RCS media group, publisher of leading Italian daily newspaper, Corriere Della Sera, has invested in two QuadTech Autotron Newspaper 2800 Ribbon Control Systems. The systems were recently installed on two Cerutti S4 shaftless flexo newspaper presses at Niber SRL, the company that produces Corriere Della Sera in Bologna. Each Autotron Newspaper 2800 will control the cut-off register on six individual folder ribbons. The choice of flexo presses for Corriere Della Sera reflects a trend in Italy that has been growing since the 1980s, driven by a simplified press design. "On this press design - using a Central Impression Cylinder - color-to-color register technology is not mandatory for some applications," comments Lino Bagioli, Sales Manager for QuadTech Italy. "However, the flexibility of the Autotron provides the perfect solution for controlling the printed ribbons, taking control of product-fold quality and cut-off accuracy." The Autotron Newspaper 2800 uses miniature scanning heads, developed specifically for the newspaper industry, that are smaller than 35mm film cassettes. This allows them to fit between individual rollers in the ribbon stack, avoiding problems with 'web flap' and increasing the accuracy of ribbon-length control. The scanning heads measure marks over the rollers or recognize blocks of print. The latter is an important feature for newspapers in minimizing the use of register marks. By using multiple miniature heads with electronic switching, rather than a single head on a motorized bar, the Autotron provides a very reliable and cost-effective solution to ribbon control for Corriere Della Sera. According to Mr Marchetti-Niber, Factory Manager at Bologna facility, "The press itself produces high contrast color and keeps a good registration. The adoption of QuadTech's Autotron to control the 8 ribbons provides precision accuracy throughout a print run, allowing the press crew to focus on other important production tasks. “Cerutti chose QuadTech in conjunction with Corriere Della Sera," confirms Lino. "We have had a longstanding relationship with Cerutti, since we equipped the first Cerutti Flexo SuperNova press at Il Gazzettino, Venice, in 1982. Along with several other installations on flexo presses, we are proud to have contributed to Cerutti’s success in gaining a high percentage of the newspaper market in Italy." The Autotron Newspaper 2800 will also help Corriere Della Sera minimize waste. "It is vital in the newspaper industry that waste is minimized and a quality product is delivered at all times. – says Marchetti - The Autotron Newspaper 2800's patented system locks on to marks and corrects cut-off register immediately, giving operators tremendous piece of mind." Corriere Della Sera is currently the biggest selling daily newspaper in Italy with circulation figures of just under 900,000. This also places it amongst to the top 60 dailies in the world. Lino concludes, "When such a prestigious publishing house as RCS chooses QuadTech equipment for its flagship brand, it is testimony to the quality of the product. A company with such a reputation would not settle for second best."