June 6, 2001 - The Papers Incorporated, Milford, Indiana, has placed the first North American order for MAN Roland's CROMOMAN 50 four-page format web offset press to bring its printing capacity in line with growing demand for its publications. The CROMOMAN 50 is a highly flexible production system for newspaper and select commercial work that prints at speeds up to 50,000 copies per hour and features MAN Roland's PECOM intelligent press control system. The press is available in a range of popular cutoffs. The CROMOMAN 50 ordered by The Papers is a 32-couple coldset shaftless press in 22-3/4-inch cutoff. It will be used to print some of the company's 12 weekly and monthly publications serving Northern Indiana and the Midwest. The publications include weeklies such as The Mail-Journal of Milford and the Elkhart and Kosciusko county editions of The Paper, as well as auto publications, free community newspapers and senior newspapers. Total circulation exceeds 1.75 million magazines and newspapers a month plus commercial printing. "We think the CROMOMAN 50's high print quality and tight register will be especially important for our community and automotive publications as well as commercial accounts," said Ron Baumgartner, president of The Papers. The decision to add the new press to the Milford plant was based on growth in business that could no longer be handled by running the company's existing coldset web press 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Following an extensive review of competing presses by company personnel traveling to installations in the US, Europe and Japan, The Papers chose the CROMOMAN 50. "We had not purchased MAN Roland equipment before, so the decision to order the CROMOMAN 50 was based primarily on observed print quality and the degree of engineering sophistication," said Baumgartner. "With MAN Roland's continued expansion in the US market we also had a good comfort level with their service and support. "We saw the press run in Europe and I phoned one CROMOMAN 50 operator in the Middle East to get his views on the press and on MAN Roland support," said Baumgartner. "Fortunately he spoke English and said he was happy with the press and the service. I decided if they could support a press in a desert nation in the Middle East, they could certainly support us here in Indiana." The Papers' press will comprise four towers, each capable of printing 4/4 color, four webs, web cutoff and register controls and a 48-page 2:3:3 folder with quarter folder for booklet format production. Space has been left in the newly expanded production facility for future installation of a fifth tower. Four CD13S reel-tension-pasters (RTPs) also will be included in the arrangement. The CROMOMAN 50 press is scheduled for commissioning at The Papers' new 57,000 square ft. building in September of this year. An open house is planned for later in the year. CROMOMAN 50 is available in heatset as well as coldset configurations. It offers extensive presetting capability for fast setup and on-the-run centralized control with the PECOM press control system. From the PECOM press control center the printer controls the entire press line, monitors the printing process and optimizes quality. The robust printing unit design includes an H-style unit with vertical web for fast plate-up and maintenance operations and an eight-cylinder tower configuration for spot color or process color application. Also available are Y-and I-type units with horizontal web leads. Pretensioned three-race bearings are designed to ensure uniform and high print quality at all press speeds. The three-roller dampener also contributes to high quality printing. A modular unit design makes future expansion easy. CROMOMAN 50 is available with the 2:3:3 folder for highly accurate folds on a wide range of products and can be equipped with a variety of MAN Roland reel splicers including the high-performance CD13. The Papers Incorporated is a privately owned family company founded in 1939. The company currently employs more than 220 persons and operates sheetfed as well as web presses. Also included are bindery and inkjet addressing operations. A subsidiary, Spectra Print, develops and markets community directory publications in conjunction with local chambers of commerce and convention and visitor bureaus.