IFRA Expo 2010 witnesses incredible turnout
The world’s largest trade fair for the news publishing industry IFRA Expo 2010 (Oct 04-06) concluded in Hamburg making exhibitors happy with incredible turnout, better than previous event, witnessing quality visitors, whether existing customers or new prospects. With increasing confidence to invest for consolidating the production due to the current economic revival, lot of representatives from media houses were seeing looking for options for better productivity and lowering costs. It was also observed that smaller as well as flexible presses and environment friendly products were being preferred rather than larger equipments. Major announcements for investment in print production technology during the show also provided a good indicator of the slight recovery around the world. KBA, manroland, Ferag, Goss International, Schur Packaging Systems, TKS, Fujifilm, ppi Media, Baldwin and other production supplier companies signed a number of multimillion-euro orders. The IFRA Expo was accompanied by the 17th World Editors Forum (Oct 06-08), along with an Advertising Summit, a Tablet and E-Reading Conference, Focus Sessions on newspaper production, and a ‘Media Port’ focused on new media technology.
The fortieth annual exhibition, IFRA Expo 2010 succeeded in attracting 341 exhibitors from 33 countries, an increase of more than twenty percent from last year, including printing press manufacturers, editorial and advertising system providers, new media providers and other suppliers to the newspaper industry. Some 10,000 visitors from around eighty countries visited the three-day event, with the majority of managing directors or CEOs, technical or production directors and editors. Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Austria were the most represented countries among these visitors. “We’re very gratified that the number of visitors surpassed the ten thousand mark,” said Christoph Riess, CEO of WAN-IFRA, the organiser of the event. In 2009, the event drew 6,700 visitors. “This high participation is a reflection of the interest in new opportunities for the publishing industry brought about by both digital media and by the technological advances, allowing for new creativity in the print product,” he added, “Tablets, mobile services and applications, and paid content services were all on display, as were big developments in the automation of newspaper production.” The three-day World Editors Forum conference also drew a record audience of nearly 600 chief editors from 86 countries.
Reflection of changes…
The record number of first-time exhibitors the IFRA Expo 2010 reflects the profound changes taking place in the industry and the widespread interest in new publishing platforms like tablets and e-readers. Among 341 exhibitors at this event, 85 exhibitors participated for the first-time. “As you might expect, many are from the digital arena, due to the tremendous new developments in tablets, mobile devices and applications, search engine optimization and paid content services,” said Gavin O’Reilly, president of WAN-IFRA. “But there is also new creativity in the print product, with big developments in the automation of newspaper production.”
How good fit…
Commenting on the event, Thomas Hauser, vice president, corporate marketing & communications, manroland said, “We have had a rather good week, much better than last year. And the quality of visitors and discussions has been on a very high level. I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of journalists at our press conference; it was the most we have had in five years. ... Most of the visitors, whether customers or new prospects, want to know our views about new creative opportunities for print products in the future, particularly everything that would bring increased attractiveness to readers and advertisers. And of course, productivity and lowering costs remain a priority.”
“There was a very positive mood here this week. I don’t know if it is the timing or the new format, but either way it’s been a great week. We have made a number of new contacts, especially from the Middle East on the semi-commercial side. That is a good fit for us since we have a lot of experience on the commercial side. Indeed, there is less demand for larger presses, but we are seeing increased interest in smaller, flexible presses and everything that is environmentally friendly,” said Jacques Navarre, vice president, Goss International.
“After the drastic downward spiral as a result of the financial crisis, since May we have been experiencing an increased demand following from the current economic revival and the resulting restored confidence among several investors, mainly in Germany and Europe. In the medium term, we expect that, under normal economic conditions, the market will settle at about € 700 million per annum. The share of the high-population and growth markets, such as China, India, Indonesia, Turkey or Brazil, will continue to increase, while sales in Western Europe, North America or Japan, not least for demographic reasons, will fall off. KBA is organising its capacities and product portfolio accordingly,” conveyed Klaus Schmidt, director of marketing and corporate communications, KBA.
For one of the leading mailroom equipments providers Ferag, the response was amazing. “It’s been an incredible event with a lot of customer visits and possible prospects. There are a lot of new market segments and regions opening up for us, such as Brazil and India. ... It’s true that there are a lot of companies consolidating their production these days, so the key for suppliers today is you have to be very fast to market and with delivery of customer demands. At the same time, in places like the UK they are really talking about creating new types of business and products, which offers us ample opportunities,” commented Michael Kaufmann, management sales department, Ferag.
Anna-Karin Jönsson, marketing manager, Schur Packaging Systems, who announced a multimillion-euro order from Malayala Manorama for 26 inserting lines on the first day of the show, opined, “We are extremely excited about the turnout here and the high level of visits. Naturally, the order for Malayala Manorama is a big development for us.
...We feel a market recovery but indeed the competition among the suppliers is fierce and a lot of second-hand equipment is in the market.”
For sake of freedom…
WAN-IFRA called on African nations to immediately abolish criminal defamation and ‘insult’ laws that are widely used to silence criticism and intimidate free reporting across the continent. “The repeal of insult and criminal defamation laws is crucial for the advancement of press freedom across Africa, and is necessary to allow the press to carry out its work as the guarantor of public accountability without fear of imprisonment or reprisal,” said a resolution from the board of WAN-IFRA, meeting in Hamburg, Germany.
In a separate resolution, the Board called on South African president Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress party to withdraw recent proposals that could severely restrict freedom of the press in a country that is a leader among African states in freedom of expression. WAN-IFRA also issued three other resolutions to: call on the Iranian government to immediately release all imprisoned journalists and writers and cease the repression of free expression and press freedom in the country; urge the government of Bahrain to take all necessary steps to reverse the ongoing crackdown against freedom of expression; and call on Argentine president Cristina Kirchner to ensure that the government reverse recent actions that undermine the free and independent press in Argentina.
As per WAN-IFRA’s annual review of press freedom presented during the event, at least 56 journalists have been killed in the first eight and a half months of 2010, and media employees worldwide continue to face physical violence and persecution of all kinds, whether from public officials, criminals or terrorists. Assaults are daily - and often deadly - for those who challenge governments, report on conflicts or investigate corruption and crime. At least 120 media employees were in jail as of mid-September 2010, most often following sham trials or without charges having been brought against them. Hundreds more have also been forced into exile.
The impact of multimedia newsroom change
The ‘new normal’ of constant newsroom innovation was presented at the 17th World Editors Forum, a three-day event that brought nearly 600 chief editors from 86 countries to Hamburg to discuss how newsrooms must change in the face of multimedia realities. The conference focused on the core competency of newspapers - producing quality, credible content - and on how rapid multimedia developments impact the newsroom.
‘Digital paid content model’
Sanat Hazra, director-technical production
presenting case-study of TOI in respect of
Green publishing.
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Paid-for digital content holds the future for the newspaper industry as inter net advertising revenues will never replace those lost to print, said Christoph Riess, the WAN-IFRA CEO, speaking at the World Editors Forum. “Will paid content generate revenue? It’s not a question of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. It’s a question of how. In order to survive, we have to do it.”
“The digital revenues for advertising will never reach those of print,” he said in an annual update of world press trends. “Digital advertising is based on very low yields. But, in the future, the digital business, despite these low yields, will have a strong impact. Therefore, the paid content model will be more important. Content revenue will have an increasing importance in the revenue mix.”
What digital advertising that goes mostly to two companies - Google and Yahoo, which between them split seventy percent of all internet advertising revenues, Riess said. “If you’re talking about internet advertising, it’s about two companies. We don’t see the great riches reaching our industry.”
There is no global business model for paid-for content, since market conditions, and dominant distribution platforms, vary from continent to continent, country to country, business to business. “Every company has to choose its own business model, because the platforms are changing,” Riess said, adding that mobile in particular was beginning to deliver on its promise of revenue generation from content. He also stressed that the role of print should not be underestimated, despite the false conventional wisdom that the print business is dying.
Daily newspapers reach 25 percent of the world’s population, which rises to 37 percent when non-daily newspapers are added. There are one-third more newspaper readers world-wide than internet users, Riess said. “Newspapers reach more of the global population than the internet. This is a fact and we should not forget it. But there is no comfort in this, due to the development of the internet. But the newspaper, with its strong position, can play an important role in the internet business,” he mentioned, “It will be in the future, no matter what form the newspaper takes - paid or free, local or general, paper or digital - it will be and remain the dominant media force in the world.”
Riess’ presentation was drawn from World Press Trends, the annual publication from WAN-IFRA that includes data from all 233 countries and territories where newspapers are published. The report shows that: More than 1.7 billion people read a daily newspaper world-wide. The evolution of the newspaper business varies widely from country to country and developments in one market cannot predict developments in others. Non-daily newspaper growth is strong, as is growth in the number of newspaper titles as local and targeted newspapers proliferate. Newspaper advertising is proven more effective than advertising in other media in several new studies.
Lessons from German newspapers
In the newsroom of the future, the art director will be in charge, due to the impact of tablet computers. That’s the opinion of Felix Bellinger, managing editor of the Hamburger Abendblatt, addressing editors from around the world. It was a perfect opportunity for German editors to showcase why theirs is one of the most thoughtful and dynamic newspaper markets in the world. The theme of the Editors Forum was: ‘The Tablet Year: Why Mobile Distribution Will Change the News Business’, and Bellinger spoke at a ‘WEF meets German editors’ session about how the new devices will influence journalism.
On asking who will run the newsroom of the future, he replied, “It will not be the editor-in-chief, it will be the art director.” With tablet computers, readers want to have a visual experience, he explained, hence the rising importance of the art director. Readers will have a completely different experience with the tablet - they’ll want to interact, touch and shake their screens, he said.
Bellinger is not only concerned with new distribution devices, however - though tablets are getting all the attention, there is still a future for print, he said and described the relationship between print and online this way: “Online has to be updated, print has to interpret.”
Reshaping of newsrooms
Newspaper editors around the globe are optimistic about the future of their publications, but see no end to the reshaping of newsrooms under the pressure of the multi-media revolution, according to a global survey released by the World Editors Forum and McKinsey & Company on newsroom attitudes and strategies. Three-quarters of respondents in the 2010 Newsroom Barometer - chief editors and other senior newsroom personnel - said they were very optimistic or somewhat optimistic about the future of their newspapers, a figure virtually unchanged from previous years. The editors also believe that the ongoing digital revolution will keep reshaping the newsrooms through an evolution towards multi-media integration and a ‘pay for information’ model - they foresee a multi-platform publication model, including print, and more payment for news.
Highlights from some of the exhibitors:
Krause introduces a new version of LS Jet platesetter! Krause presented in Hamburg the next generation of the LS Jet platesetter with higher plate capacity and multi format access. The new LS Jet multiformat is the natural evolution of the successful LS Jet and follows the Krause tradition of continuous improvement with consideration of the requirements and future direction of leading newspaper printers worldwide. With over 400 installations since it’s inception, the LS Jet represents the most successful highspeed platesetter worldwide. The modular concept of Krause designed platesetters utilizing violet imaging has been the platform for four further platesetter developments: the LS Performance, the LS Performance XXL, the CTP Easy and the LS Jet Asia. At Ifra Expo, the new generation LS Jet Multiformat was released in four models with 200, 250, 300 and 350 plates/h, each with multiple plate formats in direct access and a loading capacity of up to 2,000 plates.
Muller Martini demonstrates how saddle stitchers create new opportunities! Muller Martini was applying its corporate slogan ‘Grow with Efficiency’ at the IFRA Expo to demonstrate new production opportunities to newspaper publishers by integrating saddle stitchers into the mailroom allowing existing machine capacities to be better utilised. The numerous discussions made one thing very clear that innovative production systems enable quicker responses to market changes and greater flexibility when it comes to finishing processes. And it was for this reason that the company’s demonstration of how to integrate saddle stitchers into the mailroom attracted such great interest from visitors to the trade fair. The modular mailroom concept from Muller Martini creates a whole host of new possibilities, particularly with regard to semi-commercial printed products, allowing more flexibility when it comes to the design, both in terms of size and finishing.
As a result of this increased flexibility, newspaper publishers are able to further increase added value during the finishing process, as well as boosting their revenue, even in times of economic difficulty. What’s more, because Muller Martini solutions have a modular structure, systems can be upgraded at any time. By integrating saddle stitchers into existing systems, newspaper publishers can generate additional print orders, as well as better utilizing machines that are already installed. Existing systems such as the FlexiRoll buffer, transport chains and the NewsTrim fanflex trimmer can also be used for production runs on saddle stitchers, so the high quality standards of the semi-commercial sector can consistently be achieved.
OneVision showcases precision software solutions! OneVision presented their latest software innovations at IFRA Expo 2010, including solutions for automated file control, correction and normalization, ink saving, image enhancement, preflighting of online ads, in-house creation of ePapers and file logistics. With its broad range of software solutions designed to automate production processes and optimize limited company resources, OneVision has since long established itself as a reliable partner to newspapers and printing companies around the world. Their software is used by many of the world’s leading commercial and digital printers as well as publishing organizations in more than sixty countries.
Major sales success for ppi Media! Cross-media is catching on with customers! Multimedia ad and editorial solutions attracted a large number of representatives from the publishing industry to ppi Media’s stand during the IFRA Expo 2010. The visitors were impressed with the high level of integration in existing workflows. The increasing significance of smart workflows is reflected in the three contracts which were signed during the show. the Schwäbische Zeitung decided to install ppi’s state-of-the-art magazine workflow, while the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung decided in favour of ppiTrack, ppi’s smartphone application for mobile production tracking. In line with the installation of APL (Automatic Plate Loading), ppi’s output management system printnet OM will be installed at Herold Druck in Austria during the coming weeks. PlanPag in particular, ppi Media’s central planning and production solution, stood out due to its new user interface and enhanced functions.
“During the three days at this year’s IFRA Expo 2010 we could interact with more prospects than we did at past events lasting four days. Our cross-media product features, mobile strategy and ongoing investment in more functionality and enhanced user interfaces for our classic products have paid off,” commented Norbert Ohl, COO at ppi Media, summing up the exhibition. Content-X, the joint solution for cross-media editing by ppi Media and Digital Collections, and the integration of IS-M/AM, SAP’s ad booking system, in the AdX user interface, contributed significantly to this success. “By integrating SAP’s solution in ppi’s cross-media ad reservation solution, we have merged two systems into an elegant frontend that is easy and intuitive to operate and, like Content-X, is good value for money,” he added.
A complete success for technotrans! The participation at this year’s IFRA show was very successful for technotrans. “Compared to the last show one year ago the number of specific projects that we discussed with visitors to our booth was up by more than thirty percent,” Henry Brickenkamp, spokesperson of the board of directors, sums up the event, “The projects in discussion were for new machines as well as for retrofitting. In both cases technotrans offers a wide range of solutions to increase productivity and production quality.” As per Walter Bartmann, key account manager at technotrans, “This year visitors were particularly interested in our spray bars. These are resistant against contamination due to their special valve caps, which in turn considerably reduces maintenance requirements. Apart from the wide range of cleaning systems, we also had a lot of interest in the new pump for UV inks, as many newspaper companies are looking for ways to stand out from their competitors.”
WoodWing surprises visitors with many new announcements! WoodWing´s Digital Magazine Tools, iPad publishing innovations and support for the Samsung GALAXY Tab attracted plenty of attention by visitors from all over the world at the IFRA Expo 2010.
Under the theme ‘Multi-platform tablet publishing made easy’, the company presented its Digital Magazine Solution as part of their cross-media publishing system Enterprise. During the entire show, WoodWing´s booth was well-attended by visitors from Europe, the USA and Asia. They were very interested to learn about WoodWing´s experiences after nine months of tablet publishing, with more than 55 titles now available. The widely acclaimed daily iPad editions of the renowned German daily Frankfurter Rundschau received a lot of attention, and during the show, Auto Bild, Europe’s largest car magazine published by the publishing house Axel Springer in Germany, went live with weekly iPad editions using WoodWing´s Digital Magazine Tools. The company also introduced a new Newsfeed Publisher module that has been added to Content Station, the content-management module of WoodWing´s publishing system Enterprise.
Fujifilm presents benchmark
pre-press and pressroom solutions
At IFRA Expo 2010 in Hamburg, with the widest line-up of plate production and pressroom solutions, Fujifilm showcased how newspaper printers can optimise their traditional offset print process by improving efficiencies, reducing costs, minimising environmental impact, and improving operator safety – all critical issues in today’s newspaper production environments.
Within the pre-press environment, the company exhibited a number of plate production solutions designed specifically for newspaper production. With its successful partnership with Krause, Fujifilm showed the LS Performance platesetter, together with BlueFin processor and Brillia PRO-VN ‘lo-chem’ plate. This combination today represents the leading environmental solution for newspaper production, allowing water to be eliminated from plate production as well as reducing chemistry usage by up to seventy percent. The fully automated FFEI Alinte News VN30 was also on the Fujifilm stand, able to image up to 225 Berliner-sized plates per hour, with installations in Europe again running Brillia PRO-VN plates.
Fujifilm also highlighted the benefits of its Brillia PRO-VN ‘lo-chem’ plate, currently installed in over forty major European newspaper production facilities, by providing specific examples of newspaper printers who are achieving major reductions in chemistry and water use, and improvements to their profitability. Their stand also featured the successful Brillia LH-NN2 thermal newspaper plate, which boasts around sixty installations in Europe since launch. Brillia LH-NN2 is a high sensitivity plate for an extended laser life and long developer life, and has a wide exposure latitude. It also features Fujifilm’s patented MultiGrain technology for reduced ink usage and improved ink/water balance, and is ideally suited for high run length newspaper applications.
Besides, the company presented its Brillia PRO-VN compatible founts and its S1 Series range of low-VOC founts, which have a low foam tendency, fast start-up properties and require low dampening settings; along with non-VOC washes and improved wash formulations that can be used for the filtration process.
Fujifilm is also in the process of establishing a digital strategy within the newspaper production environment, and as such is in discussion with Dainippon Screen, with Fujifilm set to offer Screen continuous feed digital production presses in the near future. In the UK, Fujifilm is already in discussion with a number of newspaper printers about digital production with Screen digital presses, while in Germany, the company is looking at the opportunity of supplying Screen machines to both commercial and newspaper markets.
manroland shows how
autoprint helps to succeed
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At IFRA Expo 2010, manroland AG, who have successfully introduced solutions for fully automated newspaper production with the ‘One Touch’ strategy and the autoprint series, focused on user reports, along with the PRINTVALUE services portfolio. A development that is running like clockwork: the first Automatic Plate Loading (APL) logistics systems are already in operation, and autoprint presses with APL robots are producing successfully in numerous printing companies. The workflow from exposing the plates right up to changing them in the printing unit takes place without any operator intervention. Inline control systems automatically regulate ink density, colour and cut-off register, web tension, and fountain solution dosage. There are many different reasons why manroland customers are convinced about the autoprint series like: lower investment as fewer presses are needed, faster production, lower personnel costs; all this with modern ergonomics and ecology-compatible.
How does autoprint help one to succeed? This is what manroland discussed with its customers and report on user experiences. Further show topics from manroland were flexibility and enhancement in newspaper production. The PRINTVALUE experts showed the way to an optimal printing operation, providing information about printservices solutions such as the manroland STORE for online procurement of wear parts, certified ‘printcom’ consumable materials, and ‘printnet’ networking for fully automated production. manroland also shared the pleasure of the success gained by its longstanding partner Paarl Coldset whose print product, the South African newspaper Naweek Beeld, has been admitted to the WAN-IFRA International Newspaper Color Quality Club 2010-2012. This first African member of this elite group of newspapers is produced on a manroland UNISET at Paarl Coldset.
One Touch - many reasons
There is a wide variety of autoprint configurations. These range from a new autoprint printing system including logistics right through to retrofitting an APL robot as The Times of India has done. After all, publishers have different and often multiple objectives: speeding up production, shortening makeready times, reducing personnel costs or increasing print quality.
A total of 48 APL robots have been retrofitted to two COLORMAN printing systems at The Times of India. They change up to 2,300 plates every day. At the Mumbai/Thane facilities, the press operating crew has been reduced by twenty percent, makeready time reduced by one-third, and the number of possible editions increased by 75 percent. With 3.9 million newspaper copies daily, The Times of India is today not only India’s leading daily newspaper but also the world’s largest English-language newspaper in broadsheet format, having fourteen printing centers, among others in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, and belongs to the renowned media group Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd.
By installing two COLORMAN autoprint presses including the high-speed Automatic Plate Loading (APL) system, the Osnabrück Printing Center in Germany was able to save on one of the three presses earlier needed and still start print runs later and gain new contract printing jobs.
Since January 2010, the Mittelbayerische Druckzentrum (Printing Center) in Regensburg, Germany has been printing the editions of the Mittelbayerische Zeitung in a shorter period of time. With the COLORMAN, XXL autoprint, all changeover processes are extensively automated. With AutoJobChange, product changeovers including wash-ups, APL and Quickstart take place without any operator intervention. Pagination changes are carried out simultaneously and semiautomated. This enables the regional editions to be printed in less time.
As much as 3,500 plate changes each day are no problem with APL! At the present time, the Freie Presse Chemnitz, Germany has to change up to 3,500 plates each day in its modern printing center. 19 local editions of Saxony’s largest daily newspaper are delivered punctually every day. Therefore, every minute saved is important. Here the APL robot is in its element. APL significantly reduces makeready time for all printing units of a production line.
Three COLORMAN, XXL autoprint presslines produce the newspaper which has a paid circulation of 286,000 copies.
Also, autoprint provides higher quality: brilliant colours for a more attractive newspaper. The satellite-design COLORMAN prints the Germany-based Mannheimer Morgen newspaper in considerably improved four-colour quality, much to the delight of advertisers and readers. Besides that, short makeready times promise even greater topicality. This is due to Mannheim having the APL (Automatic Plate Loading) system, as well as APL logistics, one of the first printing plate logistics systems to be installed anywhere in the world. Further automation systems like InlineTension Control and InlineCutoff Control increase production security and minimize waste.
Goss fulfils the requirements
for single-width
agility and higher output
The new high-speed 2x1 Goss Universal model combines a wide range of configuration
and auxiliary options with web and folding versatility to retain the high production
flexibility, for which the Universal press series is widely recognized.
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Participating with ‘Universal’ approach in IFRA Expo 2010, Goss International introduced a new single-width model in its Universal press series, providing higher productivity and advanced features for newspaper and semi-commercial applications. The high-speed Universal press, with a 2x1 cylinder format, produces up to 75,000 copies per hour. “Our versatile Universal presses have a stellar reputation for delivering a unique combination of productivity, premium print quality, simplified operation and value,” commented Jacques Navarre, Goss International senior vice president of sales and marketing, adding, “With this high-speed 2x1 model, we give printers and publishers a new option that bridges the requirements for single-width agility and higher output.” So far, more than 4,900 Goss Universal printing units have been installed since 1991.
The high-speed 2x1 Goss Universal unit includes blanket lock-up features used in high-end Goss commercial web presses. The proven lock-up will allow the four-page Universal press to maintain quality at faster speeds, as it enables a standard blanket to be used with a microgap. Available in cut-offs from 530 to 630 mm and web widths from 840 to 1,000 mm, the new Goss single-width model retains the high production flexibility, for which the Universal press series is widely recognized. A wide range of configuration and auxiliary options is combined with web and folding versatility, including a quarterfold option that provides the added product format capabilities that are becoming an essential requirement in many markets.
A shaftless design, with one motor per unit, makes the 75,000-copies-per-hour Universal 2x1 press easier to operate and configure and allows incorporation of top-level automation features. These include automated high-speed web-up, tower phasing, quarterfold blade phasing, pressure setting, and ink and register presetting from CIP3, CIP4/JDF files. Intuitive press controls allow storage and recall of up to 30 jobs, and separate servers for job preparation, logging, reporting, and maintenance ensure that information remains easily retrievable for all aspects of production. Remote diagnostics are also available for round-the-clock technical back-up from Goss International. “The speed and production versatility provided by the high-speed 2x1 Universal press are an ideal fit for many of the newspaper and semi-commercial business models that have emerged and that could benefit from a four-page press with these new capabilities,” according to Navarre.
Besides, the company also launched a new upgrade programme focused on extending the competitive lifespan of installed newspaper presses through enhanced reelstand performance. Available immediately, the RTP Upgrade programme for double-width CT45/50 reelstands is a package of hardware and software enhancements designed to provide the latest capabilities with improved efficiency and productivity.
Meanwhile, Goss International secured a comprehensive press controls upgrade project at Zehnder Print AG in the St Gallen region of Switzerland, which involves installation of new hardware and software systems to deliver more advanced capabilities to an existing 2x1 Goss Universal press. The Goss Universal shaftless press at Zehnder Print AG, comprising six four-high towers, one folder, one dryer and eight reelstands, is currently used for both heatset and coldset production. The turn-key upgrade project involves replacing existing Allen Bradley press controls and proprietary systems to create an open systems architecture with universal compatibility. The project will result in automation and integration of all press auxiliary systems, including reelstands, colour, cut-off and web tension controls, providing operators with new levels of operational convenience and flexibility. Via a standard Ethernet network and remote input/output controls at the units, the entire press will also be supported by a remote diagnostics service, enabling Goss International technicians to provide Zehnder with round-the-clock assistance in the case of technical difficulties.
Independent Italian publisher SEV (Società Editoriale Varesina) of Varese will install a Goss Uniliner two-around press with a unique 3x2 cylinder configuration later this year. The press will provide the company with 50 percent more pages from a single web. While the official publisher of the French administration, Dila (La Direction de l’Information Légale et Administrative), formerly known as Journal Officiel, has ordered a new Goss double-width Uniliner press to replace an existing single-wide Goss Universal press at its facility in Paris.
Kodak opens new
business
opportunities for newspaper printing
-unveils two newspaper plate systems
Due to new chemistry for the VioletNews Gold and ThermalNews Gold digital plates from Kodak, newspaper print service providers can now reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance. The company launched the Kodak 1090 thermal plate developer, and 206 violet plate developer and 206R violet plate replenisher at IFRA Expo 2010.
ThermalNews Gold plates deliver very low developer consumption compared with visible light newspaper technology systems (silver or photopolymer). And with the launch of the 1090 thermal plate developer system, Kodak has set the bar even higher. This developer ensures a minimum replenishment rate of 30 mL/ sq m and processes up to 20 sq m/litre of total chemistry volume (bath fill and top-up chemistry). The combination of low replenishment rates and a bath life of up to eight weeks – depending on processor and plate volumes – allow the Kodak 1090 plate developer and ThermalNews Gold plate combination to be exceptionally cost effective and reduce waste, subsequently lowering the impact on the environment. And when this innovative plate system is coupled with Kodak’s thermal CtP systems, users enjoy industry-leading process stability and consistency, high-resolution and accurate imaging, and easy process and developer control without needing to monitor developer activity (pH or conductivity).
While the new Kodak 206 developer and 206R Replenisher coupled with Kodak VioletNews Gold plates enable printers to achieve comparable chemistry savings and in some cases better than the ‘simple process’ violet options available today. This new developer system isn’t reliant on high replenishment rates to maintain the pH balance, therefore users experience less processing variations and have a stable and consistent process platform.
Besides, visitors also got the opportunity to discuss with Kodak experts about the Versamark VL4200 printing system and Prosper S-series imprinting systems, which are ideally suited for newspaper applications, alongwith other publishing and commercial applications.
WAN-IFRA Golden Pen of
Freedom goes to Iranian journalist
An Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeid-Abadi has been awarded the 2010 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of WAN-IFRA. The former chief editor of the Azad newspaper and a contributor to the Tehran-based daily Hamshahari and the BBC Persian service, Zeid-Abadi was awarded for ‘his courageous actions in the face of persecution and for his outstanding contribution to the defence and promotion of press freedom’. He was among at least 110 journalists arrested following the disputed re-election of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009. At the opening of the World Editors Forum in Hamburg, the award was accepted on behalf of Zeid-Abadi by Akbar Ganji, the 2006 Golden Pen laureate who had also been imprisoned by the Iranian regime.
Going beyond just
newspaper production
Ferag shows its strength in development presenting for the first
time ever:
the new ‘fold n’ stitch’ quarterfold/stitching line,
and the new Navigator control concept
After the remarkable launch of the new StreamFold quarterfold line a year ago, Ferag again presented with new developments in form of the new ‘fold n’ stitch’ quarterfold/stitching line and the Navigator concept for the control of processes in the postpress sector. With new ‘fold n’ stitch’ (quarterfolding with integrated stitching), Ferag continues resolutely down the road to added value in newspaper postpress processing. This new component extends the quarterfold process by adding saddle stitching. So newspaper printers now have freedoms that go above and beyond pure newspaper production and can make even more profitable use of printing capacity. Many newspaper printing machines are not equipped for quarterfold production and the options for utilizing capacity remain very limited. Ferag had already closed this gap with StreamFold. Now, the company is extending the application spectrum further with ‘fold n’ stitch’.
The technical concept of ‘fold n’ stitch’ is simple: the mobile quarterfolding and stitching component is easy to shift between different UTR delivery stations, and can therefore be connected inline to several folder deliveries. The ‘fold n’ stitch’ line can also be fed in stand-alone mode, independent from printing production, via the JetFeeder hopper. Interesting configurations are possible using MultiDisc, in that products coming off the printing machine are wound and then processed in offline mode to create stitched quarterfold products. Newspaper presses and the folding/stitching process operate independently, in each case at optimum output. In combination with the inexpensive machines from the JobFolio series distributed by WRH Marketing (JobTrim rotary three-side trimmer and JobStack 90 compensating stacker), the new ‘fold n’ stitch’ quarterfold and stitching method can be expanded to create a complete finishing line with a winning price/performance ratio for the production of high-value semi-commercials.
Another ground-breaking concept introduced by the company in Hamburg was the Navigator. This all-new development of both form and function makes the preparation and monitoring of production processes simpler than ever before. The basis for the Navigator control is Flying Frame technology with intuitive operation via Multi Touch screen. The flat menu hierarchy leads the user quickly and interactively to the desired set-up and control functions. Basically, the Navigator from Ferag comprises the standard applications of NaviSet (data preparation), NaviRun (production control) and NaviQ (reporting). The fourth module, NaviSafe, contains the back-up function and enables remote support via a secure VPN link.
All applications are opened in floating windows, and are active with the relevant information on a single level. The user therefore has ideal conditions for comfortable, easy-to-follow and secure operation. Whether it’s set-up functions like line configuration, allocation of insert products, choice of operating mode, assignment of production to the MultiStack compensating stackers with the choice of series or parallel production, selection of distribution route sequences, or loading dock allocation – all are quick and easy to carry out with finger-tip drag-and-drop.
Notably, at the previous IFRA Expo in Vienna, Ferag took the industry by surprise with its new StreamFold quarterfolding line which triggered an immediate response. The first StreamFold system was ordered by Finnish customer Lehtisepät OY even before the show had closed its doors, with further quarterfold lines beginning production at newspaper printers in Germany, Ireland and Scandinavia over the past twelve months. These users have all been successful in attracting new jobs from the semi-commercial segment.
XMA Cross Media Awards 2010
Malayala Manorama makes India proud
Among thirteen media companies who won the 2010 XMA Cross Media Awards, the winner from India was Malayala Manorama for ‘Ente Naadu’. This annual prize from WAN-IFRA honours those companies who are using a wide variety of platforms - print, web, mobile, video and more - to deliver editorial and advertising content in innovative ways. Presented for the fifth time at the IFRA Expo, this year’s award focused on publishers who use multimedia to build relationships with local markets, encourage interactivity, and help advertisers create local campaigns.
Other winning entries include: ‘Limbolink’, Het Belang van Limburg, Concentra, Belgium; ‘Fashion Season@Orchard 2010’, Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore; ‘EUROSPAR Liezen’, Kleine Zeitung, Austria; ‘Deporte Base Cantabria’, El Diario Montañés, Editorial Cantabria, Spain; ‘nahraum.de - meine fotowelt’, Ruhr Nachrichten Dortmund, Lensing Medien, Germany; ‘Vida solidaria’, Diario El Correo, Spain; ‘OS- und EL-Nachbarn.de’, Medienhaus Neue OZ, Germany; ‘Kommuniti Cakna’, Kumpulan Karangkraf, Malaysia; ‘Wir machen unsere Leser zu Regionauten!’, RMA Digital, Austria; ‘Let’s corrupt you’, Agora, Poland; ‘soydemalaga.com’, Prensa Malagueña, Spain; and ‘Meine Gemeinde’, Eugen Russ Vorarlberger Zeitungsverlag, Austria.
TKS receives first
ever order from India
Mathrubhumi to install three sets of a Color Top 5000 UDI 4-by-1 press
Japanese press manufacturer Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho (TKS) succeeded in marking good entry in the Indian market, with an order for three sets of Color Top 5000 UDI presses from the Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co Ltd. The conclusion of the deal was announced jointly by Shreyams Kumar and PV Nidish, directors of Mathrubhumi, and Kohei Shiba, chairman of TKS during IFRA Expo 2010 in Hambrug, Germany.
With speed up to 75,000 cph enabling to produce 24 pages in full colour or 32 pages with sixteen pages in colour, the 5000 UDI is shaftless tower type 4 x 1 (double width, single circumference) press, a new model in the Color Top series. The press has future upgrades like more add on towers and heat set options for online hybrid production. Delivery of the first set of press is scheduled for March 2011 to Mathrubhumi’s new plant in Kerala, while delivery of the other two press lines is scheduled later in the year. The Mathrubhumi Group is one of fast growing publishing houses of repute in India. Their flagship newspaper Mathrubhumi is one of the front-runners among the Malayalam newspapers.
Meanwhile, TKS also received an order for 22 Color Top 6000 towers from a major publisher in US. The order was placed by this customer (undisclosed) to upgrade and expand seven of their existing print facilities across the country.
Commenting on the deciding factors in favour of TKS, Shreyams Kumar in exclusive conversation with SK Khurana, editor, All About Newspapers mentioned, “We feel no risk in quality offering by the equipment coming from Japan, key people have been to their factory, total commitment is assured. Extraordinary speed/output shall provide us additional time for editorial, marketing team and even for newspaper distribution.” Their earlier printing machines come from Manugraph with different models and pre-press departments are equipped with ECRM CtPs performing well by all means. The decision on mailroom equipment is still underway. Mathrubhumi newspaper comes out at from eleven locations and the new web-presses from TKS shall be installed at three different locations.
