

Launched in 2007 as an offshoot of "CHINA PRINT", the Beijing International Printing Technology Exhibition, "PRINT CHINA" is a quadrennial comprehensive exhibition for the printing industry. Guangdong province is home to some 15,000 printing firms that allegedly account for one third of the country's output. Hosted at this area, one of China's largest printing industry footholds, "PRINT CHINA" widely attracts attention from enterprises that are keen on making inroads into the Chinese market. While growing in scale with each event, this time, PRINT CHINA exhibition area covered a total of 140,000 m2and proved to be a great success with approx 1,300 exhibitors and a total of 200,000 visitors. The Fujifilm booth provided opportunities to meet with many customers throughout the exhibition, and sharing details on the latest innovations offering advanced and profitable solutions to printers.

Officially announced "FUJIFILM SUPERIA", a global resource-saving solution

The key topic for Fujifilm's booth at "PRINT CHINA 2015" was the official announcement of "FUJIFILM SUPERIA", a comprehensive and strategic, global resource-saving solution newly offered by Fujifilm. Before the show opening Fujifilm Global Graphic Systems (Global HQ for Fujifilm Graphic business. Here after "FFGS") President & Chief Representative Director Morihiro Atsumi was joined by FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. General Manager Koyo Kato for a press conference on the first day of the exhibition. They described the concept for "FUJIFILM SUPERIA"(here after "SUPERIA"), the concrete benefits resulting from its introduction, and its support systems.

Mr Atsumi offered perspectives on the development of the "SUPERIA" offset plate making system, outlining Fujifilm's commitment to the print industry:

  • Ever since manufacturing the first domestic PS plate and its launch in 1965, Fujifilm established factories in the U.S., Netherlands, and China respectively in 1989, 1991, and 2005. With the "four-hub global framework" including Japan, Fujifilm quickly and consistently delivered top-quality plates to the worldwide market.
  • With sophisticated knowledge accumulated over the years through thorough R&D and production systems, Fujifilm has introduced CTP plates, processing systems, and pressroom chemicals as key products, in an effort to harness "increasing profitability and corporate qualities through resource-saving" with the new "SUPERIA" solution.
  • "SUPERIA" is a global brand which systematically supports resource saving by significantly cutting back on printing material and waste, and providing opportunities to make offset printing more profitable.. While working all-out to save paper, ink, operational processes, and time, "SUPERIA" will help reduce costs and add profits to printing firms.

Fujifilm China General Manager Kato commented:

  • The attention towards "environmental issues" is now growing each year in China, and this is increasingly highlighting the need for the printing industry as a whole to deal with "highly productive Green Printing". FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. has been serving as Fujifilm's crucial foundation to manage the fast-growing Chinese market since it's founding in 2001. Since then,, FUJIFILM China has been engaging in social contribution initiatives with its graphic systems business and many other means, such as tree-planting volunteer activities.
  • The awareness on environmental conservation is expected a further rise, and we are confident that "SUPERIA", unveiled in CHINA PRINT 2015, is a solution provided in response to the latest resource-saving needs in China and worldwide. The standout feature of "SUPERIA" is its ability to improve eco-friendliness and profitability simultaneously.
  • Serving as the managing foundation of the Chinese market, FUJIFILM China can provide support to fine-tune the solutions to accommodate each customers' circumstances. A comprehensive solution tailored to each firm's unique situation provides high-quality CTP plates and pressroom chemicals that comprises the "SUPERIA" system along with consulting services to make adjustments in press performance to realize resource-saving and cost reductions.

Following the greetings from FFGS President & Chief Representative Director Morihiro Atsumi and FUJIFILM (China) Investment Co., Ltd. General Manager Koyo Kato, we also received comments from individuals in the local market at the official announcement of "SUPERIA". To start off, Mr. Zhang Shuangru, Executive Vice President of The Printing Technology Association of China gave us a detailed speech from a broad perspective as an official of an association. Also, Mr. He JunVice President Shandong Hongjie Printing Group Co., Ltd. and Mr. Tang Xiaoxing Prepress Manager Artron Art (Group) Co., Ltd. each gave detailed speeches regarding the managerial perspective as a printing company from an on-site basis point of view.

Mr. Zhang Shuangru, Executive Vice President of The Printing Technology Association of China provided insights and perspectives

  • The Chinese printing industry is currently faced with three challenges: "environmental issues," "management pressure due to soaring labor costs," and "excessive industry competition." Among these issues, although environmental issues are the major issue shared around the world,, investments in measures for the environment is difficult for the small scale printing industry, and responses to these tended to be postponed or delayed.
  • However, with "clean printing" on the rise recently, many companies have gradually increased their awareness for environmental issues. One of those companies is "Honjie Corporation", which partnered with FUJIFILM and was quick to engage in saving resources and materials, achieving both reduced costs and improved environmental contribution.
  • Although digital printing is recently popular as a new printing method, offset printing is still the dominant print method and offers cost performance benefits. With this situation, "resource conservation in offset printing" became even more important to increase profitability.
  • "Cleaner Production," a legal system to encourage concrete improvements, such as energy efficiency and saving materials, is scheduled to come into force at the end of this fiscal year, and "Certification of Cleaner Production" began in 2014. FUJIFILM's SUPERIA is a solution that can contribute to the goal of cleaner production, and we are looking forward to its adoption throughout China.

[Summary of comments made by Mr. He Jun Vice President Shandong Hongjie Printing Group Co., Ltd.]

  • In cooperation with print unions, efforts to improve management together with FUJIFILM began in August, 2012. Since then, we have been relying on FUJIFILM for technical support focused on color management in order to provide our customers with high quality printed materials. We also successfully acquired the G7 Authentication through developing skilled workers, implementing technology workshops, and other such efforts. These also led to the acquisition of new customers, such as with orders placed for luxury art printing.
  • While working on high value-added prints, we are currently receiving support from FUJIFILM to achieve "environmental friendliness," one of our priority issues. We have been advancing thorough saving of resources and materials in offset printing. Gradual cost benefits have also begun to clearly show themselves. From now on, while making efforts towards standardization of the production process, we will continue striving to differentiate ourselves from other companies. We would also like to further strengthen our corporate management foundation by thoroughly committing ourselves to environmental friendly measures.

[Summary of comments made by Mr. Tang Xiaoxing Prepress Manager Artron Art (Group) Co., Ltd.]

  • We have been implementing "green printing" at our company by transforming our plate making process at an early stage. The main force behind this is FUJIFILM's liquid waste reduction device, the "XR-2000." We currently have three units running at full operation, and in addition to greatly cutting liquid waste, we are achieving "a reduction of tap water usage" and "zero wastewater" by reusing reclaimed water.
  • As a concrete example of the effect, for the processing amount of "30,000m3 / month," the water use was immediately reduced from 300 tons to just 3 tons. Of course, we have also been contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions, and more than anything the reduction of processing costs that become a major benefit. We would like FUJIFILM to continue its support of our company's "environmental friendliness measures", not only for the provision of systems, but from a comprehensive perspective in the future including consulting such as human resource development.
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