McCormick Place, Chicago — The Rover Remote Service System makes is world premiere at Graph Expo 2003. The innovation virtually puts MAN Roland technicians inside a printer’s press to become the eyes of the company’s comprehensive ServiceVision program. Consisting of a tablet PC equipped with a wireless video camera, a broadband Internet connection, and advanced software developed by MAN Roland, Rover gives press crews the ability to show the service specialists technical problems as they are occurring. The result: technicians can guide the press operators through the proper repair procedure, as they watch the progress live. That eliminates the time and expense of an onsite service call. Rover works in conjunction with MAN Roland’s Remote Service Diagnostic (RSD) system. Members of MAN Roland’s Rapid Response Team can combine Rover’s live action perspective with RSD’s real-time operational stream to troubleshoot virtually any component on a press, even if the machine is on the other side of the world. The pressman stays in touch with the technician via telephone while Rover beams real-time video. That way the service specialist can direct him to show other areas of the press that might be the cause of the trouble. In most instances, the solution involves instructing the press operator how to make an adjustment or replace a part to get the press up and running. Rover also serves as a portable platform for MAN Roland’s PressMonitor. That PECOM software module, which received a 2002 InterTech Award, monitors virtually all mechanical and electronic functions of the press in real-time. By combining the resulting data with the instructions from MAN Roland’s technicians, press crews can quickly get their equipment up and running. And if more complicated servicing is required, Rover acts as an advance scout, informing MAN Roland service managers which parts and what type of technical expertise is required to fix the press. “Consider the Computer-to-Plate revolution,” says Christian Cerfontaine, Director of Marketing for MAN Roland Inc. “It has transformed the very essence of the print production workflow for the better. Now printers of all shapes and sizes are using CTP to eliminate an expensive and time-consuming procedure from their workflows. Rover is poised to do the same in the area of graphic arts service.” Working as a component of MAN Roland’s’ ServiceVision program, Rover makes trouble shooting and maintenance integral parts of the printer’s digital workflow, to reduce the possibility of a very analog experience — the onsite service call. That is no slight achievement. For the past few years, printers have been living close to their margins, a situation that makes the high cost of press downtime unacceptable. A conventional service call prolongs press downtime, as everything is put on hold, waiting for the technician to arrive on site. Rover eliminates that lag. And when a conventional service call is required, the device arms the visiting technician with the knowledge and the parts he needs to more quickly get the press back on line. Maintenance is a related issue. Too many facilities delay or ignore vital maintenance procedures because their crews are unfamiliar with the technical routines involved. With Rover, operators can be walked through the technical and mechanical protocols one step at a time, enabling them to keep their equipment in prime operating condition on a routine basis. Rover also addresses the issue of advanced technical training for press operators. By empowering press crews to do their own repairs and maintenance, Rover acts as a hands-on educational tool, with MAN Roland technicians instructing the pressmen from the other end of the line. As such, every time Rover is switched on, press crews get a lesson that advances their skills. Looking at the situation through a wider lens, Rover and ServiceVision make printing a more attractive medium — more cost effective, more timely, and more reliable.