Do printers underestimate print layout, why?
They’re thinking about printing. Layout and materials handling really have nothing to do with putting ink on paper, even though they’re great ways of reducing manufacturing cost. The equipment changes. The speed and sizes of presses are enormous compared to what they use to be, but the general flow is the same. As far as materials handling, if you’re going to be handling a skid of paper you’ll need a forklift, you have to put it in storage, have to get it down through the press. It’s the same way of handling it today as before, except robotics are being used. But for small printers, they can’t really afford robotics. The small web printers have a roll clamp truck to get the rolls out of the truck, set them in the warehouse stack them up, bring them over and lay them by the splicer. But in big web press operations they have robotic roll clamp trucks that can go in and pick up a roll, pick it up and put it in the warehouse and stack it. No driver—all robotic. Do robotics change the layou
