The New Printing Blanket Generation

Northeim, May 2008In collaboration with Hewlett-Packard ContiTech has developed a semi-finished product for the US technology company’s new digital printer platform

ContiTech Elastomer Coatings, Northeim, is the exclusive supplier of a completely new material that forms the basis for the printing blanket used on Hewlett-Packard’s new digital printer generation. It is composed solely of a fabric substrate layer, a microporous layer and a cover layer. The material’s unique selling point is that it is a whole lot more compressible than other offset printing blankets. What is more, it establishes new standards in terms of eco-friendliness.

Explaining the stringent quality demands the ContiTech semi-finished product had to measure up to, Stefan Kisser, in charge of the project at ContiTech, notes: “HP’s new printing machine generation is capable of attaining much faster printing speeds, making it possible to produce higher runs much more cost-efficiently than with the conventional offsets on the market,”  “We convinced HP of the merits of this technology.” The material’s extremely strong compressible layer is based on the CONTI-AIR® technology and ensures better compensation when the blanket is taxed to its limits, thereby preventing creases from occurring.” The effect of this is not only a longer printing blanket service life but also better print quality.

Hewlett-Packard is unveiling its printing machine with the completely new platform at drupa 2008. “In the upcoming years this platform will provide the basis for HP's sheet-fed digital printing machines,” stresses Kisser.  “We are delighted to be a part of this partnership.”