Pre-media
Report predicts expanding Chinese presence in European CTP market
The graphics art consumables market is set to undergo "significant changes" as Chinese manufacturers expand their presence in Europe, a new report has claimed.
Pre-press expert Michael Mittelhaus has made the predictions in his report The Chinese are Coming, in which he said that Chinese plate manufacturers such as DingKaiLong, the Second Film Factory and Xingraphics will soon each have plate production capacities of above 40m/sqm annum.
DingKaiLong recently announced an investment in a new factory that will see its annual production capacity rise to over 60m/sqm per annum – one of the biggest CTP production sites in China – with more than 90% of its products due for export.
According to Mittelhaus, this is roughly equivalent to the "big three", Kodak, Agfa and Fuji, and he claims many Chinese plates are produced to European quality at a cost of approximately €1/sqm less than Western manufacturers.
He said: "Usage of Chinese plates in Europe will spread, and in four years time, there will be a Chinese plate presence in most European countries.
"Looking ahead four to eight years, Agfa, Kodak and Fuji will no longer dominate the offset plate printing market, and we will have another three or four names in the industry, and these will be Chinese."
However, one pre-press industry insider cast doubt on the predictions.
"Mittelhaus's contention is a bit sensational, I'd question what firms will move to Chinese plates.
"If I was a huge volume user I'd want to know there was a quality European support infrastructure, which all costs cash, to make sure my presses weren't kept idle – much more expensive than £2m.
"And if I was a small printer I'd be wondering how the hell I'd afford CTP and workflow if it wasn't on a loss-of-discount (plate bundle) deal."
Names of the future:
- DingKaiLong
60m sqm/annum CTP plate - Second Film Factor
38m/sqm analogue offset plate
5m thermal CTP plate - Xingraphic
25m/sqm CTP plate
Mittelhaus: significant changes are ahead
Comments
Colin Price - 06 January 2009
I agree about the Chinese. Already there are European based warehouses being established. Quality of product is very good and consistent \(consistency is crucial).
But there are also other European plate manufacturers who are expanding: VELA \(Italy) has just trebled it's manufacturing capacity. Ipagsa \(Spain) is also doing well. You also have Cinkarna \(Slovenia) who are also taking market share, and all of these with European based manufacturing \(thermal / conventional plate).
Also IBF \(Brazil) are now trying to grow their European presence.
Ironically, two of the 'big 3' suppliers have just built new plate manufacturing plants in China \(for manufacturing cost reasons, I assume).
Many of the mid-sized & larger print companies in Europe are also switching back to conventional plates and reaping the benefits of savings \(Bertlesmann, Donnelley, etc..) and also better durability on-press. Around 10,000,000 square metres of thermal plate in Europe has switched back to conventional in the last 18 months. \(More than half the world's plate consumption is still conventional plate). This is one of the reasons the Chinese are coming - they want to supply plates to the volume users who are switching back to conventional plate with CtcP. They have very strong and proven conventional product.
They also want to gain lower volume thermal users by taking market share from the 'big 3'.
With the economy as it is, larger consumers of plates in the UK should investigate reducing monthly outgoings by looking into 'conventional' plate ctp. Quality is the same, plates are easier to handle & cost less to make, and buy.
If you think about why thermal ctp happened it's only because no UV lasers existed, so no-one could make a ctp machine to expose proven, reliable, conventional plates. But thanks to laser development for the Blu-ray industry etc, there are now affordable UV lasers to build a CtP machine. So now it's possible to build a CtP with UV Lasers, and image conventional plates. With no compromise on quality.
If you have the plate volume, you can install new equipment, switch to conventional plate, and still reduce your monthly outgoings. This is what is happening in many other countries in Europe \(over 250 printers so far), and it's starting to happen here in the UK. If you look at it with an open mind, you may be surprised!
Thermal plates are excellent \(15 years development).
Conventional plates are excellent \(50 years development).
It's just a matter of 'horses for courses'.
Regards
Colin,
UK Sales Manager, Lüscher.
ps: you can see the impact of UV Lasers happening in the screen printing industry \(directly exposing screens), and also in the flexo ctp industry.
most sectors of graphic arts use materials based upon UV light exposure. Now that UV lasers exist, it leads the way to using existing \(proven) materials rather than having to re-invent materials just so you can image them! When new materials have to be developed, customers normally pay the price of the R & D through higher material costs.
cprice@luescher.com
m: 07786 021715
Mark Fallais - 08 January 2009
Maybe the Chinese will offer CTP and Workflow "loss of discount plate bundle deals" to the small printers?
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