IMC America

THE ROLLER coaster twisted from one side of the Muller Martini booth to the other, an improbably long snake piercing the air in an exhibition hall mostly filled with floor-dwelling equipment. This machine was certainly no bottom feeder—more specifically, it was a top feeder, the Topveyor 365 overhead conveyor. At times an overhead conveyor was needed to circumvent the crowds choking the aisles during Graph Expo 2007 in Chicago. But the patron flow was volatile, and there were periods where one could walk down some of the back aisles of the McCormick Place South Hall without bumping into a poster-toting gawker. . .of which

Heidelberg Opens VLF Assembly Hall WIESLOCH-WALLDORF, GERMANY—Bernhard Schreier, CEO of press manufacturer Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, officially opened assembly Hall 11 here on September 15. The hall measures 375,000 square feet (equivalent to almost five soccer fields) and will be used to assemble a new generation of large-format presses, the Speedmaster XL 145 and Speedmaster XL 162. Heidelberg invested around 45 million Euro in the building, making it the largest input of funds into the Wiesloch-Walldorf site in the last 10 years. The building’s foundation stone was laid May 15, 2006, and construction was completed in about 14 months. Assembly of the new large-format presses, which

ULTIMATELY, THE common goal among the manufacturers and suppliers of finishing and bindery equipment at Graph Expo (and any trade show, for that matter) is to place their equipment in as many shops as possible. But, as a commerce vehicle, companies displaying their wares approach the annual Chicago event with different goals in mind. Every year there’s a degree of spin doctoring that takes place in the trade press. A show’s attendance can drop 20 percent as tumbleweeds bounce off stitchers and binders, but some writers will rave about how many of the leads were high quality. Frankly, it’s generally 50/50 or slightly in

Gämmerler will launch the BL 408 bindery stacker for use behind saddlestitchers, perfect binders, folders and inserters. Features wide format range, two-stage stacking system and a low copy drop height. The infeed is equipped with four top belts and eight bottom belts. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number 381 Goss International will unveil its Pacesetter 2200 and 2500 saddlestitchers. The systems feature servo-driven hoppers and excel at quick makereadies. The Pacesetter 2200 system completes up to 22,000 books per hour. The Pacesetter 2500 model features a dual stitcher and a 25,000 books per hour capacity. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter and enter number

New Press Heats Up Southern Market ATLANTA—A five-color Sakurai 575SDC sheetfed press with in-line coater is now running jobs at Canterbury Press. The machine, which is the first of its kind in the Atlanta market, was installed by dealer Paper Handling Solutions. ARIZONA TEMPE—Business Cards Tomorrow (BCT) has added a Presstek direct imaging (DI) press to its facility here and in Denver to support increased demand for short run, fast-turnaround printing. CALIFORNIA HAWTHORNE—Lithographix Inc. has installed a Sentinel ink management system from Accel Graphic Systems on its eight-color Mitsubishi D3000 press. ROCKLIN—J&M Printing, a general commercial printer, has installed a four-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 sheetfed press with in-line aqueous

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor Getting customers to stop by their booth was the No. 1 challenge facing manufacturers, suppliers and distributors during PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 in Chicago. Be it food, beverages, magicians or professional pool players, those exhibiting knew that getting one's attention was as critical as spreading their company's gospel. This is particularly true for those purveyors of binding and finishing equipment, which offer such a vast array of products and services that it's easy for attentions to get divided. The key was in seeing those attentions get conquered. For example, Standard Finishing Systems and Horizon International made a

Printer's Event Draws a Crowd ATLANTA—For the second year in a row, "Color Talk," presented by The EPI Companies, created a stir in the marketing community, drawing more than 400 corporate communications executives, marketing coordinators and print procurement specialists. The program featured a presentation by Leatrice Eiseman, a renowned color specialist who also serves as executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. EPI sponsored the event as an educational opportunity for clients and prospects, and to build awareness of the company's single-source array of marketing services. "Color Talk" was preceded by a reception featuring 29 exhibits. arizona TEMPE—Company officials from Ben Franklin Press

california NORTH HOLLYWOOD—Akers Brothers & Sister Printing, in business since 1944, has installed a Kluge EHF series press. Akers is using the new equipment for diecutting and foil stamping booster cards, a small card printed on 24-pt. adhesive coated stock. Additionally, the press will be used for similar applications on auto-lock bottom boxes. SANTA ANA—B&Z Printing has purchased a new Best Osako 368 saddlestitcher from Best Graphics. colorado COLORADO SPRINGS—Pikes Peak Litho has installed a 400 watt/inch cold UV curing system from PRI Technologies on its seven-color, 77˝ Harris press. DENVER—Document Imaging, an information and data management services company, has changed its name to

arizona PHOENIX—Steve Woods Printing opened its doors with a dedication celebration in May. Steve is the son of Frank Woods, formerly of Woods Lithographics. CALIFORNIA SAN MARCOS, CA—Golden State Graphics recently added to its bindery a Vijuk 321-T saddlestitcher. florida DeLEON SPRINGS—E.O. Painter Printing held its 100th annual stockholders and directors meeting recently. The company, which traces its origin to 1873, was purchased and incorporated by Sidney Weller Johnston, the current company president's grandfather. MIAMI—Color K Graphics purchased a KBA 74 Karat digital offset press with coater during Drupa. PENSACOLA—Six Stahl B30 buckle plate folders have been installed at Pensacola Christian College. georgia

By Erik Cagle The workflow process of a commercial printer is a lot like a 4x400 relay team in track and field: all the components of the team must be equally strong in order to be successful, and the final step is as important, even more so, than any other. After all, you don't want the anchor leg dropping the baton. The world of stackers and palletizers is the equivalent of the anchor leg, as it prepares finished product for delivery. Thus while not as ballyhooed as the sexier prepress parts of printing operations, its customers demand the ultimate in reliability, durability and