June 6, 2003 -- Recent years have been challenging for GIDUE, the Italian manufacturer of flexographic printing presses. With the introduction of a new press line in 1999, a move to new premises in Turate in June 2001, and an ever-increasing presence and profile at Labelexpo shows - the story is one of continued growth and success with press sales increasing and representation in over 30 countries spanning the five Continents. Engineering excellence Originally founded as Scatto Gi Due, the company has consistently engineered and manufactured high specification equipment for the narrow web printing and converting industries. Located in Turate, just minutes north of Milan, an area known for engineering excellence and technical expertise, the GIDUE factory is equipped with the state of the art design and manufacturing facilities. A major step forward for the company occurred in 1999 when their revolutionary narrow web printing and converting press concept was launched at Labelexpo ’99 in Brussels. Here the graphic arts market was introduced to the “Combination Advanced Technology” (Combat?) that has since achieved worldwide acceptance in a very short period of time. Creativity and proximity At the beginning, GIDUE embraced two fundamental concepts that still today guide every aspect of the organization: all GIDUE systems will be “built to last” and will be “simple to operate”. Because of their strong commercial and graphic arts background Ms. Toffolo and Mr. d’Annunzio Joint Managing Directors committed themselves from the start to listen closely to the needs of not just the printing company owners but also to the press operators. Hence the commitment to the two basic concepts that have guided the company from its inception and proven to be successful. “The declared objective of GIDUE for the next five years is to play a leading role in the global market of narrow web printing and converting machines” comments d’Annunzio. “ With this objective many new and innovative concepts for this market will be introduced and refined by our creative team of young and enthusiastic professionals in close proximity with customers”. High level acceptance Beginning with the launch of the Combat? press concept that took place in late 1999 the end of 2002 saw 60 presses installed in 17 countries. This high level of acceptance is attributed to both the Founder’s inspiration and the advanced design of the machinery produced. The Combat? series of presses are all manufactured using solid steel side frames rather than the traditional cantilevered design thus giving the owners long life and durability of the presses. Suppliers of ancillary equipment are only those that are able to meet a high level of design and provide global support. To meet the needs of today’s press operator, the ability to quickly and efficiently perform job changes was seen as a must by GIDUE. Here the Flower? concept was born. The print unit “opens like a flower” providing ease of access with every element independently and immediately available for changeover. When in the open position, the print cylinder, the anilox roller, the rubber roller, the doctor blade, the side wipers and the ink pan are easily and quickly removed and replaced. This ease of use has gained a widespread acceptance and has resulted in follow-up press orders by delighted customers. Several models are now available based on the Combat designed and developed to meet different levels of investment for existing and emerging narrow web applications. 3 Design concept The base Combat? is the platform for the entire range of GIDUE printing and converting systems. It is a modular press based on the GIDUE “3 design concept”; press stability, no performance decay and simplicity of operation. “This is a label press that produces high quality end product at the highest speeds in the market. The S-Combat? is becoming the traditional and globally accepted top of the range label press. Completely automated, it is the first fully standardised press available today. The functions on the press are virtually error free. We have removed the guesswork and the operator is fully assisted, all press variables are measurable and costs are totally predictable and repeatable,” comments D’Annunzio. The F-Combat? is a multi purpose press engineered to print on film, labels and carton with UV or water based inks in a fully standardized configuration. A Digital Communication Bus provided by Siemens and a shaftless drive for infinite repeat printing are offered. The C-Combat? is the GIDUE answer for the production of folding cartons that incorporates the Carton Delivery, a collecting system specific for carton production with de-nesting capabilities, counting and batching and with endless delivery and quick change over. The C-Combat? is available with a special 32” (810mm) printing and die-cutting repeat configuration. The Special Solvent-Based Combat? system is available in a 530mm configuration and is specifically dedicated to the flexible packaging industry. Configured with an explosion proof design, solvent extraction using high efficiency driers for high-speed production and oversized chilled rollers, this system is designed for the rotogravure and wide web printer that wants increased flexibility to meet challenging customer needs. The recently launched Quadra offers high quality printing at an entry-level cost. “Many developing countries are looking for entry level solutions in the label market,” says d’Annuzio. The competitive price and the ease of operation of the Quadra will help many companies to enter the label market at an affordable level of investment. We also recognise that many letterpress printers want to enter the flexo market without making major investment in capital equipment or new press operators. The Quadra is extremely user friendly due to the easy access features of the Flower printing heads and is the spearhead of the GIDUE Six Sigma quality programme. A plus for both skilled and unskilled operators due to reduced error variables and organised work procedures. With the addition of the Quadra printing companies can also print high quality, four colour solids and line jobs while leaving existing high performance presses free to produce added value and prime label work”. Commitment to customer expectations “Today GIDUE has earned recognition for the reliability, ease of operation and longevity of its presses” adds Cristina Toffolo, responsible for general business management. “After four years of hard and dedicated work I endorse our commitment to meet customer expectations. The solid team at GIDUE and the qualified and professional network of distributors we have brought together further guarantees our sales and service support to customers” Dramatic new development “The philosophy of GIDUE will remain based on our two guiding principles. We will continue to maintain close proximity with printers and converters in all industries and listen to their needs. Dramatic new developments will be unveiled at Labelexpo Europe 2003 in Brussels, the premier biennial international label and product decoration event, where we will be introducing an entirely new concept to the industry.” concludes d’Annunzio.