Although the Komori Lithrone 40SP was unveiled to the Japanese market at the Igas show in Tokyo in 1997, European printers had to wait until Ipex 1998 before it could set eyes on the B1 machine. When they finally did, they found that the SP, which stands for ‘super-perfecting', took a different approach to the traditional perfecting press.

"It changed the way of doing things," says Neil Sutton, managing director at Komori UK. "There was no swan neck and the number of gripper changes were reduced,"

As a result of its ‘double-deck' design, the machine was much shorter than other traditional presses and had a smaller footprint. Also, rather than tumbling the sheet to print the other side, the machine was able to print both sides simultaneously in one pass.

High-quality option
The SP was designed to bring high quality to the growing market for double-sided four-colour printing.

It had the same number of gripper changes as a straight, non-perfecting, Lithrone press. Only one edge of the sheet needed to be gripped compared to other inline perfectors, which required two grip edges. The machines were numbered L440SP for an eight-colour press and 540SP for a 10-colour press because of their four-back-four and five-back-five designs.

In the same year the machine launched, Komori also developed its KHS system. This performed register adjustments and colour matching functions. It first sets a reference layer of ink on the rollers, then charges the ink train and uses a digital ink-key to set an ink profile for the job. At the end of the press run, KHS de-inks the press back to the standard ink-film thickness, then automatically inks up for the next job. It was originally available as an optional extra, but is now standard with new presses.

By Ipex 2002, the conventional configuration Lithrone 40 had undergone a transformation with the launch of the ‘S' model. Improvements were made in every department, from the feeder to the delivery. At Igas 2003, Komori launched a perfecting version of the S model - the LS40P.

The S40P was available in four-back-four, five-back-five and six-back-six versions, with machines of up to 12-colours running at a speed of 12,000sph. However, it wasn't until Drupa 2004 that the super-perfecting version, the LS40SP, got its first showing. By Drupa 2008, the S40 range received another makeover. The most significant changes were to the feeder and delivery, while Komori upgraded its KHS management system to the KHS-AI with self-learning and smart feedback.

The SP is still in production and can be purchased new from Komori UK. "The press has been popular on the secondhand market and is coming up for its 11th anniversary. It's only been appearing on the secondhand market for around two years because most customers keep their machines for seven to 10 years. As a result, they are highly sought after," says Sutton.

Komori will part-exchange old models and will usually sell these to independent dealers. When buying any secondhand machine, check the gears and the cylinders.

At the time of writing, PrintWeek's sister website, PressXchange, had a 10-colour 2003 L540SP advertised by KGT Kool Graphic Trade, based in the Netherlands, priced at €655,000 (£561,000).

SPECIFICATIONS
Max sheet size
720x1,030mm

Max printing area
710x1,020mm

Speed
LS440SP 15,000sph
LS540SP 13,000sph
LS640SP 12,000sph

Price
LS440SP from £1.2m
L540SP £561,185

What to look for
Gears
Cylinders
Service history