McCormick Place, Chicago — MAN Roland joined with a top group of graphic arts industry innovators at Graph Expo to create a live Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) workflow that produced high quality printing throughout the show. Called CIMcity, the integration demonstration was a must-visit destination at Graph Expo, drawing a continuous stream of visitors. The MAN Roland pavilion was also productive from the sales point of view, serving as the site of several major press purchases. Some examples: - Finlay Printing of Bloomfield, Connecticut purchased two ROLAND 700 41-inch presses — a ten-color perfector with OptiPrint Jackets and a six-color with in-line coating. Finlay is also installing a printnet digital backbone from ppiMedia to advance its CIM capabilities. - An upturn in new business has prompted Knepper Press in suburban Pittsburgh to extend its production facility by 10,000 sq ft and purchase a new ten-color ROLAND 700 perfecting press for the expanded plant. The press will be equipped with MAN Roland’s OptiPrint Jackets to facilitate high-quality results and the new digital InLine Sheeter system that equips the press to print on web stock. - Canada’s first ROLAND 500 — a six-up, 29-inch press — will be installed in November at Forham Printing in Toronto, Ontario. The high-end commercial printer selected a six-color with coater configuration, complete with ColorPilot and PECOM ServerNet. - Dual Printing of Cheektowaga, New York bought a ten-color ROLAND 700 perfector to complement the ROLAND 700 ten-color perfector it installed two years ago. The company also runs an eight-color ROLAND 300 and five-color ROLAND 300, both perfecting presses. - Van Lanen Printing Company, Inc. of Green Bay, Wisconsin is acquiring a six-color ROLAND 700 with in-line coating. The press is scheduled to be installed before the end of the year to give Van Lanen the capacity it needs to continue its rapid growth rate. Touring CIMcity When visitors to the MAN Roland exhibit weren’t busy buying presses, they spent their time touring CIMcity utilizing a walking tour guide that was printed by the CIM-inspired workflow. First stop was a mission-control-like integration center that demonstrated how JDF-compliant software from various manufacturers connected to the CIMcity workflow, courtesy of the printnet digital backbone from MAN Roland’s ppiMedia division. Participating partners in CIMcity: - EFI’s Hagen Management Information System integrated back office capabilities, like estimating and invoicing, to the network. - Creo supplied prepress components, consisting of the Prinergy workflow, the Magnus VLF platesetter and its Synapse Link JDF connection. - MBO’s Perfection folder connected to CIMcity via its Data Manager JDF-driven connection. - Muller Martini linked-up its BravoPlus Amrys saddle stitching system to convert the workflow’s printed signatures into finished products. MAN Roland launched several new press enhancements in North America on the six-color ROLAND 700 that was CIMcity’s print engine. The premiering products include: a digitally driven in-line sheeter, a double coater module, an inline inspector, a digitally controlled inline sorter, the QuickChange makeready accelerator, and an InlineFoiler. All are features that make printing more productive on the 41-inch machine and enable printers to add new applications to their agenda. Driving Up Efficiency MAN Roland’s prototype DirectDrive concept also made its North American debut at Graph Expo. The innovation powers a printing unit’s plate cylinder with its own high torque motor, controlled by PECOM. Visitors to MAN Roland’s Graph Expo exhibit witnessed how DirectDrive decouples the plate cylinder from the press’ main drive on a demonstration unit. The result: all of the plates on a ROLAND 700 with DirectDrive can be changed simultaneously, instead of one at a time, considerably slashing makeready time. Another job-changeover savings prompted by DirectDrive: wash-up routines can be completed during plate changing for additional efficiency. DirectDrive also equips printers to replate a printing unit while the press is running. That will facilitate extremely short run length printing that accommodates versioning or frequent language changes. Web Works MAN Roland’s position as the world leader in web press technology and web press installations was reinforced in several presentations. A key focus was on PECOM ProductionManager (PPM) and how the presetting/reporting module helps web-equipped printers automate their workflows. A PECOM simulator was demonstrated continually at the show, utilizing a newly designed ROTOMAN control console. PPM was deployed to pre-set print projects from JDF job tickets. The productive result: PPM let the press operator makeready the next job while current project continues to print. . A separate demonstration detailed the diagnostic and analytical capabilities of MAN Roland’s TelePresence program. A presentation computer was connected to MAN Roland’s Tele Support Center (TSC) network, where technicians connect online with user presses worldwide to troubleshoot problems and formulate onsite repairs. The TSC crews also showed how they can analyze details of a press’ production track record and provide suggestions on how to improve its productivity. In a separate multimedia presentation, commercial printers who are successfully using MAN Roland web presses provided guided tours of their plants, emphasizing how the technology enables them to serve their markets more competitively and more effectively Parts & Service The next generation of MAN Roland’s parts and service offerings were also presented with an eye on how they help make printers more competitive. Programs covered included new in-line coating solutions, a magnetic system that turns the last unit of a MAN Roland into an in-line finishing system, a menu of maintenance options, and a variety of refurbishment opportunities.