Offset Printing - Sheet-Fed

Chicago—The Windy City was the gathering spot for the annual Sheetfed Pressroom conference recently. More than 450 attendees got to sit in on up to 26 sessions, plus another 10 pre-conference workshops in the three days. One particular session, on productivity increases, was the first of its kind. Speaker Ira Goldratt's books on production management have been part of the various printing associations' member libraries for years. His philosophy on isolating bottlenecks or constraints has been successfully applied by McNaugh- ton & Gunn, a book specialist from Saline, MI. The company's senior manager in charge of process improvements, Jim Clark, described how his

There are many unique things about Metro Business Connection (MBC), a small Minnesota instant printer. Take, for instance, its name. Unlike many print shops, the name Metro Business Connection does not connote anything to do with printing. Its work force and location—three employees working out of a separate 1,000-square-foot shop beside the owner's home—are not necessarily the norm. But in its seven years of existence, MBC has grown to enjoy its remarkable success due to the quality and service the company offers. "We're very service-oriented," says Neil Stromme, vice president, who operates the shop along with his wife Sarah, president, and a third employee.

CHICAGO—The eighth annual GATF/NAPL Sheetfed Conference brought 420 attendees and 53 sponsors together recently to hear predictions of the future and case studies of innovative success stories. Consultants Frank Romano and Ray Prince offered some technology projections for the next couple of decades. Prince reminded the audience that printing press development has historically followed five-year time frames, adding that enhancements have invariably been driven by demands for higher productivity, not quality. He expects several new digital presses and many new robotic and automation advancements to be introduced at DRUPA 2000. Presses of the future will be simpler (to operate, not maintain!) with reusable plates/cylinders,

"I feel the need...the need for speed." So quipped Tom Cruise's cocky fighter pilot character Maverick in the action flick, Top Gun. Those same sentiments can be echoed by any commercial printer with medium- to large-sized (for purposes of this article, 26˝ and larger) presses. Except, Cruise's Maverick had it easy—just a few competitors to deal with and only one battle necessary to test his meddle. Increasing customer demands, pricing pressures and shorter turnaround times all combine to put sheetfed owners' metal to the test—on a daily basis. "Large-format sheetfed press manufacturers feel the same price pressures as their customers. Continually shorter run