WOODRIDGE, IL (February 13, 2006) Tensor Group, Inc., a premier U.S. manufacturer of web offset press equipment, recently installed a new pressline at BEA Printing Bvba, located in Mechelen, Belgium. The 700mm cutoff press is a newly released product offering for Tensor Group. BEA Printing Bvba, a Belgium firm, is owned by the Colasanto Group, a leader of contract printing in Italy. The Colasanto Group manages 28 presses in 12 different locations in Italy, with an impressive client base that includes The Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, El Pais, Stars and Stripes, and La Stampa, among many others. BEA Printing opened their plant in Belgium in January of 2003, printing 3,000 copies each of Il Gionale and La Stampa on an old Gazette press. In April of 2003, BEA began printing the International Herald Tribune and Il Sole 24 Ore on a Super Gazette press. In July of 2005, they received contracts to print the Financial Times, as well as two additional international papers. BEA’s new clients demanded a very high-quality of print for their newspapers which required BEA to select a press manufacturer that could meet their new clients’ demands. “When Tensor was first approached to build a new product, specifically for an unusually large cutoff, my initial concerns involved engineering hurdles and costs, production capability and overall market demand for this product,” said Don Gustafson, president of Tensor Group. “But most importantly, the performance and durability of the press is of ultimate importance. We knew the least expensive approach of simply enlarging the cylinders and keeping the T-1400 frame design static was definitely not desirable. We needed to ensure any redesigned features of the units and the quarter folders would stand the test of time and rigorous work. Engineering needed to examine issues like cylinder deflection and bearing life.” Don concludes, “The decision to invest in the development of a more robust, stronger piece of equipment was made.” The 700mm Tensor units have numerous new design features including stronger, more rigid frames that provide wider, higher archways for easier operator access. The substantially larger plate and blanket cylinders required for this press drove the need for thicker journals and bearings on both cylinders. Form roller, oscillator and transfer roller sizes have been increased, and the ink fountain and micrometric rollers are much larger than those found on presses with cutoffs less than 700mm. These improved design features provide a substantial, highly durable unit that effectively sustains the size and weight of the massive cylinders. Tensor installed the 700mm cut-off, meter-wide T-1400 Series press in September of 2005. The pressline totals 15 units, including two T-1400 series 4-high towers, three T-1400 series 2-high towers, one mono unit and two Tensor H-50 heavy-duty jaw folders. The press also includes seven floor-mounted Tensor rollstands equipped with Robertson brakes, two Jardis zero-speed splicers, and a Baldwin dampening system. The T-1400 units include motorized sidelay and circumferential, as well as motorized unit-to-unit phasers and linear compensators, brush dampening, insulated water trays, “T” bar blanket lock-ups and slit style plate lock-ups. The H-50 folders with 1:2:2 cylinder geometry include quarter folders redesigned to accommodate the higher cutoff. The upgraded quarter folders, along with the 700mm size cut-off, enable BEA Printing to print twice as many pages per footprint. According to Colasanto Group, the 700mm cut-off is now becoming the desired specification in the Italian market. The “fashionable size” of a newspaper in Italy is 35 cm x 50 cm. BEA prints on the Tensor 700mm cut-off press with 100 cm paper width. The 700 mm cut-off provides a higher number of color pages and produces a tabloid paper product of good size. BEA prints a 48-page tabloid newspaper on 15 press units and reports high satisfaction with the ease of use and accurate registration the new Tensor press affords. Tensor Group, Inc. is a privately held manufacturer of single width web offset press equipment for commercial, insert and newspaper markets worldwide. Over 1600 units have been successfully installed in more than 23 countries since the company’s inception in 1993. For additional information on Tensor equipment, visit the website at www.ustensor.com or call the corporate office at 630-739-9600.