Freie Presse Chemnitz convinced about autoprint

At the end of 2007, the Freie Presse Chemnitz decided to acquire three COLORMAN, XXL autoprint newspaper printing systems from manroland. Today the presses are already running and show what it means to work with the highest level of automation. The answer is clear: autoprint is great.

The three COLORMAN, XXL autoprint presses were installed in August 2008 and today production runs smoothly on the new, highly-automated press concept. This is of great importance to Freie Presse Chemnitz because, with a circulation of 300,000 sold copies and a coverage of about 720,000 readers, this printing and publishing company produces “Saxony’s biggest Newspaper” and Eastern Germany’s largest regional newspaper. 19 local editions must reach their subscribers’ mailboxes every day on time, or be at the kiosk for sale. Quite a big challenge. For this reason, Freie Presse Chemnitz opted for the best possible press concept on the market: the manroland COLORMAN, XXL autoprint.

It took two years of discussions for the management and project team of Chemnitzer Verlag und Druck to find and plan the best solution for the company. In the end they opted for three 48-page COLORMAN, XXL autoprint presses each with two reel splicers and two 9-cylinder configuration towers for 4/4 color printing. Based on the demands of the published product, the 6-2 concept of the COLORMAN, XXL autoprint proved to be ideal: it reduces the required press components and provides a high level of automation that becomes even more apparent in the manroland autoprint features.

Automation with APL, Inline Control systems and networking
With up to 4,000 plate changes per day APL, manroland’s fully-automated plate changing system with robotic technology, pays off quickly. Thanks to APL, the makeready times at all printing units of a production line are reduced to three minutes.

Furthermore, the press is equipped with additional automation features such as the fully automatic reel supply system AUROSYS and manroland Inline Control systems which include for example InlineTensionControl which is manroland’s new web tension control system. This keeps the web tension constant in the critical web lead area between the printing unit and folder superstructure. As a result variations in the tension behavior within a paper reel, among paper reels, but also among the individual webs are reduced and cut-off register is optimized which lessens the risk of web breaks and minimizes the tendency to form creases.

The manroland cut-off register control system InlineCutoffControl makes an important contribution to full automation of the presses in Chemnitz. InlineCutoffControl operates without additional marks. Control takes place via prominent dots in the subject which are automatically defined by the PECOM press control system. The new method decreases the amount of preparatory work needed and enhances print quality. In addition, manroland equipped the press with an ink density control system from QI. A smooth workflow is also ensured by AUROSYS, the manroland materials logistics system.

printnet provides optimal networking of the production process. With manroland PressManagement systems, the potential of the COLORMAN, XXL autoprint can be fully utilized. Job data is automatically delivered to the printnet PressManager, and from there directly to the press. The printnet workflow enables load balancing to be optimized and provides maximum transparency for all systems involved in production. For even more efficiency and automation in the prepress operations, an additional output management system is available: printnet OM.

manroland AG is the world’s second largest printing systems manufacturer and the world’s market leader in web offset. The group with its production facilities in Offenbach, Augsburg and Plauen employs almost 8,700 people and has annual sales of some Euro 1,7 billion with an export share of 80 percent.

Webfed and sheetfed offset presses provide tailor-made solutions for publishing, commercial, and packaging printing – from brochures to newspapers with circulations running into the millions. A worldwide network of about 100 sales and service centers markets manroland’s products as well as process compliant system components and pressroom products.

Web offset presses for newspapers and high-quality commercial printing of brochures, catalogs, magazines, supplements and books are manufactured in the Augsburg facility (founded 1845). They are designed to meet the continually increasing demands on print quality and performance coming from printing and publishing companies all over the world. manroland’s Plauen facility (founded 1896) is renowned for newspaper presses and paper supply systems. The sheetfed press product range built in Offenbach and Mainhausen (founded 1871) comprises system families in small, medium, large and extra-large formats for commercial printing, posters, books and packaging. Some models are available with the revolutionary direct drive system. manroland offers added value with PRINTVALUE.

manroland offers also designing, planning, building, equipping and commissioning sheetfed and web offset printing plants – from prepress through printing right up to finishing. manroland is a provider of customized 24/7 service and (remote) maintenance packages plus integrated services and training measures (printservices). The portfolio includes a certified range of pressroom products (printcom), software products, and workflow management systems (printnet). The group provides consultancy services covering all aspects of investment and building planning, organization, management, systems engineering and process optimization (printadvice).