Swiss press manufacturer Maschinenfabrik Wifag has developed the world's first direct-drive offset presses for newspapers. These presses have the potential to reduce make-ready time, staffing requirements and newsprint waste. They can also improve quality and increase options for newspaper tailoring.
The Wifag OF 370 GTD (for "gearless transmission drive") uses conventional inking, while the OF 570 GTD is keyless. These presses operate without drive shafts or gearboxes. Each printing couple, folder, automatic paster and infeed has its own drive mechanism. The drives are optically synchronized via fiber-optic cables.
The OF 570 GTD features an ultra-short, keyless inking system that applies a precise film of ink directly to a single form roller. It is free from ink feedback and, therefore, ghosting.
The amount of ink applied to the form roller is controlled by a round-tip doctor blade that continually moves, changing the contact angle of the blade to the form roller. This enables ink film to be applied evenly and reduces doctor-blade wear.
The doctor blade is segmented into four sections, each the size of a standard newspaper page. The distance between the blade and the form roller can be adjusted, allowing either lighter or heavier ink-film laydown.
These presses appear to solve many vexing press problems. Several European newspapers have units on order. North Americans should keep an eye on this interesting new technology.
Frank Balentine is NAA's press manager. E-mail, naatech@attmail.com; phone, (703) 648-1217; fax, (703) 648-1216.
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