McCormick Place, Chicago — The centerpiece of the MAN Roland exhibit (Booth 1245) is a 65-inch version of the pressmaker's extra-extra large press — the ROLAND 900 XXL. It's the biggest and most productive press operating at PRINT 05 and is making its North American premiere. A six-color-with-coater configuration, the 900 XXL demonstrates the advantages of combining high levels of automation with a super-sized press format. The press is the first ROLAND 900 XXL in the world to be equipped with a Maxson sheeter. The device lets printers benefit from the time- and money-saving advantages of using web stock. As part of the press demonstration at PRINT, a multimedia presentation transports showgoers to York, Pennsylvania, where a 73-inch 900 XXL is at work at Strine Printing, the biggest sheetfed facility in the Northeast corridor. A commemorative XXL poster, printed by Strine, is being distributed throughout the exposition. The ROLAND 900 XXL was developed to combine the superior performance of the latest press automation and sheet control to the superior output of the wider formats. Its PECOM/printnet automation and operating system, its fully automated settings, and its Power Plate Loading capabilities mean that a makeready on the ROLAND 900 XXL can be as fast and efficient as one on a 40-inch press. Available in three super-sized formats, MAN Roland's extra, extra large press line also offers comparable production speeds to those provided by 40-inch machines. The 44” X 64” ROLAND 900 XXL runs at a top rate of 13,000 extra large sheets per hour. The 47” X 64” ROLAND 900 XXL runs at a top rate of 12,000 jumbo sheets per hour. And The 51” X 73” ROLAND 900 XXL runs at a top rate of 10,000 super-sized sheets per hour. The 47” X 64” model makes its North American debut at PRINT 05. The wider-is-better trend that has been started by the ROLAND 900 XXL results in a highly productive combination: A printer can match the performance parameters of a 40-inch press, but his productivity is two times or even three times higher because of the larger sheet size. Advanced control technology, improved paper consistency, and improved sheet handling innovations are also at play to make the large format efficiencies of the ROLAND 900 XXL possible. The result: Printers are getting significantly greater output from the XXL without expending any extra time or effort. The first XXL benefit can be projected statistically: A 51” X 73” ROLAND 900 delivers 328% more printable area than a conventional 40” machine. That widens a commercial printer's profit margins and allows him to offer savings to his customers. For publication printers, the 73” 900XXL is the ideal format because it can produce a 64-page signature. That means they can go right from press into one of the new generation of jumbo folders that are available and the job is ready for binding. Or if they're working with smaller folders, an in-line slitter is available on the ROLAND 900XXL that produces two 32-page signatures from each sheet. The XXL is also poised to significantly boost the popularity of mini-flute and micro-flute package printing. The ROLAND 900XXL can be equipped to handle board thicknesses up to 1.6 mm or 63 pt., positioning it as a highly productive E-flute, F-flute and G-flute printing solution. And there's a marketing advantage as well. Installing an XXL format press lets a facility differentiate itself from printers who run 40” equipment. That can provide a significant edge in a highly competitive market. When a Maxson sheeter is connected to a ROLAND 900XXL, a printer's paper costs are reduced by 15-20%, because the rolled stock is less expensive than cut sheets. Also: printers can custom-cut the paper to fit each job, so waste is reduced tremendously. Demonstrations of the ROLAND 900XXL take place continually in exhibit #1245. Additional details about the press can be obtained from MAN Roland at www.manroland.com and 1.800.700.2344.