DRUPA May 29th 2008 – At drupa '08 Goss International is putting a new perspective on "perfecting" with the M-600 Folia press in live production. Combining sheetfed and web concepts, the innovative new press can double the productivity of sheetfed perfectors while offering an equivalent footprint and labor requirement and competitive investment and operating costs.

Demonstrations at drupa will emphasize high print quality as well as fast makereadies and low waste for short-run applications.

"The M-600 Folia press unleashes significant productivity and economic advantages for the production of high-quality double-sided sheets," says Jean-Claude Pautrat, product management director, Goss International. "In developing this unique press we started with one clear objective – to make it faster, easier and less costly to print high-quality sheeted products. We analyzed sheetfed and web offset workflows and integrated advantages from both applications, from paper supply, impression mechanisms, automated functions and auxiliaries to the creation of precisely aligned stacks of perfected sheets. The overall result is high print quality, fast makereadies, low waste and maximum agility at extremely short run lengths."

The M-600 Folia press utilizes sheetfed inks and consumables and features M-600 printing units that accommodate multiple-weight paper stocks. An innovative new sheeter developed exclusively with VITS allows printing at up to 30,000 sheets per hour on coated stocks without a dryer. The blanket-to-blanket M-600 units print simultaneously on both sides of the web, enabling full-format printing of sheets up to 700 x 1020 mm (27.5 x 40 inches) without non-print gutters required for conventional sheetfed perfecting.

Innovative sheeting technology

The new sheeter developed for the M-600 Folia press conveys the printed web using unique air rollers. The precise application of anti-set-off powder to both sides of the web is achieved by the extension of the transport system to turn the web, so that the set-off powder is always applied vertically on both sides. This provides a balance of set-off particle size and controllable application.

The sheeter then uses rotary cutter and air knife technology to form, slow down and stack the sheets. Non-stop pallet exchange capabilities allow continuous printing.

Economic and productivity advantages

Paper purchased in reels for the M-600 Folia press can be 8 – 20 percent less expensive than equivalent paper purchased as sheets, according to Pautrat.

Without the requirement of a dryer, the length of the new M-600 Folia press is equal to that of a sheetfed perfector. Additional M-600 units can be added for special colors and varnishes.

"The potential to produce equivalent products at much higher speeds than with a sheetfed press, with a competitive investment cost and labor requirement, presents a strong alternative for many applications," says Goss International CEO Bob Brown. "This press is another indication of our focus on innovations that enable printers to differentiate themselves and achieve competitive advantages."

Additional features of the M-600 Folia press include:

Autoplate plate changing

Fully automatic Goss plate changing technology allows all plates, or any combination of plates, to be changed in less than three minutes. This minimizes makeready times, improves accuracy and frees operators for other tasks.

Goss Web Center workflow system

Advanced capabilities automate presetting and closed-loop monitoring, deliver adjustments on color through color bar scanning, and provide automated register and reporting capabilities for faster, more efficient job changes with minimal waste.

DigiRail digital inking

The unique, proven Goss digital inking technology provides a stream of digitally monitored pulses onto the ink rail to improve consistency and quality and reduce makeready time, start-up waste and maintenance.