July 21st, 2006 – Goss International has earned the 2006 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology Award for an innovative web press folder technology that eliminates the need to adjust nip roller settings as part of a job or version change. The new Zero-slip Nip includes rollers made of a proprietary microcellular material that automatically accommodate changes in paper thickness and ribbon count without affecting the amount of pull that the rollers place on the paper web. Goss International currently has ten technologies in its product portfolio that have received the InterTech award. Most recently, the company earned the award for Automatic Transfer technology, the Magnapak newspaper packaging system and the DigiRail digital inking system. “We are proud that our R&D commitment has once again been recognized through this prestigious award,” explains Goss International CEO Bob Brown. “Our record with the InterTech awards reflects our ability to innovate and to deliver unique competitive advantages to our customers.” The Zero-slip Nip technology works in conjunction with a specially designed variable-speed drive system for the folder nip roller and is available on new Goss commercial web press folders or as a retrofit for existing folders. “Setting folder nips has always been a time consuming and labor intensive aspect of makeready that typically takes about ten minutes per former and relies on the skill of the operator in both setting the nips and evaluating ribbon tension,” explains Ron Bartell, product manager for Goss Lifetime Support services. “This innovation eliminates that adjustment requirement altogether, allowing nip pressure to be set once and for all at the time of installation and never adjusted again until a new set of rollers is installed.” PIA/GATF InterTech Award judges cited the benefits and return-on-investment potential of the Zero-slip Nip as well as the Goss International R&D process responsible for the development. Goss International engineers did extensive research and predictive modeling into ribbon dynamics to maximize the advantages of newer, wide-web commercial presses with multiple ribbons. After being unable to find a roller material that could eliminate tension differences and slipping between ribbons, they then worked with a vendor to develop an entirely new material that accomplished that and also eliminated the need to adjust the rollers. Fry Communications is among several Goss International customers that have realized marked improvements in makeready times, operating speeds, product quality and start-up waste as a result of installing the Zero-slip Nip. “What we are actually seeing to date is beyond our expectations in many ways,” explains Mike Weber, plant manager at the Fry Communications facility in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in the U.S. “Time saved during makereadies will pay for the upgrade in less than two years, but the added benefit of increased running speeds and reduced waste will bring the ROI in even sooner.” Fry Communications recently installed the enhancement on a PFF-3 pinless former folder installed with a gapless Sunday press in 2004. Operating speeds are increased with the Zero-slip Nip through elimination of the slack ribbon condition associated with the ribbon closest to the former board. The ability to achieve proper ribbon tension more quickly reduces start-up waste. The innovative microcellular nip rollers also last up to 50 percent longer than previous rollers and enhance overall product quality through improved ribbon control. Bartell says the Zero-slip Nip is indicative of the commitment of the Goss International R&D team to making web printers more competitive through new systems as well as innovative enhancements to existing systems.