Laval, Quebec — Quebecor World Graphique-Couleur has added to its high-quality printing capacity by eliminating two presses and replacing them with a new ROLAND 700 10-color perfector equipped with in-line coating. Operating with a staff of 235 and a 42,000 sq ft plant, Quebecor World Graphique-Couleur produces a wide range of high-end products, including annual reports, brochures, publications and packaging for industries ranging from advertising to pharmaceuticals. According to Operation Manager Pierre Paré, the new press will put the company in a league of its own: “We always have been renowned for our quality work in annual reports. The 700 will help us continue in this trend, but more important, it will give us the opportunity to offer something unique in the Quebec market: 10-color production in one pass. We will be a step ahead of our competition.” QW Graphique-Couleur researched the technology and the reputations of all the major press manufacturers in seeking out its new production system. The Computer Integrated Manufacturing capabilities of the ROLAND 700 were a deciding factor. “We believe that automation is the solution to our demanding market’s requirements for time and price compression,” Paré says. “That is why we are going with the ROLAND 700. With its automated options, we will be able to increase our productivity without increasing our headcount. Automation will give us time to focus on quality printing instead of mechanical issues. In addition, we will be able to run job after job without looking for information. It will be in the system before the job hits the press.” Quebecor World Graphique-Couleur incorporated the optional JobPilot module into its PECOM press operating system. As a result, the company’s operators can makeready upcoming printwork while the current job continues to run. That maximizes press uptime, and allows the printer to handle shorter runs faster. “We’re seeing more and more short run jobs and in different versions,” Paré observes. “With the ROLAND 700 and JobPilot, we will definitely be a major player in that game now!” Paré is also impressed with JobPilot’s benefits on repeat work. “With JobPilot we will be able to have many settings already in the system at production time,” he says. “This will give us the edge needed on regular jobs to improve productivity. It will also give us the opportunity to compare efficiency from job to job at production time.” MAN Roland’s PressMonitor is also part of QW Graphique-Couleur’s PECOM system. It equips the company’s production manager to keep track of every job without leaving his office. It allows Paré to analyze production, alerting him if any job experiences problems due to material, machine or human errors. And it lets the company’s scheduler compare his planned agenda to actual production results, so he can make the necessary adjustments to meet delivery requirements. The perfecting capabilities of the 10-color ROLAND 700 are also high on Paré’s list of essentials: “Close to 70% of our market today is four over four. Perfecting this work will make a significant difference in our job costs. In addition, we will be able to offer our customers sheet-fed quality at a competitive web price. We have had customers that had to sacrifice quality to meet their budget. We will now be able to offer them something to think about.” As to the press’ in-line coating unit, Quebecor World Graphique-Couleur intends to use the enhancement on seven, eight and nine-color jobs that require either aqueous or UV gloss and protection. All of the 700’s advantages will be brought to the fore at an open house scheduled for early autumn. “All Quebecor World East Group sales representatives and their customers will be invited to see the press in action and shown its possibilities,” Paré says. “MAN Roland is also working with us on promoting the event in the Quebec market.”