York, Pennsylvania — The largest single-location sheetfed printing facility in the world is growing with another extra extra large press. Strine Printing has purchased a new seven-color ROLAND 900 XXL, equipped with UV capabilities, a double-coater and an extended delivery. The acquisition of the 64-inch format machine will make Strine the top user of ROLAND 900s in North America in terms of printing units and print capacity. The company already runs two six-color ROLAND 900 54-inch presses and a 73-inch ROLAND 900 XXL — a six-color with coater. A Matter of Momentum The prime reason for the new press: the collective capacity of all three of Strine’s existing large format presses is accounted for — with three-shift, around-the-clock operation becoming the norm rather than the exception. Strine wants to keep the momentum going by adding to its large format fleet with this latest ROLAND 900 XXL — a 64-inch model. “We put in the 73-inch format ROLAND 900 XXL over a year ago and it filled up very quickly,” says Strine President William Kirk. “Our business in the large format arena has grown faster than we originally anticipated so we needed to add capacity now.” The new press is scheduled to arrive this autumn and will be producing before the end of the year. “Its 64-inch format will bridge the gap between our two 55-inch ROLAND 900s and our 73-inch ROLAND 900 XXL,” Kirk explains. Strine’s choice of format is something of a Goldilocks solution. The ROLAND 900 54-inch format is too small for a variety of new work Strine is acquiring, while the 73-inch format is too large for certain jobs. The new 64-inch ROLAND 900 XXL will be just right. Past and present performance of Strine’s current ROLAND 900 trio also had a major bearing on selection of the new press. “We really like how our MAN Roland presses meet our customer demands for fast turnaround and high print quality,” Kirk notes. King-size point of sale (POS) materials and litho wraps for packaging are two of the most significant applications on the new press’ agenda. All ROLAND 900 presses are equipped with double-diameter cylinders and contact-free transferters to facilitate high-speed printing on heavy board and even corrugated microflute. The standard 900 XXL model can take on substrates ranging up to 48 points. A packaging option can increase that dimension to 64 points. Those numbers are music to the ears of Strine’s nationwide sales force, which enjoys bringing in heavyweight jobs. “The extensive capabilities offered by our fleet of ROLAND 900s has helped us win new types of work,” Kirk points out. UV for Ultra Sales The new press’s UV capabilities are another selling point. Ultra violet inks add durability and extra color appeal to packaging and point of purchase displays. Strine’s ROLAND 900 will be equipped with interdeck dryers and automated controls to accelerate UV production by taking the guesswork out of the process. A double coater will allow Strine to apply both UV and aqueous coatings in a single pass for the ultimate in high gloss and durability. That capability will further differentiate Strine as a facility that provides its customers with opportunities that range above and beyond the ordinary. Customer Considerations Strine’s clients are already enamored with the company’s current armada of ROLAND 900s, with particular affection reserved for the XXL model. “They love it from a speed standpoint,” Kirk says. “No other press out there matches it in terms of turnaround or print quality. The set-up time for older presses of that size is very long. Makeready for the ROLAND 900 XXL is as quick as that for a new 40 inch press.” Kirk emphasizes that now more than ever speed is of the essence: ”The phrase that sells printing these days is ‘You can have it tomorrow.’ The responsiveness of our ROLAND 900 presses has helped us attract new customers and keep current customers loyal.” The new press is expected to expand on that business-building legacy. “Price, quality and service – our next ROLAND 900 XXL has all three of those selling points covered,” Kirk points out. “It will be another great tool in Strine’s arsenal of advanced technology.” Strine press crews are also looking forward to the company’s latest MAN Roland press. “They see MAN Roland equipment as being user friendly and they like the easy interface PECOM/printnet provides with our digital prepress department. That’s another reason why Strine’s last four presses have been from MAN Roland.”