Hindustan Times opts Eco-Chill series
-to save on costs for their new installations…
Hindustan Times selected the new Eco-Chill series of fountain solution chillers for their new installations in north India. The choice was made with an eye on saving the fountain solution and power costs as well as floor area. “We were initially impressed with the new Eco Chill series and the savings it promised. However, we wanted to try out the equipment before finalizing. This was done on one of our installations in Agra. The results were encouraging and we finalized the chillers for our other installations as well,” commented Vijay Rao, DGM-technical of Hindustan Times.
While describing the new Eco-Chill range of fountain solution chillers, Abhijit Saoji – vice president, marketing and Shree Refrigerations, said that the simple technical change of placing the main chiller tank on floor created saving opportunities by eliminating auxiliary pre-filter tanks that are normally installed with a sole purpose of returning the fountain solution to the chiller. Harvesting the power of gravity in return of fountain solution from press to the chiller tank, resulted savings in capital cost - no need of auxiliary tanks to be purchased, provided space and electricity for; running cost - no need to spend on power for pumps on the auxiliary tanks; cleaning cost - no auxiliary tanks to be cleaned, no filters to be replaced; and fountain solution cost - improved filtration ensuring better fountain solution life.
With this order, Shree has strengthened its presence in north Indian market with Amar Ujala, Rajasthan Patrika, Peoples Group and Dainik Bhaskar already using Eco Chill series fountain solution chillers. Shree has also exported these chillers to Himalayan Times, Nepal and Yukondale, Mauritius.
Malaysian printer to
boost colour capacity with Goss
UBP Printing - a subsidiary of United Borneo Press Group Sdn Bhd, based in Sarawak, East Malaysia - opted to upgrade their colour capacity with a new Goss Community SSC press which has been installed in Kuching City to print the Chinese daily title, United Daily News, and copies of the Star Sarawak, East Malaysia edition. The new press, commissioned in March 2010, has five, four-high printing towers, one SSC folder and six reelstands. This configuration gives the potential for 20-page broadsheet products in full colour or 24-page broadsheets with four pages in two colours using the sixth reelstand.
“Our old presses can only manage twelve pages of colour on a 24-page product, limiting the overall look and feel of our main title the United Daily News. So, we were under pressure to increase colour pages and also the print quality,” stated Sim Yong Liang, managing director at UBP Printing, adding, “Despite the world economy, local advertising demands are still increasing here and so too is the potential to gain contract printing work. For both of these requirements, we needed a press with a heritage of quality and flexibility. We believe the Goss Community press is the answer.”
The diversity of cultures in the region means an abundance of newspaper titles. UBP has already captured a contract to print The Star, Malaysia’s leading English daily. The collaboration between the publisher and UBP is focused on delivering daily news by 6 am every day at a lower price than previously possible.
French newspaper
Le monde looks for investor
The most popular newspaper in France – the daily Le Monde has finally decided to look for an investor, who could possibly bring them out from heavy mounted losses. So far being run and owned by its own journalists Le Monde is looking for the investor even from outside the country. This is yet another fall out in European newspaper industry because of decreasing advertising revenues.
manroland and WIFAG
call off negotiations
In a crucial strategic decision, manroland AG and WIFAG have agreed to call off negotiations aimed at manroland AG acquiring WIFAG. It was not possible to harmonize the interests of both parties, but manroland and WIFAG shall remain open for cooperation on a technical level, says the company’s press release.
Publish Asia 2010 moves
to Kuala Lumpur
WAN-IFRA’s tenth annual Publish Asia conference 2010 will now take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during August 03-05, including three concurrent conferences CEO Conference, Newsroom Summit Asia and Printing Summit Asia and will be accompanied by an Expo for suppliers and several learning workshops. Most of the speakers announced for Bangkok in May have confirmed their participation at the new dates in Kuala Lumpur.
Originally, this major pan-Asian publishing conference was planned to be held during May 11-13 in the Thai capital Bangkok. But the violence, erupted at the end of March, forced the postponement of the event, and recent developments led to the change in venue to Kuala Lumpur.
“We had hoped that a peaceful settlement to the political crisis would be possible. Regretfully, the present situation in Bangkok is not conducive for an international event like Publish Asia,” stated Pichai Chuensuksawadi, editor-in-chief of Post Publishing and chairman of the WAN-IFRA Asian Committee. “We feel terribly sorry for the difficult times Thailand is currently going through. Thai publishers, tourism authorities and Thai Airways had provided an overwhelming support for organising Publish Asia, and it is with great regret that we find ourselves forced to move Publish Asia out of Bangkok this year,” added Thomas Jacob, managing director of WAN-IFRA for Greater Asia.
“The newspaper industry in Asia needs the annual forum to learn from each other and exchange ideas,” said Tan Sri Makaruddin Mohdamed Hashim, executive chairman of Utusan Melayu and a member of WAN-IFRA’s Asian Committee. “We will support WAN-IFRA in its effort to host the event in Kuala Lumpur, and ensure its success. We look forward to welcoming our fellow Asian publishers and industry professionals to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Malaysia is one of the most exciting newspaper markets in Asia. Newpapers are the media of choice for Malaysian advertisers taking more than half of the market - and leading publishers recently announced record profits. New publications - both print and online - are blossoming and introducing new innovation and creativity.
Glunz & Jensen receives
three orders from Malaysia
After winning the world’s biggest newspaper order in Singapore in January 2010, Glunz & Jensen has maintained this momentum, by securing a string of significant orders from some of the biggest players in the graphic business. Recently the company closed three significant orders in Malaysia.
The multi-media conglomerate, Utusan Meleyu of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), ordered two full ProVision Alliance punch/bend lines, for their facilities in the Northern and Southern Malaysia, while China Press Berhad, the second-largest Chinese-language newspaper in Malaysia, expanded their plate production to three full CtP-lines, with punch/benders, conveyors and plate stackers from Glunz & Jensen. Besides, Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad, Malaysia’s largest newspaper, also expanded their plate production to include three full ProVision Alliance plate production lines. In addition to their new in-line punch/bend system, Sin Chew has ordered a Universal Transition Module with Rotation (UTM-R) and a four position stacker to sort their plates via bar code recognition.
Jagran group’s new initiatives
In today’s scenario, innovation in the existing activities is becoming rather important day by day for better survival. And in this direction, Jagran group takes one more initiative by launching a health and wellness portal in Hindi and English: onlymyhealth.com, dedicated to deliver finest health information, backed with content from Harvard Medical School.
INS to co-sponsor
WAN-IFRA India 2010
The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) will be co-sponsor to the WAN-IFRA India 2010 Conference, the eighteenth annual event of WAN-IFRA in the sub-continent, to be held in Jaipur during Sep 15-16, attracting two streams of delegates – editors and publishers as well as business managers and senior managers from newspaper production.
Being organised for the first time in the Pink City, the conference will also introduce the flagship event of WAN-IFRA worldwide, the ‘Newsroom Summit - South Asia’. WAN-IFRA organises Newsroom summits annually in Europe and in the Asia Pacific region to highlight some of the hot-button issues of modern newsroom practice. In an endeavour to bring the entire bouquet of WAN-IFRA products and services to publishers in the South Asian region, the summit is being introduced for the first time in Jaipur, which will discuss ideas and best practices for content monetisation and attracting young readers. “There cannot be a more appropriate time than now to bring a summit of this kind, especially in the light of declining newspaper revenues in the matured markets and the unending debate on content pay walls. We hope the summit will open up new ideas and help the publishers in their preparation for the future,” said Magdoom Mohamed, managing director, WAN-IFRA South Asia, commenting on the summit.
The conference will also feature the ever popular ‘Printing Summit’, which will run in parallel at the same venue. The summit will discuss process management and innovative print business practices. The topics for the summit have been carefully chosen, keeping in mind the mood and challenge of the industry. There will be speakers from India and abroad and some of the best practice case studies will be presented at the conference. The event will be preceded by two parallel pre-conference workshops on Sep 14 at the same venue, including ‘Mobile publishing system’ to explore the various vendor systems that provide efficient mobile publishing possibilities, and ‘Planning and implementing a multimedia newsroom’ to provide learning on converged newsroom operations.
Notably, this year, the event will not have ‘WAN-IFRA Expo India’, which is scheduled for the year 2011.
India feels pinch of increasing
costs of recycled waste paper
Being dependent on imported recycled waste paper, Indian paper manufacturers are increasingly feeling the pinch of shortage and its increasing costs due to policy push to address conservation issues in the US and European countries and demand for waste paper from China and other countries across the globe.
To combat the cost issue, ITC has initiated the innovative Wealth Out of Waste (WOW) programme in India, for collecting waste paper directly from households. As part of the programme, now on in the four southern states cities including Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai in Tamil Nadu; Bangalore in Karnataka and Kochi in Kerala, it has tied up with Ramky Infrastructure to launch door-to-door domestic waste collection.
GossRSVP Media Link Service
now available globally
For advertisers, publishers or any business that want to create Internet mobile media to engage consumers via non-proprietary 2-D quick response (QR) codes, the GossRSVP Media Link Service is now available globally. It is a self-service subscription programme providing a media campaign creation dashboard, mobile-ready content and websites, a QR code generator, tracking metrics, a reseller model, white label self-branding ability, and more, in one application.
The programme allows mobile phone users to interact with print and other media through simple 2-D QR barcode technologies.
Another order to ppi Media
The newspaper publisher of the Neue Westfälische has commissioned ppi Media, a company of manroland AG, to install a new workflow for its prepress stage, which became necessary after it purchased a new newspaper press and integrated ABB’s press control system, MPS Production.
The Neue Westfälische, a daily newspaper with sixteen regional editions, is published in the region of East Westphalia-Lippe, having a daily circulation of just under 150,000 copies. Apart from expanding and improving its range of services, the newspaper press and workflow will enable the printing house to plan its production more flexibly, making it less dependent on the publishing house. ppi Media will use the new interfaces to implement direct connections between its own solutions, which have been applied in Bielefeld for many years, and the new systems. In future, printnet OM, the CtP output management system, and PlanPag, the planning system, will be connected to the press control system at the Neue Westfälische.
WAN-IFRA’s training
programmes in India
The world association of newspapers and news publishers, WAN-IFRA will organize wide variety of events and training programmes for news publishing executives in Asia this year, including a ‘Summer University’, a first-of-its kind executive education programme for newspaper managers in Hyderabad, and a training programme on ‘Infographics for print and online’ in Chennai.
The ‘Summer University’ – planned in association with the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad from July 07-13, 2010 at the campus of ISB - will offer education in newspaper strategies and the challenges of driving the newspaper publishing house in the new age. This programme would address two central challenges media companies face today, viz: how does one get noticed by audiences bombarded with plenty of choices and how does one get paid for content one generates. The course content would be organised under four broad themes - technology, customer behavior, business models and organisational effectiveness. The attendees will be benefited by learning about evolving business models, getting better understanding of competitive landscape, having opportunity to network with industry peers, and will be given an ISB certificate on completion of the programme.
While the three day training programme on Infographics, to be held in Chennai during July 14-16 , will help the news designers, magazine designers, infographics artists, art directors, graphic editors, page layout artists, design editors and news editors to learn how to convert basic information to informative charts and graphics. Jeff Goertzen, graphics editor at Denver Post will be the trainer.
G&J now takes in the
South American market
Continuing a trail of significant worldwide orders at the largest printers in the graphic industry, Glunz & Jensen opens up its strategy with significant sales to La Voz del Interior, the largest daily newspaper in Argentina, who ordered for two new ProVision Alliance punch/benders with two new entry conveyors and two new plate stackers to expand their platemaking production.
Shanghai Electric to assume
full ownership of Goss International
Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation (SEG) will acquire 100-percent ownership of Goss International in June, 2010, exercising an option established when it became a shareholder in the company in September, 2009. Other current shareholders in Goss International, including majority shareholder MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Partners, will sell their shares in the company as part of the transaction.
The acquisition of the remaining shares by SEG will give Goss International an industrial owner with substantial resources and accelerate cooperation among SEG affiliated printing equipment suppliers within a unique worldwide network. With development and manufacturing operations in The United States, The Netherlands, France, Japan and China, Goss International supplies web offset presses and finishing systems for newspaper, magazine, catalogue, direct mail, packaging and other printing applications.
The SEG Group’s printing and packaging machinery companies produce Akiyama, Purlux, Guanghua, Yawa, Shen Wei Da and Feida press, finishing and auxiliary components for the worldwide market. A successful joint venture established in China has also produced several Goss web press models since 1993.
Accura appoints 4Cplus
as distributors in India
IT solutions company, 4Cplus has been appointed distributor for the full range of Accura MIS products, including the new e-commerce product, for India. Alan Potter, international sales director of Data Design Services (DDS) recently visited India to sign the distributor agreement.
Founded in 1988, DDS has always been dedicated purely to the printing industry. Using customer feedback, they have continually developed and improved products to bring printers the flagship system - Accura, the next generation of print management information software (MIS). The Accura MIS system, being used by over 600 printers worldwide, seamlessly manages every aspect of a printing business from quoting & estimating, ordering & stock control, proof management, invoicing, web-to-print trading and much more. Closely integrated into business with a modular structure, it can be customized to suit the users needs and is suitable for use by all sectors, litho, digital including wide format, screen, labels and web.
While 4Cplus, established in 2000, is a market leader in providing editorial workflow solutions, Indian language font solutions, e-publishing and ERP solutions for news publishers. The company is also the authorized dealer for Proimage for the
Newsway workflow system, OnColor Eco ink saving software and FanOut server.
“We are very excited about the opportunity of working with them, we have always been convinced that India was a great marketing opportunity for Accura but until now we have not been able to find the right partner. With IPEX on the horizon the timing is perfect to maximize the opportunity and we feel confident that we can achieve some early results,” commented Alan Potter. “With a team of over 150 people, corporate and development facilities in New Delhi and sales as well as support offices all over India, 4Cplus is well positioned to maximize opportunities,” added Bharat Koshik, general manager, 4Cplus.
One of the world’s
oldest newspapers goes for REGIOMAN
Sweden-based Pressgrannar AB, a part of NTM (Norrköpings Tidningars Media AB), a fast-growing media company with several local newspapers opted a REGIOMAN press from manroland. The new press will be installed in Linköping by the end of 2011, replacing older presses. NTM is investing about 21 million euro in the new printing plant.
Featuring a speed of 75,000 copies per hour, the REGIOMAN consists of six printing towers and six reel splicers as well as two folders. Next to different daily papers such as Norrköpings Tidningar, Västerviks-Tidningen, Östgöta Correspondenten, Folkbladet and International Herald Tribune, it will also print freesheets and commercial tabloids.
“Our goal is to offer our advertising customers a full range of media, newspaper, television, internet, mobile, radio and more, a mix that has already proved very successful. Our operations are the natural media choice for advertisers in our market area,” said Lennart Foss, CEO of NTM. “We believe strongly in the future of the printed newspaper and will continue to offer efficient solutions for our customers,” added Olof Z. Haeggström, managing director, Pressgrannar AB.
Pressgrannar was founded in 2004 resulting from the merger of the printing plants from Norrköpings Tidningar and Östgöta Correspondenten, the region’s two largest morning papers. Norrköpings Tidningar is the oldest of Sweden’s papers still being published. Founded in 1758 it is also among the world’s ten oldest newspapers.
Study tour: Success made in India
For newspapers executives, management board members, directors, editors-in-chief, and top managers who are interested in new ideas in order to stay competitive in their business, WAN-IFRA is arranging a study tour ‘Success made in India’ (Sep 11-19, 2010). Starting from Mumbai, it will go north-east to Delhi, the old capital. From the capital, it will go to Jaipur, then south-west towards Cochin. The tour concludes in Bangalore, the Garden City. Participants shall be able to interact with major newspapers in these cities.
Ferag introduces new trimming drum
The latest development from Ferag Verfahrenstechnik in Leipzig is a trimming drum, with the type designation SNT-50. Having only one rotor, it can be used for high-pagination products up to an untrimmed format of 500x320 mm or up to 450x300 mm trimmed.
In the commercial sector, the SNT-50 is ideal for trimming catalogues and magazines, and in the newspaper sector for trimming magazines and advertising brochures printed on newsprint, with or without a cover, in an enhanced and heavier paper quality. During processing, products are held gently and securely in the SNT 50 without altering their position in the pockets. Unlike the SNT-U, with the SNT-50, the three-side trim is carried out first on the front and then simultaneously on the head and foot, as with Ferag’s twin rotor trimming drums.
Another book from Divya Bhaskar
Continuing their coffee table book publishing activity dedicated to the outstanding people of Gujarat, Divya Bhaskar recently launched another coffee table book Gujarat Gaurav. Profiling fifty Mumbai’s influential Guajaratis, this book is an ode to Gujaratis and their contribution in the fields of literature, entertainment, industries, etc.
SIGRAF to increase production
flexibility with upgraded Uniset
Aiming at increasing competitiveness and production flexibility, the Italian printing company SIGRAF has decided to upgrade their Uniset press installed in 2007 for full colour 64-page production. The company has a broad production structure in Treviglio in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy, handling the product portfolio ranging from daily and weekly regional and city newspapers in tabloid format with different circulations right up to high-quality commercial products.
Previously, the 64-tabloid page Uniset at SIGRAF could print 32 pages four-colour. Now, manroland is to install an additional H-type printing unit and an eight-couple tower starting in mid-2010. “By upgrading the Uniset to full colour, we can react more flexibly to the wishes of our customers and offer them an expanded product portfolio,” commented Goffredo Signorelli, owner and president, SIGRAF. This company was the first printer in Italy to work with CtP and has continually expanded its expertise in this field.
Punjab Kesari group sends
271st truck of relief material
The chief guest on the occasion of 100th distribution function of Shaheed Parivar Fund held recently in Jalandhar, Nitin Gadkari, national president, Bhartiya Janata Party flagged off 271st truck of relief material (for the migrants of J&K border areas) arranged by Punjab Kesari group, and Iqbal Singh, Lt governor, Puducherry presided over the function.
Other dignitaries who were present on the occasion include: Vijay Sampla, chairman, Punjab Khadi Board; Vijayinder Singla, MP; MS Bitta, president, All India Anti Terrorists’ Front; Tikshan Sood, minister for forests, Punjab; Ashwani Sharma, president, BJP Punjab; Navjot Singh, MP; Smriti Irani, national general secretary, BJP; Swami Sachchidanand; Balbir Punj, MP (RS); Avinash Rai Khanna, MP (RS); Vijay Kumar Chopra, CMD, Punjab Kesari group; Manoranjan Kalia, minister for local govt, Punjab; Prem Kumar Dhumal, chief minister, Himachal Pradesh; Aslam Sher Khan, ex union minister; Tarun Vijay, spokesman, BJP; Chaman Lal Gupta, ex union minister; Baldev Chawla, chairman, WS&S Board; Kamal Chaudhary, ex MP; Master Mohan Lal, minister of transport, Punjab; Jagrup Singh, general secretary, CPI; JB Singh Chaudhary; Rajan Garg; Harjit Arora; Pawan Goyal; Vinod Vashisht and Sunil Sharma.
