Web Offset -- Turning Up the Heat

A movement toward increased automation is a hot-button topic to George Sanchez, director of sales and marketing for Mitsubishi. He sees the movement on two fronts: One, mechanical and electronic press functions, with manufacturers doing more semiautomatic and automatic plateloading and folder changeovers, tension presets and web-width presets. The second front, Sanchez feels, is the process control side, where ancillary vendors are providing closed-loop register and ink-control systems. Sanchez says these systems allow the printer to reduce makeready setup waste, and they also serve as a tool to reduce running waste.