manroland Inc.

By Mark Smith Rollin', rollin', rollin' . . . keep them presses rollin'. This submission to the Web Offset Association (WOA) slogan contest didn't make the final cut, but its catchy rhythm makes it hard to get out of your head once you've heard it. The little ditty particularly has resonance for fans of Clint Eastwood or TV westerns who hear the echoes of the "Rawhide" theme song. Pinpointing exactly how long web offset presses have been rolling along depends on how far one stretches the product definition. In "The Power of the Press," a chronicle of the history of printing presses, author Paul

BY CAROLINE MILLER Printers shopping for a heatset web offset press all agree on one thing: less definitely is more. Less makeready time, less press downtime, less manning requirements and less paper waste generated all mean one thing—more profits. And that's exactly what heatset web press vendors are offering their customers. "Emerging and growing printers have a renewed focus on technology and flexibility," reports Richard Kerns, president of Solna Web Systems. "Waste and time on press are crucial issues, which can be addressed easily by the new technologies available. Our customers are now equipping their heatset presses with closed-loop color control systems, ink

Maynard Wins Slogan Contest ALEXANDRIA, VA—Michael Maynard, a head pressman for Glen Burnie, MD-based French Bray, was selected the winner of the Web Offset Association (WOA) Pride in Printing slogan contest, which was co-sponsored by Printing Impressions. His entry, "WOA: Making a Great Impression for 50 Years," was selected from more than 300 entries. He received, among other things, airfare and hotel accommodations for two people, as well as complimentary registration, at the WOA conference in Las Vegas from May 5-8. Lake Erie Acquires CTP System CLEVELAND—Lake Erie Graphics has installed an Agfa Galileo VS digital plate manufacturing system. The Galileo VS system, along with the addition

New Digs for Graphics Microsystems ROCKWALL, TX—Graphics Microsystems (GMI), headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, opened its new 50,000-square-foot facility here in February to increase capacity for its Microcolor ink controls, ColorQuick closed-loop color control systems and PrintQuick color-to-color register systems. The shareholders of Check Technology Corp. have approved a proposal to change the company's name to Delphax Technologies. Rudi Lenz has joined Sun Chemical as senior vice president and CFO. Most recently, Lenz served as president and CEO of Fairchild Aircraft. SICPA North America, a provider of ink solutions to printers of labels, plastic cards, packaging and carton gravure applications, has appointed JoEllen Lawler as director of human

Buhrs Unveils Its Newest Mailing, Fulfillment Solutions LOHNE, GERMANY—The Buhrs Group unveiled six new developments in the field of mailroom and fulfillment solutions during a two-day open house event in March that brought more than 325 participants to its Buhrs-ITM plant here for product demonstrations and seminars. On display at the plant were the Buhrs Intelligent Boxing System, the BB200 Envelope Inserting System, the H4 Hybrid Feeder, the Buhrs 3000 Film Wrapping System, the NeuroCheck Camera System and the System Controller. All six systems represent the trend in the mailroom and fulfillment markets towards flexibility and modular design, reports Tony Cockerham, vice president

Williamson Institute Proves Its Value Once Again DALLAS—Williamson Printing hosted the third Williamson Institute in February. The educational seminar provided printing knowledge to college students to help enhance their education within the graphic communications industry. Fifty students representing Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas and Baylor University attended the seminar. CALIFORNIA ANAHEIM—Pacific West Litho has installed a new six-color, 40˝ Komori Lithrone press equipped with a ColorCommand temperature control/cooling system from TriService. AZUSA—A Steinemann Topspot 102 blanket coater has replaced two silk screen UV coaters at Classic Coating & Laminating. COMMERCE—The transition to a computer-to-plate workflow is complete

BY MARK SMITH Trying to be all things to all people is generally recognized as a formula for disaster. However, putting a spin on this strategy has proven successful for Cunningham Graphics International (CGI). The Jersey City, NJ-based organization strives to be a one-stop shop for all the document management and communication needs of a tightly targeted market. Through 18 operations spread across 12 cities and five countries, Cunningham Graphics serves the financial community with an emphasis on producing time-sensitive documents involved with investor communications, reveals Gordon Mays, executive vice president of marketing and sales. The company's client base includes most of Wall

BY MARK SMITH Taking steps out of a process has the potential to increase productivity, reduce process variability and lower production costs. That all sounds great, but these gains naturally must be weighed against the investment required to achieve them. Doing such a cost/benefit analysis for the on-press imaging concept might at first seem to be a rather straightforward calculation. The potential variables in the equation quickly prove otherwise, however. Issues related to integration with existing plant capabilities, markets served, type of press being considered, etc., can tip the balance in favor or against the technology and workflow. What makes sense for

SEWICKLEY, PA—Class is in session, and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) is welcoming a new pupil. No one will pick on the newbie, despite his large size. That's because this "he" is a four-unit Rotoman web offset press from MAN Roland. The GATF was slated to install the new press in April and May, with an eye toward it going live by early summer. The press was scheduled to ship in March from MAN Roland's Augsburg, Germany, production center. Best of all, the press comes compliments of the press manufacturer. "MAN Roland's donation of this highly automated system, and all the technical support and training that goes

Akiyama Back in Business TOKYO—Shanghai Electric Group (SEC) and Morningside Group (MS) jointly announced the companies have purchased the business rights of Akiyama Printing Machinery Manufacturing through each subsidiary companies in both groups.The new company will be called Akiyama International (AIC) and will succeed all business of Akiyama Printing Machinery. SEC manufactures heavy equipment while MS is a global investment company. The acquisition includes properties, buildings, facilities and patents. AIC commenced operation on January 28 after hiring back a large portion of the employees from the former company. AIC will promote and market the J Print perfector presses and the Bestech model presses. Presses Highlight