McCormick Place, Chicago — MAN Roland's ROTOMAN line of 16- and 24-page web presses cost-effectively brings all the productive advantages of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) into commercial pressrooms. ROTOMAN combines the advancements of MAN Roland engineering, the agility of the PECOM press operating system and the efficiency of Printnet networking to provide a significant competitive advantage to the printers who run it. “MAN Roland was the first to introduce commercial web printers to the advantages of CIM with ROTOMAN and PECOM,” says Vincent Lapinski, COO of Web Operations at MAN Roland Inc. “Over the years we've raised the CIM bar even further, with innovations like Printnet, fully-automated plate loading and a choice of sleeve or conventional blanket technology. That's why today, putting a ROTOMAN in your pressroom is the most effective way to cash in on the advantages of CIM.” MAN Roland Engineering The advantages of MAN Roland engineering begin with a wide selection of configurations and options, so the printer can better customize his system to the needs of his marketplace. A 16-page web with a 38 inch web width, ROTOMAN is available with a cutoff length of 21.75, 22.75, 23.54, or 24.80 inches, and features a top operating speed of 70,000 copies per hour. The press is capable of single- or multiple-web production and can be configured as in-line, two-level or parallel presses. A 24-page model is also available that is built around sleeve blanket technology. ROTOMAN S utilizes a 57.48 inch web width and offers a cutoff of 20.47 or 24.80 inches. It can achieve a top run rate of 90,000 copies per hour, thanks to an array of innovations led by its sleeve-offset technology. The advancement virtually eliminates gap bump and the vibrations that go with it. All ROTOMAN models and configurations can be equipped with Automated Plate Loading (APL), automatic webbing-up, and automatic washing systems to accelerate makeready and reduce waste. Another available option is MAN Roland's QuickStart program, which automates press ramp-up and ramp-down sequences to save time and reduce waste. Also: both sleeve and conventional ROTOMAN models can be ordered with AutoTransfer, which allows plate changing on the fly to accommodate job versioning without stopping the press. The Power of PECOM But perhaps the most powerful ROTOMAN advantage is PECOM. From the PECOM console, the ROTOMAN pressman can control the entire press line, monitor the printing process and optimize print quality. In-line finishing equipment, color register control, ink supply system, blanket washers and chill roll washers can all be monitored, adjusted and controlled via PECOM. The result is the ultimate in web press makeready automation. What's more, PECOM can network all ROTOMAN models and other MAN Roland presses with a plant's prepress operation and Management Information System (MIS), consolidating all aspects of production and administration into a streamlined flow. Printnet Commercial Further expanding the usefulness of ROTOMAN's PECOM CIM connection is Printnet Commercial. Developed by the MAN Roland software group ppi Media, it consists of several interconnecting modules designed to carry a print job from scheduling to completion and analysis, for the ultimate in computer integrated manufacturing. The system minimizes the need for operator intervention throughout the print production stream to save printers time and maximize the use of their resources. The Printnet Commercial components premiering at PRINT 05 encompass a full range of productivity tools, including jobstart, jobplan, jobperform and jobtrack. They are being demonstrated at the MAN Roland exhibit — #1245 — to give showgoers a real time perspective on how they make the benefits of CIM a continuing reality. Both conventional and sleeve models of ROTOMAN have received rave reviews from web printing facilities of all sizes. Following are few selected examples. . . Quad/Graphics Selects Sleeves Quad/Graphics is printing one of the world's best-known magazines and other high visibility publications on five ROTOMAN S presses from MAN Roland. What's more, a sixth ROTOMAN S is ramping up this summer in Quad/Graphics' Hartford, Wisconsin facility. “Who cares more about quality than Quad/Graphics?” Lapinski declares. “We couldn't be happier that they are using ROTOMAN S technology to print a publication that's known worldwide for its vivid photography and high visual impact.” “We're proud to make this investment on behalf of our clients to ensure they have access to the most modern, most advanced printing capabilities anywhere,” says Tom Quadracci, President & CEO. Conventional Successes In Hooksett, New Hampshire, Cummings Printing started producing on a four-unit ROTOMAN in December 2002 and for the past three years has progressively built up the press' workload. Cummings' ROTOMAN 16-page press features the Printnet PECOM operating system and QuickStart ramp-up automation — all specifically designed by MAN Roland to keep pace with Cummings' short-run publication agenda. “It has cut our makeready time probably by 35%,” says Dan Trudel, the company's Pressroom Supervisor. “On our previous press, the typical makeready used to take around a half an hour. On the ROTOMAN, our first form makereadies average under 20 minutes.” Cummings' clients are print savvy so they appreciate how the new technology benefits their publications. “Our customers' reaction has been very positive to the ROTOMAN,” Trudel says. “It's usually our most knowledgeable customers who view their jobs on press. They're impressed by how smoothly the ROTOMAN handles their work, and the quality results it produces. ROTOMAN's printing units are great, they're steady, dependable and easy to use.” In Ripon, Wisconsin, Ripon Community Printers, one of the country's leading coldset facilities, has expanded into the heatset market, with a new 16/32 page ROTOMAN web press – the first stacked ROTOMAN in North America. “We decided offering heatset printing would be a natural addition for us and our customers since we already have the expertise in prepress and postpress,” explains Andy Lyke, one of the company's owners and its president. “With our reputation as one of the top coldset printers in the U.S., we felt it was important to enter the heatset market with the best equipment we could find, which is why we purchased the MAN Roland.” Russ Welch, Lead Web Press supervisor and project supervisor at Ripon, indicates that no one was disappointed: “The automation is working great. The ink key presets are allowing us to do first makeready on a new job in as low as 2,000 impressions in a 32-page two-web format. Couple this with the component presetting and the Power Plate Loading and you have an awesome combination.” In Phoenix, Arizona, Courier Graphics just started running a five-unit ROTOMAN. Larry Babka, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, believes the new press will raise the bar at Courier in a number of ways: “Courier Graphics has and will continue to focus on high quality commercial work requiring fast production cycles. Although we are replacing one of our two existing M-1000 presses with the ROTOMAN press, we believe our overall production capacity will dramatically increase to double the current volume.” Before selecting ROTOMAN, Courier researched the products of all full-size web manufacturers, ran print tests on working webs, and even sent a delegation to drupa 2004 for a final press comparison. “Courier Graphics conducted a comprehensive investigation that included assessing quality, productivity, flexibility, reliability, and longevity,” Babka says. “This investigation included visits to printers with various press technologies. As we completed our due diligence, it became clear that the best press product available in the industry is the ROTOMAN press. We believe the best value to us in terms of buying the finest equipment available will ultimately provide the best value to our clients.” Additional details about ROTOMAN S and ROTOMAN web presses can be obtained from MAN Roland at www.manroland.com and 1.800.700.2344.