FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT DRUCK E.V.

About Us

The objective of Forschungsgesellschaft Druck e.V

The objective of FOGRA Graphic Technology Research Association is to undertake research into, to develop and to apply printing technology and to help the printing industry to use the results obtained. To this end the Association maintains its own institute, with a staff of about 50 that includes engineers, chemists and physicists.

The estimated budget for 2003 was € 4,859 million. 18 % of this, i. e. € 860.000,–, is made up of membership fees. Of this sum, € 123.340,– are provided by the Bundesverband Druck und Medien e.V. Grants from the Federal German Government, the state of Bavaria, the Stiftung Industrieforschung and the Bundesverband Druck und Medien e.V. account for another 40 %, with the principal share, 32 % coming from the Bundeswirtschaftsministerium (Federal Economics Ministry).

35 % of the revenues are generated from other FOGRA activities. These consist of technical reports, contract research, the sale of quality control devices, vocational training, and a literature database. The remaining 7 % are made up of donations and other receipts. The donations are usually donations in kind, that is to say they are equipment or printing papers for research purposes.

FOGRA has over 600 members. About half of them are printing businesses operating in fields ranging from prepress through to bookbinding, while the other half are suppliers. 20 % of the members are based outside Germany.

The eight Technical Committees, responsible for various specialist topics, are a central part of FOGRA. In these committees, specialists from printing businesses, and FOGRA staff, define industry problems which are to be studied. The progress and results of work are also discussed at the Committee meetings. Thus the Committees fulfil a creative and a monitoring function. At the same time they characterise the work style of an institute which has come a long way from the ivory tower of scholarship to meet the needs of the printing industry.

Services

FOGRA services

• Advice and reports
  FOGRA supplies independent reports; click here for report statistics and a checklist as well.
•  Company seminars
  Employee training tailored to your specific requirements – on site or in FOGRA’s seminar rooms.
•  Research and information service
  The FOGRA literature database on CD-ROM, literature search, literature service, literature profile and patent display.
  Only in German language.
• Ugra/FOGRA Media Wedge
  Control aids are on the one hand indispensible components in production and on the other hand they provide a basis for measurement in research projects. It will be possible to control the work sequence in film-less production better with the new Ugra/FOGRA CMYK media wedge and the Ugra/FOGRA digital plate wedge that were developed in 1997.

Research

Topic planning of FOGRA

In the Federal Republic of Germany there are more than one hundred mid-sized business branches, in which companies have joined together to do so-called industrial community research (Industrieller emeinschaftsforschung). The study group of industrial research - also known as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen (AiF) - to which the FOGRA as founding member belongs, is the umbrella organisation of the individual research centres.

The first duty of the AiF members is to investigate those factors that could eventually lead to an increase in production safety and quality in the plants. These factors are equally important for many companies, yet the individual investigation thereof is too complicated for a single mid-sized firm to do alone, so it makes sense to do the research together.

Once the research is complete the transfer of results has highest priority. It takes place in different ways, whereby telephone consultation is only one method. In this manner AiF members have additionally taken on the role of service centres.

This success has been made possible through the careful choice of research topics by project accompanying committees. The committee members include experts from the industry whose direct contact insure the successful transfer of the research results.

The consultations in FOGRA take place in the technical committees, among the board of directors, and the trustees. According to the recommendations of the different groups, the board of directors of FOGRA sets the research agenda and approves the projects for the next period.

Ugra/FOGRA Control Aids and Measuring Devices

Ugra/FOGRA Control Aids and Measuring Devices

FOGRA control aids and measuring devices form the basis for effective quality control in repro, printing and finishing. Some of the control aids, for example the control strips, are part of a comprehensive quality assurance system. If required, appropriate FOGRA seminars explain how to use these control aids correctly.

Information in brief and prices for our full range can be obtained from our Online-Shop, which has its own search function. You can also download the FOGRA price list as a PDF. FOGRA members are entitled to a discount on the normal price for control aids. Orders should be placed directly with FOGRA. The easiest way is to use our Online-Shop, or you can use our clearly laid out fax form.

Digital control aids

PostScript Control Strip

 Media Wedge CIELAB

 Media Wedge CMYK 2.0

 Digital Plate Wedge

 Digital Print Control Strip (see info poster)

 Prinect/FOGRA Dipco 2.0 < NEW >

 Digital Print Control Strip Newspaper

 Digital Print Scale

MiniTarget for newspaper printing (order and information from Ugra)

Control aids on film/photographic paper

 Ugra/FOGRA Reproduction Test Chart

 Ugra Plate Control Wedge

 FOGRA Contact Control Strip

 FOGRA Print Control Strip

 FOGRA Vernier Scale
Specially for newspaper printing

FOGRA Precision Measuring Strip Newspaper PMS-Z, PMS-ZA

FOGRA Print Control Strip Newspaper DKL-Z (incl. DKL-ZE)
Specially for screen printing

FOGRA Print Control Strip Screen printing DKL-S1

FOGRA Print Control Strip Screen printing DKL-S2
Specially for continuous stationery printing

FOGRA Measuring Strip Continuous forms printing

Non-periodic screen

Screening program for the generation of non-periodic halftone screens
Ugra/FOGRA Velvet Screen

Application Kit

A joint project of Bundesverband Druck und Medien (bvdm) Wiesbaden, European Color Initiative (ECI), EMPA/Ugra St Gallen and Forschungsgesellschaft Druck (FOGRA) Munich:

Altona Test Suit – Application Kit

Measuring devices

 Resistance to acetone FOGRA ACET -  Thomas Kuën

 Duplication Testing System -  Martin Pöller

 Control aids for continous stationary printing -  Martin  Pöller

 Folding Device FOGRA FI -  Martin Pöller

 Finger rub off test device FOGRA FIWI -  Georg Pantel

 Heat Exhausting FOGRA HEX -  Dr. Wolfgang Rauh

 Test device for determining the adhesion of varnish layers FOGRA LHT -  Tomas Kuën

 Perforation measurement device -  Martin Pöller

 Rub off and carbonating test device FOGRA WIKAT -  Thomas Kuën

FOGRA Price List: http://www.fogra.org/xpdfs/pricelist.pdf

FOGRA Today

FOGRA's tasks consist of:
1. Research
2. Development
3. Transfer of know-how
4. Standards work
5. Consultancy and technical reports

Research departments:

• Printing techniques
• Print finishing/ ID-card
• Materials
• Quality management
• Special projects
• Prepress technology
• Environment/ Chemistry

1. FOGRA Research

The companies that make up the printing industry are predominantly medium-sized and they differ greatly in their target markets and production processes. This is also true of their interests in FOGRA and explains the multiplicity and variety of our research projects.

Besides the 30 or so projects that are commenced each year, about 15 completed ones move on to the transfer stage, whilst for a similar number funds are applied for for a further year. These 60 or so projects are all equally important in the eyes of the research organization and the institute.

2. Development Projects

The development projects are particularly closely linked to the research. Here the emphasis is on aids to quality control such as control strips for the various printing processes, which enable companies to produce products efficiently, more and more reliably and to higher and higher levels of quality.

Control aids are on the one hand indispensible components in production and on the other hand they provide a basis for measurement in research projects. It will be possible to control the work sequence in film-less production better with the new Ugra/FOGRA CMYK media wedge and the Ugra/FOGRA digital plate wedge that were developed in 1997.

A testing case distributed by FOGRA makes it easier to check the quality of printed products or assess claims.

3. Knowledge Transfer

Knowledge transfer is the most important task of every research project. The results of research that are not published or discussed are hidden from public view. However, even publication does not bring the results to life. It is only if the results are taken on board and used by the industry that they become relevant.

In this connection the institute needs to act as a transmitter broadcasting to the aerials of the industry. However, since these aerials are very varied, it is no simple task. FOGRA works to transfer knowledge through a range of different publications, talks, consultancy and seminars.

The literature database is another important tool. Every manager attends symposia and reads the trade press in order to keep informed. In order to make decisions for the solution of problems, managers need to be familiar with a wide variety of material, including old sources. This is where a literature search through our database helps, since it stores 50,000 important entries covering all the key themes of prepress, printing and finishing over recent years in abstract form. The manager can then select the relevant articles based on these abstracts and order them in full from FOGRA. The complete literature database is available on CD-Rom and on-line searches can also be carried out.

4. Committee Work

Knowledge transfer also involves committee work and FOGRA is represented on numerous standards committees. This also represents a financial commitment, since we run two member work groups of the International Standardization Organization (ISO). However, the fields being covered by these two groups (standardization, repro guidelines, ink standards up to blankets) are of great importance to the German printing industry.

5. Consultancy and Reports

The consultancy services and the reports are of immediate use to the printing industry. On the one hand, the expertise of the company is promoted through the close contact with FOGRA during consultancy work and on the other hand, every year a considerable amount of expenditure is saved in several hundred cases because the parties in a dispute settle out of court on the basis of a FOGRA report.

These activities constantly draw on the results of current research, and one should bear this in mind when considering whether it might be possible to reduce research expenditure. Involvement in the certification of quality management systems is a new field of activity for FOGRA's expert auditors.