CTP - Computer to Plate
PuzzleFlow in the Biggest European CtP Services Project
Tuesday 22. January 2008 - Recently the Cezex company, one of the biggest Polish paper and carton distributors, introduced a completely new service in its offer - Computer-to-Pate imaging.
In December 2007 four full-size CtP systems started production in the companys headquarters in Warsaw. In the forthcoming months a further ten B1 systems will be installed in Cezexs divisions all around Poland. Agfa Graphics is the vendor of the CtP equipment and the ACCHSH PuzzleFlow 4 workflow will become an integral part of the complete job ordering and processing system. It will be integrated with the ERP/MIS system used by Cezex as well as the Internet portal enabling the customers involvement in the plates production process.
Our contract with Cezex covers the first implementation of the new PuzzleFlow 4 system version, which will be officially launched at Drupa 2008 – says Tomasz Drazek, PuzzleFlow project manager at ACCHSH. – Comparing to the previous version, we have introduced many new enhancements, including a better compatibility with third party solutions. With regard to the implementation at Cezex, from the beginning we have been co-operating with the Spot Group company from Gliwice, which is responsible for creating the Internet portal connecting all the software elements used in the new Cezexs services.
ACCHSH company has been involved in our project from its start, not only as a technology vendor, but also as an advisor, helping us to choose the most appropriate solutions – adds Mariusz Dec, CtP project manager at Cezex. – We are very glad that our company will be the first user of the new PuzzleFlow 4 system, which includes functions and modules prepared especially for our project.
The most important part of the ACCHSH new solution will be used in the Cezexs Warsaw headquarters, where four full-size CtP platesetters have been installed. Cezex have also set up an “Internet cafe” here as well, enabling customers to make imposition or image plates by themselves. However the biggest challenge is the part of the system which will allow printers, ad agencies or other CtP studios remote sending of jobs for platesetting, making imposition and digital proofs as well as approving them without even leaving their offices. Therefore PuzzleFlow 4, besides the current standard functions of PuzzleFlow Express software, includes new modules enabling communication with Internet portal (integrated with MIS/ERP system) and workflow system, using so called “web services” – Tomasz Drazek says. – PuzzleFlow will allow for separating the individual user accounts from each other and guarantee that every customer will be able to access his account only. It was one of the most important conditions for effective running of the whole project, especially considering such neuralgic services as CtP platesetting for outside customers. This module will be also used internally in the Cezexs CtP studio and soon the further functions will be added, including load balancing, which will enable the driving of more than ten various RIPs (currently PuzzleFlow 4 allows for driving six RIPs from various vendors).
Besides the above advanced functions, PuzzleFlow 4 will enable standard operations used in platesetting: creating a production file, verifying it before sending to the studio, correction, imposition proof preparing and its approval. A customer will see this part of the system as a printer function, which will simplify and automate the whole process. Tomasz Drazek says: After using the “Print” command a customer will create the PDF file, make pre-flight, create a production profile (including the visualisation of possible mistakes and their description) and send it to the CtP studio. Moreover, he will be able to do it from any computer in the world with Internet access. Cezex will offer the software parts (as system printers) to its customers, enabling them to carry out all of the above operations by themselves. It means a real breakthrough: a customer, without leaving his office, will be able to run the whole CtP plate production cycle!
ACCHSH implements the PuzzleFlow 4 technology at Cezex in close co-operation with another Polish company, Spot Group from Gliwice, which is responsible for preparing an Internet web site and a portal enabling the communication between CtP studio, customers, printers etc. The neuralgic part of the system is a data security and order information question. Therefore a level of security used in the Cezex project is comparable with the one used in Internet banking. Using this function, fully compatible with our PuzzleFlow 4 system, a customer will have a 100% guarantee that he is the only person who can access his account, including for example the database of all orders and the jobs information – Tomasz Drazek underlines. – After logging on, besides typical technical functions, a customer will be able to run operations regarding the job preparation: fulfilling the order form including all job parameters, make a job estimation and prepare a production plan. This data will then be used in the MIS/ERP system running at Cezex.
Andrzej Czyz, partner at ACCHSH, says: We are extremely proud that Cezex has chosen us as a technology partner in this very innovative and advanced project. I think its worthwhile to underline one more important aspect of this enterprise. Thanks to PuzzleFlow 4 technology, the Cezexs system will be very open. And we deeply hope the project will become a huge success, with benefits for all the printing industry in Poland.