Simulation and hypermedia: The key to education

The PrintSim, an open and flexible simulation and multimedia system for learning printing processes, special situations, sequences and modern automation systems was developed in a joint project with several European partners under the European Union's COMETT II (Community Programme for Education and Training in Technology) Programme. The PrintSim consists of several software modules and provides a notable more cost-efficient way to give training and education than by using full-scale production printing lines. PrintSim simulation modules are the Web Offset Newspaper and Heatset Simulator, the Flexographic Simulator, the Offset and Flexographic Expert System, and the Course Generator. The PrintSim hypermedia modules are Filmless Plate Making, Offset Inks, Offset Print Quality, HIFI-Printing, Digital Screening, Flexographic Printing Practice and Flexographic Printing Theory. A new research and development project - PostPressSIM - Computer-aided training systems for book binding, finishing and mailing has been launched utilising multimedia and three dimensional virtual reality factory simulation. The time schedule of this project is 1995-1998.