WOA 50th ANNIVERSARY -- Turning up The Heat

The shaftless design does save energy costs, allow for easier installation of a press and permit more flexibility in configurations, Holliday agrees.

Once the web press is installed, though, he says that the benefits to the user are less apparent. "It's like having a better automatic transmission in your car. If it still operates much the same, do you really care that the transmission is now a simpler device? You can still buy a press and wear it out without having to do anything to the drive shaft," Holliday claims.