Continuing an excellent start to 2006 in other parts of the world Baldwin Technology has recently secured major orders in North American for its IMPACTflex automatic blanket cleaning systems. The Journal and Courier, Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana, has just ordered IMPACTflex, to be installed on its new Berliner format MAN Geoman 70 this Spring, while the Denver Newspaper Agency has ordered IMPACTflex for five new Geoman presses, which will be installed next year. “At present we only print the Journal and Courier, but when the new offset facilities are commissioned in August we will be looking to take on contract work as well,” says Travis Komidar, Operations Director at the Journal and Courier. “We obviously needed automatic blanket cleaning to obtain the greatest efficiency from the press. After evaluating all the systems on the market we determined that Baldwin’s offering satisfied our requirements. “The Baldwin offering provided a better long term environmental solution for the Journal and Courier. At the same time, Baldwin’s IMPACTflex system gives us the option to run dry cloth if we wish. This degree of flexibility is important to us.” Automatic cleaning systems and their related consumables comprise the largest part of Baldwin’s business. The company’s unique FLEX technology allows printers to operate in either the wet PREPAC or dry cloth and solvent modes, and incorporates advanced cloth and fluid management features, which maximize cleaning quality while minimizing consumable usage. IMPACTflex provides newspaper publishers with the absolute confidence that should environmental regulations become more stringent and low VOC solvents mandated they have purchased a system that gives them the technology to be immediately compliant. The handling, storage and disposal of solvents and other hazardous chemicals is an on-going problem for most printers, and this will become more important as new legislation enforces reductions in emissions. Baldwin operates an environmentally-responsible philosophy and with its waster-to-energy program, used PREPAC cloth is removed by a qualified WTE provider who then supplies a certified record of handling. This service can be covered in the purchase cost of the cleaning consumable, resulting in a true cradle-to-grave solution. “We’re pleased to announce these major new North American orders for our new IMPACTflex technology blanket cleaning systems,” says Shaun Kilfoyle, President Baldwin Graphic Systems. “As is the case around the world, an increasing number of newspaper publishers are looking for what we call life-of-press technology, which will meet the process and environmental requirements during the expected 15 to 20 year life of the press. “I would also like to recognize the efforts of Mike Gregory and Greg Drennan, our newspaper sales specialists in North America, who have worked closely with the Journal and Courier, the Denver Newspaper Agency, our OEM partner MAN and Baldwin colleagues in Europe to insure the needs of all parties will be met successfully from start to finish. I believe Baldwin’s ability to co-ordinate and manage complex international projects like these can differentiate us from our competitors.”