"Create variant" configuration step

A variant is understood to mean a press configuration which is comprised of individual modules. Depending on the previously selected device class, different modules are available for assembling a variant.

A job usually requires several operations to be fully processed. In order for an operation to be processed by a machine, at least one module is required in all cases. For example, the "Printing unit" module is required for a printing press. In order for a press to be able to carry out coating operations, the "coating unit" module is also required. The combination of both units results in a variant.

In the case of the saddlestitcher, for example:

​•​Variant_1 consists only of the "Gathering" module.

​•​Variant_2 consists of the "Stitching" module and the "Three-knife trimmer" module.

​•​Variant_3 consists of the modules "Gathering", "Stitching" and "Three-knife trimmer".

Different variants are required in finishing in particular, depending on the type of job to be processed.

In the Prinect CP2000 Center, you must select a variant or a cost center before you start a job. Only then can the job start.

What is a variant used for?

​•​For the exact calculation of the actual production costs.

In practice, it may be the case that a machine uses additional expensive units for certain jobs. For such jobs, a different hourly rate must be used for the job costing than for jobs that are processed without these additional modules.

​•​For a customer-specific report evaluation

Different variants also play a role, for example, when a report is to be created for a customer that contains statistics for a saddlestitcher, for example, on which modules (variants) were used for a print job and which cost rates should be taken into account. Another customer-specific report could contain separate statistics for the "Ganging" and "Stitching and three-knife trimming" variants.

How is the cost center assigned to a press or an operation?

Two attributes can be used in MIS for an assignment to a cost center:

​•​DeviceID

The assignment to the cost center occurs exclusively via the DeviceID of the press. You must configure the mapping "DeviceID -> cost center job costing" in the Management Information System. With this procedure, all times of this press are booked to the previously "mapped" cost center in the MIS, regardless of defined variants. In this case, it therefore does not make any sense to define additional variants or costs centers.

​•​Variants

A cost center must be assigned to every variant. The transfer of the variant name to the MIS must be configured to take the different cost rates of the single variants into account. The implementation is realized by means of the "HDM:ModuleSetName=" attribute in the JMF (Job Message Format). The "ModuleSetName" corresponds exactly to the variant name that the operator assigned for a device when creating a variant. The attribute describes the variant that was used to start an operation, e.g."Saddlestitcher and three-knife trimmer". This information can be used, for example, to define another operation with a different cost rate and be included in the overall job costing.

After completing this configuration step, click on "Next".