GBC

Gämmerler to Build Manufacturing Plant HANOVER PARK, IL—Material handling and inline finishing equipment manufacturer Gämmerler plans to build a 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Palmetto, FL. Scheduled to open in April 2006, company officials say that the new facility will house the latest in automation equipment, provide roughly 35 percent of annual global production capacity and significantly improve Gämmerler's operational efficiency. "The decision to build the new plant was based on an increase in demand for Gämmerler's products in North America and a desire for a more flexible and efficient international manufacturing platform," says Gämmerler CEO Gunter Gämmerler. "The Palmetto plant will complement our existing production

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor Scientists have challenged its veracity, but the "boiling frog" legend endures. Here's a short version: Drop a frog into a pot of boiling water and it will immediately jump up. Place a frog into a pot of temperate water, then slowly turn up the heat, and it will stay in the pot until it is overcome. Admittedly, the dire consequences of this cautionary tale are overblown when it's applied to the current status of digital printing. Nonetheless, it does give one a visceral sense for how the slow pace of a change can mask its magnitude over time

by Dennis E. Mason The just-finished Drupa 2004 in Germany was unquestionably the most comprehensive graphic arts trade show in the world. Nowhere else but every four years in Düsseldorf can one see the breadth and depth of equipment, supplies, software and processes on display for two weeks. Although Drupas are dominated by the likes of Heidelberg, MAN Roland and KBA, with their particularly press-centric focus, it also provides a forum for companies that are far less well known, and for firms that only wish to be known. And while many journey to Drupa to see the latest in presses, or a complete

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor If digital printing were an animal, it would have to be a cat because the concept/technology is on at least its fifth or sixth life. The perceived killer application for the process has swung from short runs to variable data printing and now, some argue, back to short runs. Direct-to-press, digital offset solutions initially grabbed attention, but have since been over-shadowed by all-digital machines. Christopher DeSantis, president and co-founder of Royal Impressions.Christopher DeSantis bought into the concept—both figuratively and literally—from the start. His steadfast belief in the potential of the technology has led to buying new digital equipment early

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor In one of many hilarious episodes from the long-running animated hit television series, "The Simpsons," bartender Moe Szyslak is hammering a crayon up Homer Simpson's nose to restore his less-than-Hawkingesque intelligence level to subpar standards. Don't ask why. During the hammering, viewers can witness Homer's digressing intelligence as the crayon is pushed deeper into his brain. At one point during the hammering, Homer mindlessly blathers, "de-fense, de-fense," but the deeper, more acceptable (and thus dumber) level Moe reaches with the crayon (it's called a "Crayola Oblongata") causes Homer to utter, "Extended warranty? How can I lose?" We'll not debate the merits of parts

Helping Troubled Kids With its college-like campus with Victorian buildings dating back to 1826, the Glen Mills Schools might initially be mistaken for a high-priced, all-boys, college prep school. But these young men, ages 15 to 18, are not there because they want to be. They're troubled youths, many from faraway places, who have been sent to the Concordville, PA-based residential facility (on average, for about 15 months) by juvenile court systems to help them turn their lives around and develop a better sense of self-esteem. This is achieved through positive reinforcement (there are no locks or bars), mentoring and learning pro-social skills

Windy City Printer Upgrades Bindery CHICAGO—Schiele Graphics, a member of the Schiele Group, has purchased a Duplo System 4000 collator bookletmaker from Best Graphics. John Schiele, president, says that what got him excited about the machine was its ability to perform "intelligent collating," an add-on computer and software system that enables complex collating functions involving multiple components. alabama MONTGOMERY—Davis Printing has reportedly become the first printer in the state to employ FM screening. Creo's Prinergy workflow, two Intigris 800 proofers and a Trendsetter 800 Quantam are being used to produce 20 micron Staccato screening. The company plans to produce 90 percent of its

Arizona PHOENIX—In celebration of its recent 30th anniversary, Cereus Graphics held an open house in March. Drawing a crowd of more than 250 designers and marketing communications professionals, the event provided the company with the opportunity to demonstrate its new six-color Komori Lithrone S40 sheetfed press and its new seven-color HP Indigo digital press. Upon arriving, guests were asked to sign an electronic "guest book." This data was fed directly into the HP Indigo press. Five minutes later, guests were presented a set of four personalized poster calendars, each with different imagery and colors. california AUBURN—A new five-color Komori Lithrone 28 has been

By Erik Cagle How important is turnaround time in an on-demand, digital printing environment? Moreover, how critical is it to accommodate short-run finishing needs without outsourcing? Just ask Tom O'Brien, president of Greenville, NC-based AccuCopy, a digital printing operation with annual sales in the $10 million range. "We are in a fairly remote area, geographically," O'Brien says. "We couldn't afford the time it would take to send jobs out for finishing, given that they would have to travel several hundred miles to make it to the nearest trade bindery." AccuCopy, which is slated to move into a new 70,000-square-foot facility this spring, utilizes three Xerox DocuTech 6155s

BY CHRIS BAUER While some sectors of the graphic arts industry moved to a more automated and computer-dependent process years ago, binding and finishing equipment seemed to lag behind. At Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002, it was apparent that the bindery is no longer the blue-collar cousin of the pressroom and prepress department. Automation can now be found in just about every corner of the bindery. Today's newest machines incorporate operator touchscreen interfaces, servo motors and automated makereadies. And with industry standards such as JDF and CIP3/CIP4 slowly catching on, an even more sophisticated, computer-integrating finishing department is on the horizon. Software for