Sewickley, Pennsylvania — The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation has cleared the decks in its research and training facility here to make way for a new four-unit Rotoman web offset press, complete with the latest makeready and operating technology. Details regarding the press’ installation, start-up and operation were finalized at a recent meeting among GATF and MAN Roland executives and technical experts. The group’s timetable calls for the Rotoman to be shipped in March from MAN’s Augsburg, Germany production center, to be installed in April and May, and to be up and running by early summer. "MAN Roland’s donation of this highly automated system, and all the technical support and training that goes with it, is an ongoing part of our Learning Leadership program," said Christian Cerfontaine, Marketing Director MAN Roland’s North American division. "We want to make sure one of the industry’s top research and educational powers is equipped with the best high-volume technology the industry has to offer." GATF’s Rotoman, which is currently undergoing final assembly, is a four-couple press integrated with a 1:2:3 combination folder and capable of producing 65,000 copies per hour. It will be equipped with such innovations as Power Plate Loading (PPL), AC shaftless drives, and MAN Roland’s PECOM command and control system. At the February meeting, the GATF/MAN Roland task force outlined a preliminary list of research projects that would be started later this year. The agenda includes comparing the performance of CTP and conventional plates, blanket testing, analysis of different ink and paper combinations, and the evaluation of new waste reduction technology called Quickstart. Also on tap: Both GATF and MAN Roland will schedule an ongoing slate of training courses to be conducted on the press, starting in August. "These will allow current printers to upgrade their operators to the new technology, and ensure that the new generation of pressmen have been trained to take advantage of the state-of-the-art," Cerfontaine noted. The planning panel also mapped out the agenda for the press’ public commissioning, scheduled to take place on September 19th. Over 500 of the industry’s top decision makers will be invited to attend the event, which will include demonstration runs, the onsite publication of 16-page commemorative brochure, facility tours, and a commissioning gala. The GATF Rotoman is also scheduled to have a starring role at Graph Expo, which takes place October 6-9 in Chicago. An exhibit there will familiarize printers with the industry’s newest training and research tool through a live webcam and other multimedia presentations. A permanent weblink will also be established among GATF, MAN Roland’s Westmont, Illinois technology center, and the press maker’s headquarters in Augsburg, Germany. "In cooperation with GATF, we’re planning to showcase this Rotoman both in North America and worldwide, so printers and their customers can experience how computer integrated manufacturing technology makes printing a more powerful medium," Cerfontaine said. "That’s what Learning Leadership is all about."