As demand for premium packaging continues to grow, printers are increasingly looking to offer high-quality UV, Drip-Off, Spot UV and specialty coating effects. When investing in a coating solution, there are generally two choices:

While converted presses may appear attractive because of their lower purchase price, they were originally designed for printing—not coating. As a result, they involve compromises in coating quality, productivity, operating costs, maintenance, safety and long-term reliability.

The Autoprint Fine Coat Drip-Off Series has been engineered exclusively for coating applications. Every component has been designed to maximize productivity, minimize maintenance and deliver consistent, premium coating quality over many years of operation.

What is a Converted Press?

A converted press is typically a 25–50-year-old Heidelberg single- or two-colour offset printing press that has been modified by adding coating units, UV dryers and auxiliary systems to perform coating operations.

Although these machines can produce coated work, the original press was never designed for continuous coating production. Consequently, many limitations of the original printing press remain.

Comparison at a Glance

Why Autoprint Performs Better

Purpose-Built for Coating

Unlike converted presses, every major component of the Autoprint Fine Coat has been designed specifically for coating applications.

The result is:

Exclusive Fine-Grain Drip-Off Capability

One of the biggest differentiators of the Autoprint Fine Coat is its ability to produce fine-grain Drip-Off effects.

This premium finish is only possible on the Autoprint platform and allows converters to produce luxury packaging effects that are extremely difficult to achieve consistently on converted presses.

Ideal applications include:

Variable Varnish Deposition with the Same Anilox Roller

The Autoprint Fine Coat allows operators to vary varnish deposition by 0.5gsm +/- while using the same anilox roller.

Benefits include:

Converted presses generally require changing the anilox roller whenever a different coating weight is required.

Superior Cylinder Design

Unlike converted presses that retain the cylinder dimensions of an old offset press, Autoprint cylinders have been designed specifically for coating.

Advantages of Larger Cylinders

The larger cylinder geometry provides:

Scratch-Free Production

Except for the Heidelberg CD102, almost every converted coating machine is prone to scratches and sheet marking because of its sheet path and cylinder geometry.

The Autoprint Fine Coat has been engineered to minimise these issues, delivering cleaner sheets and superior finished cartons.

Rapid UV / Aqueous Varnish Changeover

Changing from UV varnish to aqueous coating is one of the most frequent production requirements.

Autoprint supplies:

The operator simply:

Typical changeover time is approximately 15 minutes.

Converted presses require cleaning and reinstalling the same tray and thoroughly cleaning the coating system before restarting production, typically taking approximately twice as long.

Lower Power Consumption

The Autoprint Fine Coat has been engineered for energy-efficient operation.

Savings are achieved through:

Typical saving:

Approximately ₹150 per operating hour

Converted presses require:

Intelligent UV System

Autoprint uses a shutter-type UV lamp, similar to modern UV printing presses.

The UV lamp:

Benefits include:

Converted presses typically mount the inter-deck UV lamp on the impression cylinder due to space constraints.

These UV lamps remain continuously ON whenever the machine is running, resulting in:

Switch Off the First Coating Unit

Approximately 50–70% of coating jobs involve only Spot UV or aqueous coating. On the Autoprint Fine Coat:

On converted presses:

Three-Roller Coating System

Autoprint employs a unique maintenance-free three-roller coating system

Advantages include:

Converted presses generally use a chamber doctor blade system.

Disadvantages include:

Wider Coating Capability

The Autoprint Fine Coat is capable of producing:

This is achieved through:

Blister coating is generally difficult to achieve on converted machines.

Easier Maintenance

Coating machines inevitably become coated with varnish during production. Autoprint has been designed specifically for easy maintenance.

Examples include:

This is particularly important because aqueous coating is highly adhesive and can affect gripper performance if not cleaned regularly.

Converted Machine Maintenance

Converted machines were never designed for coating.

Consequently:

Machine Reliability

Every Autoprint Fine Coat is supplied as a completely new machine.

Benefits include:

Converted presses begin life as 40–50-year-old offset presses. Although refurbished, many original components remain and are naturally subject to age-related wear and unexpected failures.

Better Machine Layout

Autoprint machines provide optimum spacing between coating units.

Benefits include:

Converted presses have significantly less working space because additional coating equipment has been fitted within the original press frame.

Fully Automatic Operation

Autoprint machines are designed using modern automation.

Features include:

One operator can comfortably run the machine.

Converted presses generally require more manual intervention and typically need two operators for efficient production.

Faster Repeat Jobs

Autoprint provides both:

Lateral adjustment allows the blanket to be repositioned and reused.

Converted presses generally do not offer lateral adjustment, making blanket reuse extremely difficult because registration is lost.

This significantly increases blanket consumption and setup costs.

Single Source of Technical Support

Purchasing an Autoprint Fine Coat provides one responsible partner.

Autoprint supports:

With converted presses, customers often need to coordinate separately with:

This often results in delayed troubleshooting and increased downtime.

Complete Operator Training

Autoprint supplies more than a machine.

Our engineers train customers to:

Converted machine suppliers generally provide the machine only, leaving customers to develop coating expertise independently.

Built to Handle Coating Materials

UV and aqueous coatings inevitably spill during production.

Autoprint uses stainless steel and corrosion-resistant materials wherever practical, making cleaning easier and extending machine life.

Converted presses, originally designed for printing inks rather than coating materials, are considerably more susceptible to corrosion and higher maintenance over time.

The Autoprint Advantage

When comparing a converted coating press with a purpose-built Autoprint Fine Coat, the difference extends far beyond the purchase price.

The Autoprint Fine Coat delivers:

The Bottom Line

A converted press extends the life of an old printing machine—but it remains a compromise.

The Autoprint Fine Coat Drip-Off Series is a purpose-built coating solution designed for modern packaging production.

It offers higher productivity, superior coating quality, lower operating costs, easier maintenance, and reliable worldwide support, making it the better long-term investment for commercial and packaging printers seeking premium coating performance.