All eyes on the manroland web systems FoldLine: the folding system for digital newspaper production was in the spotlight of the latest Technology Forum on February 27, 2014 at Rotolito Lombarda, the Italian “Leader in Printing”. More than 40 visitors out of several countries joined the event.

Digital Inline-Finishing is evolving at lightning speed: in Milano, manroland web systems presented its FoldLine finishing system for industrial digital printing. Ultra-small regional runs for newspapers, targeted advertising, and print-on-demand in book printing: digital printing systems create added value for successful publishing. As part of the technology Forum at Rotolito Lombarda in Milan, manroland web systems demonstrated its latest digital production system to mor than 40 visitors – potential customers as well as the trade press. Alwin Stadler, Vice President of Digital Printing at manroland web systems, explains the company's innovation: “We are establishing finishing as a central system component in digital printing systems and ensuring integration into the customer's workflow.”

FoldLine for digital newspaper production
Rotolito Lombarda, well known for its printing services far beyond the borders of Italy and active in the digital market since 2010, is processing digitally printed products with the highly flexible, variable cut-off folding system FoldLine from manroland web systems. The digital printing solution comprises all available features from manroland web systems. The system started to operate in fall 2013, an integration of the inline workflow system with an HP T410 Color Inkjet Web Press is planned for April 2014.

The FoldLine finishing system is able to produce newspapers in any format (tabloid, broadsheet, Berlin) in both inline and offline operation. Also included in the FoldLine portfolio are brochures, magazines, and individual book signatures. Its performance is clear: FoldLine is designed to produce up to 96 pages (48 pages broadsheet) with a web speed of up to 300 m/min and a web width of up to 1,067 mm. The system can output up to 7,100 Berlin newspaper copies with 32 pages, 15,000 stitched A3 brochures with 16 pages, or 30,000 16-page signatures A4 per hour. FoldLine can quickly be prepared for new jobs: the makeready times for format and paper changes are minimal, and changes to volumes can be made without interrupting production.

FoldLine – What it is about
The comprehensive configuration of the FoldLine results in a high-capacity and versatile production system, thus providing a quick return on investment. The FoldLine does not simply generate advertising material of up to 96 pages in long-grain and short-grain formats as well as customized newspapers, but also auxiliary-glued book blocks, in conjunction with an automatic High Speed Lift Collator from RIMA-SYSTEM. With the FoldLine, Rotolito Lombarda can digitally recreate conventional offset products. The available web width enables up to eight pages and asymmetric productions with partial-width webs are also possible. A further perforating unit allows additional product variations.

High-performance production – agile and dynamic during production changeovers
The high-performance capability of the FoldLine is impressive: web speeds of up to 300 m per minute and a web width of up to 106 cm make the system suitable for the fastest digital printing presses on the market and therefore as an inline solution for the production of an almost unlimited variety of printed products. Its high productivity is enhanced by quick, dynamic job changeover sequences that are unrivalled by competing products. A new production run with the same page count and cut-off length can be carried out during the run without stopping the system. When the page format needs to be changed, the conversion takes only three minutes longer.

Industry-proven high-performance technology
In developing its FoldLine digital finishing solutions, manroland web systems, the world market leader in commercial web offset printing, drew from its many decades of experience in constructing high-performance equipment for industrial printing. Like all manroland web system products, the FoldLine also uses robust and durable cutting knives that can be changed quickly and with few tools. For the future, manroland web systems also provides sophisticated and efficient solutions for the system’s operation. For example, a mobile control console and the MobilPad offer wireless support for staff to make adjustments directly at the machine.

Top-quality proven at a top event
The presentation of the FoldLine at Rotolito Lombarda demonstrated what efficient and creative digital newspaper production looks like today.The first product was a 24-page tabloid newspaper. Then a Berlin format with 24 pages was produced and in addition for the main part of the newspaper two sections with each 8 pages, collected and folded to a 40 pager with three sections. The delivered result won over the visitors: ultra-small print runs fewer than 100 copies can be produced one after another, without any interruptions, even if the total number of pages or the book structure of the individual editions vary.