Bill Bonallo

Print UV Conference Deemed a Success LAS VEGAS—Nearly 100 printers and suppliers attended the inaugural Print UV 2008 Conference, held here at the Wynn Resort in early March. Produced and sponsored by Air Motion Systems, the event also served as the launching pad for the Print UV Association and a platform for the expanding Print UV online community (www.printuv.com). Discussion topics included how to market and sell UV; innovative UV printing and coating techniques; and the benefits of going 100 percent VOC-free in the UV pressroom. A panel of experts from major press OEMs, as well as UV equipment, ink, coating and

Heidelberg Showcases Equipment Range CRANBURY, NJ—Heidelberg USA held an open house here at its Tech Center East showroom early last month, attracting about 150 people. Demonstrations of equipment included its Suprasetter thermal and Prosetter violet CTP platesetters, Quickmaster DI 46-4 Pro with smart spooling mechanism and Speedmaster SM 52-5P+L with retractable in-line coating unit presses, Stitchmaster ST 100 saddlestitcher, Stahlfolder TH series folder and Polar 115 XT cutter, among others. Seminars held the same day featured Bill Bonallo, technotrans america, on trends in UV coatings; Mark Tonkovich, Heidelberg USA, on thermal platesetter innovations; and Paul Keuchenius, Heidelberg USA, on long perfecting press innovations. KBA North

BY MARK SMITH UV rays beating down. Hot air blowing across the skin. Catching some waves. Sounds like a great day at the beach. In the sheetfed offset printing arena, those descriptions also fit three technology options for boosting quality and speed—UV curing and drying with hot air knives or IR (infrared) energy. Market pressures are dictating that printers implement some form of drying/curing capability, but the "right" choice of technology remains an open question. "With a multicolor machine plus coater now being the standard for modern sheetfed presses, adequate drying systems have become a must to achieve the highest quality results," notes Bill