- Accelerating the press to 70,000 copies per hour and pulling copies at speeds of 20,000, 40,000, and 70,000 cph
- Allowing the press to run at 70,000 cph and pulling sample copies
- Using the emergency stop button and pulling regular papers as the press came to a fast stop
- Decelerating the press under a controlled stop and pulling check copies.
Goss Tests Shaftless Press
by Frank Balentine
I recently had an opportunity to witness Goss' prototype shaftless press in Preston, England.
One set of four-high stacked units is double-wide and equipped with an electric motor for each couple (one motor for each plate and blanket cylinder). Power is transmitted to the blanket cylinder by a timing belt. Because each impression is driven individually, functions such as plate changing, washing blankets, etc., are totally independent.
The other set of four-high stacked units is single-wide and equipped with a single motor for each bridge (one motor per two plate and blanket cylinders).
The split-arm reel has the ability to handle different-size rolls. The press operator can splice to a smaller-width web, reducing the product size without stopping to change the reel arm. Each arm can be individually adjusted.
The press was equipped with two inking systems. The digital system and the open fountain system both were operating, with one system on either side of the unit.
There were two phases to the test. The first was conducted on the tower unit representing a single-wide press and the second on the unit representing a double-wide press. The IFRA Rotary Press Acceptance Test Form was positioned on the front page and the NAA Digital Color Test Form was used as the second front.
The tests for both tower units were identical and consisted of the following procedures:
The demonstration at Preston was very impressive--the shaftless press performed flawlessly. After seeing this press operate in all the different test phases, I am totally convinced shaftless technology will make shaft-driven presses obsolete.
European newspapers are buying shaftless presses faster than they can be built. In 1996, 50 percent of all large newspaper presses sold in Europe were shaftless. Goss claims to have sold 400 shaftless couples.
Frank Balentine is NAA's press manager. E-mail, balef@naa.org; phone, (703) 902-1849; fax, (703) 902-1842.