Web offset

MittMedia Print, a subsidiary of Sweden’s fourth-largest media group MittMedia Förvaltnings in Gävle, is gearing up for sustained growth and expanding its product spectrum with a compact waterless KBA Cortina whose hybrid coldset/heatset capabilities enable it to print semi-commercials (supplements and magazines) alongside newspapers. Since there is no fan-out in waterless offset it is possible to produce high-quality hybrid copies containing both heatset and coldset sections. The press line for MittMedia Print will be the eighteenth Cortina to leave the KBA production line, but the first such installation in Sweden. The investment package includes new finishing kit and an extension to MittMedia’s production plant in Sundsvall, where the Cortina is scheduled to come on stream in spring 2011. A city with around 95,000 inhabitants some 400km (250 miles) north of Stockholm on the Baltic coast, Sundsvall was previously dominated by paper and pulp production but has since evolved into a centre for cellulose- and aluminium-processing industries, IT and telecommunications. ...

The first COLORMAN, XXL autoprint in Austria is to be installed at Herold Druck in Vienna. This printing company relies on technological progress and its association with manroland.

Three years ago, Herold Druck und Verlag AG caused something of a sensation as a pilot user of UV technology for newspaper printing, and now this Vienna printing company has opted for groundbreaking technology once again. The first COLORMAN, XXL of the autoprint series and the first six-page wide newspaper web press in the Alpine Republic will commence production at Herold Druck at the end of 2010.

King of the newspaper-printing mountain
Herold Druck specializes in printing newspapers and supplements, is known for its enthusiasm for innovations, and has relied on printing technology and project management from manroland for 17 years. The reason why is the level of quality that this customer insists on. Is being the first with technological innovations one of Herold’s stated objectives? “If being the first means having a competitive edge, above all as far as economy in newspaper printing is concerned, then that is worthwhile. More important however is aligning our co ...

manroland AG is negotiating the purchase of WIFAG AG, the Bern specialist for high-quality newspaper printing solutions. The corresponding letter of intent was signed. Negotiations should be finalized in spring.

By integrating the press and service business, manroland AG rounds its product and service portfolio and sustainably strengthens its position in newspaper printing, and its regional presence. “Our industry is marked by an ongoing and necessary consolidation. The current situation allows us to actively grasp the opportunities in the market to strengthen our business,” says Gerd Finkbeiner, CEO of manroland.

For customers and business partners, WIFAG AG stands for quality, sustainability, and innovation. WIFAG’s outstanding reputation is of great importance for the joined business development. The existing brand, continuity of the company philosophy, and customer relations would be preserved in case of a merger.

Last fall, WIFAG AG announced the reduction of 300 jobs and the search for a strategic business partner. With the sale to manroland, the company responds to the increasing consolidation pressure i ...

In December 2007 Diligent Media Corporation and DB Corporation, two enterprises owned by Indian media major Dainik Bhaskar Group (DB Group), signed a contract with KBA for seven Prisma newspaper presses, totalling 25 printing towers, for multiple locations. The first Prisma, a four-tower configuration, went live in December 2008 at the group’s Bangalore operation, and was followed in July 2009 by an eight-tower press in Jaipur. On 14 November last year the biggest installation, comprising three sections and nine towers, was officially inaugurated at the group’s production plant in Ahmedabad, northwest India. The ceremony was attended by over 2,000 representatives from politics, business and the media industry.

The new press line, which has nine reelstands, one double folder, one single folder and four control consoles, was set in motion by Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of India’s business-friendly Gujarat state. The commemorative publication printed at the inauguration illustrated the course of the project from the initial investment decision to successful completion. The inaugural ceremony in the presence of DB Group chairman Ramesh Chandra Agarwal an ...

February 9th, 2010 - From its diverse range of web offset solutions, Goss International will put the spotlight on technologies providing opportunities for rapid Return on Investment (ROI) at the Graphics of the Americas Expo & Conference 2010 (GOA) in Miami, February 25 to 27.

Exhibiting on booth #1043, Goss International will present press and finishing equipment, as well as Goss Lifetime Support aftermarket solutions especially suited for newspaper and commercial production requirements in Latin America. These include single-width Community SSC and Magnum newspaper presses with heatset, coldset and UV printing capabilities. For commercial applications, emphasis will be on the 16-page M-500 and M-600 press systems, the 4x4 Goss M-800 press and the highly automated Sunday press series. Goss International will also highlight finishing systems offering optimal net throughput, versatility and personalization.

In January, Goss International assumed responsibility for sales and support of Akiyama products in the United States and Canada. Members of the Akiyama team have joined the Goss International organization and will be at Graphics of the Americas to pre ...

Bucking the recession, major German media provider L.N. Schaffrath in Geldern am Niederrhein recently signed up for a capacity- and productivity-boosting 16pp commercial web offset press from KBA. Schaffrath, whose customers include a raft of prominent publishing houses, offers a complete range of services from concept, design and layout to print production and distribution.

At present its primary focus is on periodicals, magazines and supplements, but it is keen to expand its offerings still further. The new press line will join a fleet of web and sheetfed presses in a modern, well-equipped production plant.

Founded over 250 years ago in 1743, Schaffrath employs some 300 staff and in 2009 posted sales exceeding €43m ($60m). Also known in the trade as Schaffrath DruckMedien, the company is owned jointly by Dr Alex and Klaus Schaffrath and their respective families in Geldern and publishing houses Deutscher Ärzte-Verlag in Cologne and Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft in Düsseldorf. ...

Longstanding KBA web press user Oceano in Brazil is expanding capacity with two heatset Comet presses for semi-commercial production. Oceano, which is part of Brazilian print media major Grupo Escala, already runs two 16pp Compacta 215 and two 48pp Compacta 618 press lines at its facility in Cajamar, near São Paulo, while Oceano Sul down south in Criciúma has a further two 16pp Compactas in operation.

Group founder Hercilio de Lourenzi says: “We have always been 100 per cent satisfied with the superb print quality, reliability and flexibility of the Compactas, and also with KBA’s customer service. Comets are in operation the world over and have an outstanding reputation in the trade. So to power future growth we have opted for proven technology from a proven provider. KBA’s invaluable support has contributed in no small part to our present success.”

Dynamic media enterprise ...

Start of production at the new print center: In November 2009, a COLORMAN started newspaper production at Rotomadrid S.L. in Torrejon de Ardoz, near Madrid. The customer’s project, which includes printing the daily ABC, was realized in record time.

In February 2009, Rotomadrid ordered a COLORMAN. Now, only nine months later, the system is starting production. The new COLORMAN complements the existing manroland presses; the latter will be converted and moved to a new location.

Successful cooperation continues
How did Jose Cañizares Fernandez, project responsible at Rotomadrid, experience the project, and what does he expect from the COLORMAN? “manroland understood our needs perfectly, which is what made our move so efficient and successful. We invested in the COLORMAN because we expect it to make our production more economical and offer our advertising customers an even higher printing quality.”

The COLORMAN printing systems at Rotomadrid consist of two machines with four eight-couple towers in 9-cylinder satellite design, four reel splicers, and two folders. The COLORMAN is designed to produce a maximum of 128 four-color ...

A new Webline magazine is now available from participating PrintCity Alliance members manroland, MEGTEC, Océ, Procemex, Sun Chemical, Trelleborg and UPM.   Industry leading articles include The Power of Print, VAPoN in Practice, Hybrid Inks, Digital Newspapers, Value Added Printing, Ultra Wide Web Printing – Changing Dynamic, Lean & Green Heatset Drying, Blankets & Energy Consumption, Camera Web Monitoring Systems, Virtual Training, Carbon Footprints and creative ideas including Tasty Adverts.    Webline is published by the PrintCity Alliance Publishing, Commercial & Web Activity Group to provide information on market trends and technologies related to web printing. Published since 2002, it has a regular distribution to over 10,000 printers & publishers worldwide.   Printed copies can be requested in English or German languages by emailing webline@printcity.de ...