Live automation in the form of print interoperability demonstrations across the show floor will be a feature of CIP4’s involvement in the May DRUPA trade show.

The organisation – the International Cooperation for the Integration of the Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress, to give it its full name – has announced show plans in addition to the ‘print automation zone’ it will host in the DRUPA innovation park (DIP) and CIPPI Awards.
“In keeping with our new integrations/new milestones focus, the ‘Print Automation Live’ programme will highlight a wide range of JDF interoperability demonstrations throughout the DRUPA show floor, while the CIPPI awards will recognise printers who have achieved major milestones in print automation on the DIP centre stage,” says CIP4 education and marketing officer Tim Daisy.

Printers are being encouraged to respond to economic difficulties by to JDF-enabled print automation to improve productivity and profitability with implementations which “often have a relatively short payback”.

Throughout the DRUPA show floor, CIP4 members will host live automated production demonstrations, illustrating the synergy between integrated production systems and the productivity gains of print automation.

"How JDF code is swapped back and forth between systems can be hard to visualize, let alone understanding its potential impact on operations," says Daisy who works for EFI. "With a diverse group of CIP4 members showing print automation for various types of print production, DRUPA attendees will be able get a broader understanding of the range of possibilities and walk away with some actionable ideas to take to the plant back home."

CIP4 will publish production workflow descriptions and illustrations for each Print Automation Live site, making copies available at hall 7.0 and 7.A entrances.