COLORMAN e:line takes
up full operation in Germany
Leaving everyone impressed by the brilliant
colours of the
freshly printed Allgäuer Zeitung newspaper
With capacity to print up to 90,000 newspaper copies per hour at a printing speed of
12.75 m/s, the world's first COLORMAN e:line has gradually taken up full operation
at the Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag in Kempten, Germany. At the start of production, around 2,80,000 regional advertising supplements were printed by the COLORMAN e:line.
The advertised food items looked mouth-watering – an indication of the excellent print quality of the 64-page coldset web press from manroland web systems. A brief.
At the Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag in Kempten, Germany the COLORMAN e:line produces eight such regional issues in Rhinic format every day on workdays.
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Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag is consistently working on comprehensive quality as the basis for its competitiveness. This is why the COLORMAN e:line has replaced two competitor presses from 1998. The company invested 18 million euros in new pre-press, printing, and distribution technology. As per Markus Brehm, managing director of Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag, "This is definitely a great amount of money. We have to invest to remain technologically ahead. Those who benefit from the improved quality and the quick, flexible production are our advertising customers and readers, as well as our staff."
At Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag, the COLORMAN e:line is equipped with four printing towers in a blanket-to-blanket design, four reel splicers, and two folders. A third ink form roller improves the print quality. Many automated measuring and control functions ensure quality, efficiency and a stable printing process. With a web width of 1,400 mm and a cylinder circumference of 1,020 mm, the press will produce copies of the Allgäuer Zeitung in Rhinic format with up to 45,000 cylinder revolutions per hour. Advertising journals and contract printing orders are added to this during the day.
The press of the future...
The COLORMAN e:line from manroland web systems – a revolutionary printing press design.
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During the preliminary meetings, manroland web systems internalized the wishes of Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag and then implemented them technologically. Today, it would be correct to say that for manroland web systems and the customer, the COLORMAN e:line is "the" press of the future. For Wilfried Sutter, technical manager of Allgäuer Zeitungsverlag, the accelerated makeready times are especially crucial in everyday operations: "One of the great advantages is the fact that makeready times are reduced to approx. three minutes per regional issue. This used to take twenty minutes to half an hour on the old press." After all, the publisher must produce eight regional issues of the Allgäuer Zeitung every day on workdays. Staff were trained upfront and are excited about working on one of the world's most advanced newspaper presses. Their list of favourite features is topped by the automated plate logistics, which vastly facilitates work processes. Its central element is the fully-automatic, robot-assisted APL plate changing system that dramatically accelerates makeready times and thus production. The operator controls the plate changing process from the central control console. Here, the plates are placed in transport baskets. They are then transported to the APL robot with a home-built lift to the upper printing couples, where they are changed. This eliminates the top operating level and the operator no longer has to run up and down stairs. Sound-proofing on the press's printing units is another feature that is greatly appreciated by staff.
Able to do more than just print...
The exterior of the COLORMAN e:line is particularly distinguished by the use of new and intelligent materials. Instead of sheet metal, which is limited in terms of design and touch, synthetics with a resistant, easy-to-clean surface are used. The creative illumination design highlights and delineates the press functions. The result is a revolutionary printing press design that Markus Brehm fully appreciates saying, "Today's presses must be able to do more than just print, they must be 'catchy', with an impressive exterior." This can enhance sales – first potential customers have already contacted the printing company. The interior traits of the printing system are also up to par. "The COLORMAN e:line consists of a coherent system," explains Brehm. "In addition to the printing technology, this also includes excellent accessibility, for example to the roller-wash-up devices." The ergonomic advantages are in line with the expectations of the Kempten-based company. "We want to create a homogenous working environment for our employees, coupled with a high quality of work," concludes Brehm.
