Web Systems

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

BY ERIK CAGLE When you have the need for speed (press speed, that is) the last thing you want is some clunky drying/curing system that is not able to keep pace. Systems that generate high UV output to cure difficult colors and the heavy laydown of inks and coatings at high press speeds are highly sought, according to Dave McDowell, UV product manager for UVTechnology. Minimizing the temperatures of the web allow for printing on films and thermal-sensitive substrates. "As print quality improves, demand has grown for greater image quality and impact from non-traditional substrates," McDowell states. "In many cases, printers are seeking

BY CAROLINE MILLER In the world of saddle stitchers and bookletmakers, machinery is king. "The emphasis is on the equipment," reports Ron Bowman, vice president of sales and marketing for Rosback. Ease-of-use, automation, reliability, flexibility, versatility and productivity are just a few of the advances touted by saddle stitcher and bookletmaker manufacturers these days. Many of these innovations have come as a result of the growing industry trend of putting relatively unskilled employees in the bindery, while still demanding that the products they produce be as perfect as possible, reveals Bowman. Rosback offers the Setmaster Stitch/Fold and Trim bookletmaker, an in-line or off-line unit

Blue Ridge Paper Products has relocated its corporate headquarters. The new address is 41 Main St., P.O. Box 1429, Canton, NC 28716. The new phone number is (828) 454-0676. QTI became the first web auxiliary equipment provider to sell a closed-loop color control system in the Latin American market. At PRINT 01, Rotomagno SA de CV, of Guadalajara, Mexico, purchased QTI's Color Control System with Instrument Flight for its new four-unit Mitsubishi Diamond 16 web press. Newly formed distributor Enovation Graphic Systems has named Steve Gryder regional vice president, Central. Jim Purcell has accepted the position of regional vice president, Midwest. John Solwold was appointed regional

CHICAGO—The management team and employees at Broadview, IL-based Lehigh Direct are swimming with activity as of late. So, to celebrate its new capabilities, the printer hosted an elegant party at the Shedd Aquarium on October 29, which was attended by nearly 500 customers, prospective clients and supplier partners of both the direct marketing company and publishing components division. Co-hosted by Heidelberg Web Systems, the event was held during the annual DMA convention. With the understandably somber mood following the post-September 11 terrorist attacks, it was also refreshing to see Lehigh's exuberance over its position and commitment to the marketplace. Lehigh's excitement centers around its new six-color,

MAN Roland Technicians Get Golden ToolsOFFENBACH, GERMANY—Two American technicians were honored recently for completing the 1,000th MAN Roland mechanical systems course at the company's training center here. As a result of the hands-on coursework, the technicians, Warren Collins and Greg Voigt, received their gold wrenches and are certified to install and get U.S. customers up-and-running on Roland 700 presses. Heidelberg USA has realigned its operations into four business segments: Digital, Postpress, Sheetfed and Web. Niels M. Winther, a 34-year veteran with the organization, has assumed responsibility as head of Heidelberg's Market Center North America (U.S. and Canada). Appointed to head the four U.S. groups

BY ERIK CAGLE If it is September, this must be Chicago. Change is in the air, and where else but the Windy City is more apropos for taking a reading of this change? It is a special year for the graphic arts industry, as it seems to be in transition. Layoffs have rocked many of the big printers as a swooning economy has touched all. Manufacturers are crossing their fingers in the hope that PRINT 01 is successful; some have gone as far to call this a "make-or-break" show in light of some poorly attended trade shows this year. Manufacturers, suppliers, printers, trade finishers,

Line & Tone, Target MergeNEW YORK—A little more than a year since it acquired Finley Digital Photographics, Line & Tone, based here, announced that it is merging with Target Graphics, of Boonton, NJ. Target Graphics and its art creation subsidiary, MediaLogix, are now wholly owned subsidiaries of Line & Tone. The transaction will see Line & Tone move its Parsippany and Mahwah, NJ, operations into Target's Boonton facility. Quad/Graphics Expanding PlantsPEWAUKEE, WI—Gammerler, a manufacturer of in-line finishing systems, announced it has been chosen by Quad/Graphics, headquartered here, to supply overhead conveying systems for Quad plant expansions in Martinsburg, WV, Saratoga Springs, NY, as well

BY CHRIS BAUER Although it may not be as flashy as a star-filled TV commercial during the last episode of "Survivor" or halftime of the Super Bowl, many companies are finding refuge from high advertising costs in a weakened economy by going a more traditional and cost-effective route—newspaper inserts. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Livonia, MI-based Valassis Communications, a leading printer of coupons and newspaper inserts, reported it is reaping financial benefits from the slowing economy. As advertisers look for ways to lure customers into their stores with sales and other ways to save, Valassis is providing much of the printing of