Manroland

OFFSET PRESSES continue to pull their weight amidst the flashy digital printers that have been popping up in offices nationwide. These digital newcomers might be great for short-run work, but for big projects they still must step aside and let ye olde offset workhorses do their thing. Don’t think being called “old” is an insult, though. The longevity of these machines is impressive and can easily add up to decades. Jim VanderWal, production manager at CRC Product Services in Grand Rapids, Mich., says that his shop’s four-color Heidelberg SM102 was purchased in 1989 and the two-color Heidelberg SM72 dates back to 1975. Over

The Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation has selected 11 technologies to receive 2006 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology awards. Each company will receive a Lucite Inter­Tech star during the competition’s November luncheon in Milwaukee. The winning technologies are: • Adobe PDF print engine, Adobe Systems • Microsystems Microcip software module, C&P Microsystems • Dalim Mistral, Dalim Software • WebCenter, Esko-Graphics • Magnum ink formulation dispenser, GFI Innovations • Zero-slip nip enhancement, Goss International Americas • KBA Genius 52 UV sheetfed offset press, KBA North America • InlineFoiler, MAN Roland • DeskDirect, PrintSoft • Liberty sheetfed inks, Sun Chemical • uImage, XMPie Inc.

We asked Yves Rogivue, chief executive officer of MAN Roland, Inc., for his advice on how in-plants can improve their operations: “Like our commercial customers, in-plant printers are being pressured to do more for less. To achieve that goal, they must drive time and costs out of the printing process, and computer integrated marketing (CIM) is ideal for this. The more manual steps you can automate—from job tracking to printing to invoicing—the more successful an in-plant will be.” “You can see this process in action by looking at the technology that’s powering your company’s core mission, whether that’s building cars or educating minds. Computers are

WESTMONT, IL--MAN Roland, the world’s second-largest press manufacturer, is on the verge of becoming an independent, publicly traded company. MAN AG and Allianz Capital Partners GmbH have agreed via a letter of intent to create a joint venture to purchase MAN Roland Druckmaschinen and take it public. Under the deal, MAN AG would have 35 percent equity in the company. Top MAN executives believe the move will allow it to sharpen its focus on providing customers with more productive ways to print. “An independent MAN Roland will be a more responsive MAN Roland for North American printers,” noted Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “We’ve always

Despite losing its original hotel to Hurricane Katrina, the National State Publishing Association rebounded, holding a successful 29th annual conference in Tunica, Miss. By Bob Neubauer Joe Tucker said it all in his opening statement as he addressed the crowd at last month's National State Publishing Association conference. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see today come, after all that's happened," said Tucker, NSPA president and State of Ohio Printing Administrator. "All that's happened" includes Hurricane Katrina, which wiped out Biloxi, Miss., the intended location for the 29th annual meeting of government printers. The Casino Magic Biloxi—the conference's original venue and

With demand rising for quick-turnaround, short-run color, in-plants are looking to half-size presses to give them the versatility and shorter makereadies they need. By Carol Brzozowski For Rodney Brown, a half-size press is, in many ways, the perfect size press for his in-plant. "There's very few jobs that we can't do for the university on this press," says Brown, manager of University of Delaware's Graphic Communications Center. His shop's 20x28˝ Komori is compact enough to fit in his facility, and it allows the in-plant to stay competitive, since materials cost less than they would on a 40˝ press. Plus, the quality it produces

A year after Drupa, what new surprises do graphic arts vendors have in store for in-plants? Here's an advanced look. In-plant managers eager to see the latest graphic arts technologies can't do much better than Print 05 & Converting 05. Held in Chicago once every four years, this is the printing industry's main event. Larger than last year's Graph Expo show, Print 05 will feature nearly 800 exhibits covering more than 725,000 square feet of floor space. To help in-plants prepare, many of the industry's key vendors offered a peak at the products they plan to display in Chicago. Offset Boasting

In-plants are big in the religious sector. Really big. A couple examples: • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' in-plant in Salt Lake City boasts 400 employees. • The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a 140-employee in-plant in Nampa, Idaho. • Gospel Publishing House, the in-plant for the Assemblies of God and the subject of our cover story, has 93 people in its Springfield, Mo., plant. And then there's the Watchtower Society for the Jehovah's Witnesses. Though it shies away from revealing its employee count, it is vast enough to have bought seven new MAN Roland web presses a

If you run a lot of 500- to 10,000-page four-color jobs with tight turnaround times and have the right computer skills, digital offset printing may be just what you need. By Bob Atkinson In-plants face increasing demands for short-run, fast-turnaround jobs, including full-color work. The problem? The traditional film/plate/ press route is poorly suited for these types of jobs. New technology has offered some help with this problem, first in the form of computer-to-plate (CTP) systems that eliminate the time and costs associated with film. Then, starting about a decade ago, an even more powerful technology arrived: digital printing, where a RIP

Refurbished equipment enables tight-budgeted in-plants to enhance their services and grow business. By Gretchen A. Peck When North Broward Hospital District's graphic communications department decided to upgrade its press capabilities, Director Dick Raveson didn't focus on the sparkling new presses decorating the manufacturers' showrooms. His eye was drawn to the used equipment market, where he found a pair of MAN Roland presses just right for his Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., in-plant. "There's no need for me to go out and spend $2.5 million if I don't need that kind of firepower," Raveson says. "Not that we wouldn't like a new press, but meeting the needs