AMSTERDAM - IfraExpo attracted more than 10,000 newspaper industry participants, the biggest attendance in six years, as the annual technology exhibition wrapped up its mid-October run. More than 330 vendors displayed their wares, ranging from new presses to new software applications aimed at helping newspapers fortify their online efforts.

Five newspaper executives were elected to Ifra’s board, including Mark Mikolajczyk, publisher of Florida Today in Melbourne. Others were Philip Alberdingk Thijm, Netherlands; Mohamed K. Alayyan, Jordan; Inaki Arechabaleta Torrontegui, Spain; and Mikael Pentikainen, Finland.

 Next year’s IfraExpo will be held in Vienna, Austria, Oct. 8-11.

ABB wins Wales contract

ABB was tapped by North Wales Newspapers to provide automation and controls software at NWN’s new production facility. It’s ABB’s first installation in the United Kingdom of its current controls software, which will be used to manage NWN’s two Koenig & Bauer AG Commander presslines.

Agfa intros ink optimization app

Agfa introduced a number of products, including:

*Arkitex OptiInk, ink utilization optimization software that Agfa said can help publishers reduce their ink costs from 10 percent to 25 percent. The app automatically converts color spaces to ensure consistent color, for both vectorized and image content, Agfa said. It can be used as part of Arkitex or as a stand-alone deployment.

*IntelliTuneX, a PC-based, client version of its image processing software, which features J2EE and java browser support. It’s available immediately. An upgraded Mac version, IntelliTune 4.0, will be available year-end, Agfa said.

*An upgraded version of Sublima screening software, featuring high tolerances for any press condition and offering precompensated screens of 30-micron for improved newsprint as well as 40-micron screens for standard newsprint. It will be available early next year, Agfa said, and enable users to sharply reduce the number of calibration runs.

*An updated version of Arkitex Afirma process control software. The app is now fully meshed with Arkitex and produces a system alert in the event of any errors during platemaking, Agfa said.

*Increased processing capability for the Advantage DL, with the compact violet computer-to-plate system now capable of producing up to 220 plates per hour. Other versions can process 100, 130 and 160 plates per hour. Agfa also boosted the plate cassette capacity from 500 to 750. The machine works with Agfa’s Lithostar silver-based or N91v photopolymer violet plates.

*Increased sales in Latin America. Agfa said it sold 100 CTP systems to newspapers in Latin America; a 50 percent jump in just the past year. Of those installed, 34 were placed in Brazil while 27 are in Mexico. The 100th system was installed at La Republica in Peru.



Agfa's Polaris XEV computer-to-platesetter will process the firm's chemistry-free violet plate, expected to be released in 2008.
Photo: Newspapers & Technology

Atex gets NI nod

Atex said News International deployed its SOA software to enable customers to easily book automotive ads online. News Limited in Australia also rolled out the software.

Baldwin adds to lineup, selling gluing system

Baldwin Technology Co. Inc. announced a new fountain solution control system, the SprayLiner. The company said the system delivers constant pressure and requires less energy. It can be used with any of Baldwin’s spray dampening systems, the company said. It also debuted a long life filtration cleaning management unit and a low-maintenance ceramic filter system, both geared to ensuring effective fountain solution performance. Baldwin additionally rolled out a patented knife enclosure that uses air to remove more than 99 percent of all dust particles generated in the slitting process. The SlitVac 1000 can be used as a stand alone unit. Finally, the company said it will begin marketing Webtack gluing systems under terms of an agreement with Swiss firm Robatech Gluing Technology.

Global Web Systems debuted a new one-around tower. This model was sold to Belgian firm Rainbow Printing.
Photo: Newspapers & Technology

ECRM demos 120 pph violet CTP

ECRM introduced  the Mako Newsmatic HS violet computer-to-plate imager, capable of producing 120 plates per hour and employing ECRM’s FleXarm slipsheet removal. ECRM said the platesetter is well-suited for single-width press environments.

Global Web debuts 4-high tower

Global Web Systems unveiled a single-wide, one-around tower, the G145 Platinum Series. The commercial press can produce as many as 45,000 copies per hour and is designed for coldset, heatset and UV printing. It sports full bearer design couples with a precision cylinder positioning technology system, either brush or spray dampening, chilled ink oscillators, remote ink control and a narrow gap reel-type blanket, GWS said. It has a cutoff range from 19 inches to 27.5 inches and web widths from 28 inches to 40 inches.

Harland Simon debuts plant app

Harland Simon introduced Prima PlantManager, software engineered to let newspapers oversee disparate plant operations ranging from ad entry to postpress. The company said the software collects data from various Prima modules and native control apps used to manage various systems, from inserters to computer-to-plate processing.

KBA sells press to UAE publisher

United Printing & Publishing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, purchased a hybrid Continent press from Koenig & Bauer AG.

KBA said the 10-tower press, which will ship at the end of next year, is slated to go on-edition in mid-2008 at a new facility outside Abu Dhabi. Once the Continent is in production, a 1998-vintage KBA Compacta 213 single-width commercial press with 12 reelstands and two folders will be overhauled, transferred to the new location and linked up parallel to the Continent to increase production capacity. The Compacta’s two heatset webs will be diverted via a steel platform to the Continent’s superstructure, where they can be assigned freely to the three folders, KBA said.

Together, KBA said the two presslines will be able to print 112 broadsheet or 224 tabloid pages, with up to 48 broadsheet or 96 tabloid pages in full-color.

Meantime, Greek newspaper publisher Kathimerini bought a double-wide Colora heatset press to produce semi-commercial products. It’s slated to go on-edition late next year, KBA said.

KBA also introduced a new press, the Commander CT (see story, page 29).

 

Kodak debuts newspaper system

As reported earlier (see Newspapers & Technology, October 2006), Kodak formally introduced its Versamark VX5000 digital printing system that’s equipped with inline finishing from Hunkeler AG. The system can produce up to 1,000 40-page newspapers per hour, and can cut, collect and fold both tab and broadsheet products, Kodak said.

Kodak formally introduced its newspaper-oriented digital printer, equipped with a Hunkeler inline finishing system.
Photo: Newspapers & Technology

 

Left to right, Kodak’s Kazem Samandari, executive vice president of global sales and marketing for inkjet printing solutions, with Kodak Versamark’s Park Rayfield, director of business development; and Michael Jackson, global specialist and special project manager at IfraExpo.
Photo: Newspapers & Technology
 

MAN debuts plant management app; simulator

MAN Roland debuted Printnet Monitor, software aimed at letting users oversee press, prepress, postpress and logistics through a single console. The vendor also introduced an image-data-oriented, markless cutoff register control, which eliminates register marks.

It also unveiled a press simulator engineered to be integrated into the MAN Roland press control console and rolled-out printnetconsult, an advisory and consultation service. It will be offered as part of MAN Roland’s previously announced package of service offerings and workflow software, which includes printcom and printnet.

“We believe we need to be partners with our customers and this service will be geared to helping them look ahead at their business,” said Anton Hamm, MAN Roland’s executive vice president of newspaper production systems.

Hamm also said MAN Roland sold a Uniset press to publications printer Fry Communications and said a hybrid heatset/coldset press, a GeoMAN, is now being used to print Osterreich, a national paper in Austria.

Finally, MAN Roland also announced it sold two ColorMAN eight-couple towers to Times of India, to be commissioned in 2008. The Indian publisher already has 67 other MAN Roland towers in production.

Oce ups digital stakes

Oce Printing Systems rolled out a 3-color digital newspaper printing system equipped with inline finishing.

The VarioStream 9230, now available, provides 3-over-3 color on every page, the company said. The new system is equipped with inline finishing from Hunkeler and can produce up to 1,000 24-page newspapers per hour. Resolutions range from 240 dots per inch to 600 dpi.

Oce said the system will be priced at between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Michaela Frisch, international market segment manager, newspaper industry, Oce Printing Systems, displaying a copy of a paper produced on the firm's new digital printer.
Photo: Newspapers & Technology
 

ProImage inks pact with Deccan

ProImage said Deccan Chronicle in India purchased its workflow software to mesh all 15 of its print sites. The 800,000-circulation Chronicle has used ProImage’s NewsWay Lite app since 2004, but decided to upgrade the software to permit it to control workflow and transmission to all of its print facilities, ProImage said. Meantime, ProImage launched NewsWay Blaze, a PDF workflow app, iNewsProof and a new version of NewsWay, version 5.0, which provides full PDF and TIFF prepress workflow.

Boston Globe widens Rosetta

New England Media Group, which publishes The Boston Globe and Boston.com, rolled out a real estate ad-booking Web site using software from Rosetta. The ad-booking tools follow NEMG’s deployment of Rosetta’s general classified software earlier this year, the company said. Rosetta is distributed in the United States by mWave Media.

Tansa upgrades proofing app

Tansa Systems AS upgraded its text proofing and hyphenation software. Version 3.6 adds support for Java, HTML and LDAP directory, as well as beefed-up statistical reporting, the company said.

Tensor intros folder

Tensor Group introduced a new folder, the HD-50, a 1:2:2 jaw folder rated up to 50,000 impressions per hour. It can support up to 14 webs, depending upon application. The company also marked the European debut of the T-500 press, which incorporates three vibrator rollers and three ink form rollers to meet more critical ink coverage demands.

WIFAG sells press to Ukrainian publisher

WIFAG said it sold a 4-by-2 press to Publishing Group Ekspres in The Ukraine. Ekspres, located in Lviv, is one of the leading publishing groups in western Ukraine, printing both daily and weekly newspapers.