Nampa, Idaho — As one of the main publishers and print providers for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Pacific Press Publishing Association (PPPA) supplies a variety of book, magazine and general printing work to a worldwide audience. As a result, speed, quality, and efficiency are at the top of PPPA’s agenda. So when the company needed to replace the aging Speedmaster that was its sheetfed mainstay, it chose a 41-inch ROLAND 700. “We selected the ROLAND 700 because we are an organization that makes long term purchases and takes good care of our resources,” explains Chuck Bobst, Vice President of Production. “MAN Roland builds the type of equipment that is very robust. It will last for a good number of years, has the latest in technology, and gives us room to grow in the sheetfed area.” PPPA’s pressroom is at the heart of a 180,780 sq ft facility that employs approximately 280 full- and part-time workers. The new six-color ROLAND 700 with in-line coating shares print production responsibilities with a sixteen-page heatset web. With a 15,000 sheet per hour run rate, the 700 is right at home in the high volume production environment that generated a total corporation income of $40 million last year for Pacific Press Publishing. “Currently on our press we are printing book covers and bodies, advertising fliers and posters, monthly newsletters and magazines, price sheets and brochures,” details Bobst. Many of those jobs involve short runs and quick turnarounds. The 700’s PECOM operating system and automated controls help Pacific Press Publishing crews respond in a timely manner. “We have cut our makereadies from 30-45 minutes down to 15-20 minutes for most jobs,” Bobst says. To further accelerate production, Pacific Press Publishing ordered its 700 with several productivity options. MAN Roland provided special perfector training to PPPA crews and now the two-sided technique is routine business. The press’ aqueous coater is deployed on most jobs run on coated stock. It seals the ink on those projects so that they can proceed directly to the company’s fully-equipped bindery. The coatings also enhance durability and overall print quality. The latter characteristic has been improved since the arrival of the ROLAND 700. “One of the very positive things that has developed with the new press is we have taken the guesswork out of print quality and color control,” Bobst says. “We are able to hold color from start to finish, whether it is a 250 sheet run or a 250,000 sheet run.” Just as importantly, the inking system on the new press has solved chronic ghosting troubles PPPA experienced on multiple-up book covers. The 700’s 16-roller ink train is designed to provide optimum coverage on even the most challenging designs. Pacific Press Publishing is in the unique position of being both an in-plant operation and a general printer within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is a corporate publishing facility for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, while also competing for printing projects within the Church organization all over the world. Bobst describes the situation as “the best of both worlds” in terms of keeping his facility on the cutting edge of productivity and print quality. “We can benchmark our own work with what is expected from our clients,” he says. “We also can research and try new things with our own products so we have more to offer our clients.” As to the new 700, Ken Hagen, District Sales Manager for MAN Roland, sees the success of the press as the culmination of a close collaboration. "From the very beginning, MAN Roland listened carefully to the needs and concerns of Pacific Press,” he says. "As a result, we were able to respond with the systems and technologies that will satisfy those requirements. The ROLAND 700 will provide Pacific Press with a productivity edge well into the future.”