Dayton Newspapers Installs First Two-up Heidelberg Long Perfector in North America

Kennesaw, GA—March 22, 2007—Heidelberg is pleased to announce that Dayton Newspapers of Franklin, Ohio, recently installed a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 8-color perfector with Prinect Axis Control color measuring system. The new press will handle the production of color pre-prints for insertion into four daily and six weekly newspaper publications. It is the first installation of this powerful small-format long perfector in North America.

Dayton Newspapers initially entered the sheetfed printing business as an extension of its newspaper pre-print inserting operation. At the time, the company’s goal was to print 8.5 x 11” single-sheet inserts in two-up configuration for its advertisers. Based on its business plan, the company determined that a small-format press would be a good fit, given anticipated volumes and space considerations. The SM 52 4-color would join Dayton Newspapers’ existing full-size newspaper web presses, packaging equipment, and various support equipment.

According to Packaging/Print Department Manager George Bomberry, “The SM 52 4-color press was an excellent fit for us initially, and our business grew at an astonishing rate. In a little over two years of operation, we produced more than 120 million pieces or 60 million impressions. It was at that time that we made the decision to increase our capacity,” and upgraded to the SM 52 8-color perfector.

“The new small-format press fit our operation for the same reasons that led to our original decision to go with this size press,” Bomberry says. “We liked the ease of operation that we experienced with our first small-format press and the footprint of the new eight-color press was comparable to that of the existing four-color press with aqueous coater.”

Even if space had not been a consideration, Bomberry reports, the run length and type of work the company processes would have driven the decision to install a small-format press. “The bulk of our work is 8.5 x 11” work, mostly single sheet, and mostly less than 75,000 copies, with many short-run jobs around 5,000 to 10,000 copies. A small-format press fits not only the footprint but also the work. The new 4/4 works well because it can produce these two-up jobs at a rate of 25,000 to 30,000 finished pieces per hour. This fits in very well with our requirements in the packaging department.”

The transition from straight to long perfecting press has proven to be a very positive move for Dayton Newspapers, and the addition of the Prinect Axis Control color management system has only made it better. “The improvements in productivity and inking consistency are dramatic. Printing in the perfecting mode has been flawless and one-pass printing has increased our throughput better than two-fold,” Bomberry says. “Overall, we are very pleased with the results and feel that the small-format perfector was definitely the best choice for our needs.”

“This installation proves the feasibility of one-pass productivity in the small-format market,” says Joerg Daehnhardt, director of Product Management for General Commercial Print, Heidelberg USA. “By taking advantage of computer-to-plate and closed-loop color management with Prinect Axis Control, Dayton Newspapers has moved ahead of the productivity curve in gaining the ability to react quickly and economically to its customers’ requirements.”

Speedmaster SM 52

Configured as a long perfecting press, the two-up Speedmaster SM 52 achieves maximum productivity with the highest degree of automation in the 20-inch format class. Its ability to produce 4/4 perfecting jobs in a single pass makes this an ideal press for short runs requiring frequent job changes. The following press standards enable the highest productivity in long perfecting:

Optimized sheet transfer system with TransferJacket, PerfectJacket and sheet guides to ensure optimal print quality on both sides of the sheet.

Reduced-diameter perfecting drum fitted with TransferJacket for effortless sheet reversal.

Specialized air panels and suction tape sheet brakes for full coverage printing on both sides.

Long perfecting versions of the Speedmaster SM 52 include 8- and 10-color models.

Prinect Axis Control

Prinect Axis Control is part of Heidelberg’s broad spectrum of modular customer solutions for high-quality offset printing applications. Set and displayed via the adjustable touchscreen color display of the Prinect CP2000 Center, Prinect Axis Control offers an economic solution for enhancing the efficiency and quality of the production process, especially in the Speedmaster formats 52 and 74. Prinect Axis Control is fully integrated in the ergonomic design of the Prinect CP2000 Center.

Dayton Newspapers is a division of Cox Newspapers, Inc., a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., one of the largest diversified media companies in the United States.

About Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
With a global market share for sheetfed offset printing machines of more than 40 percent, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is the world’s leading solution provider for commercial and industrial customers in the print media industry. Headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, the Company focuses on the entire process and value chain for popular format classes in the sheetfed offset and flexographic printing sectors. Apart from printing presses, the product portfolio includes plate imaging devices and finishing equipment, as well as software components designed to integrate all print manufacturing processes. In addition, Heidelberg offers a wide range of spare parts, consumables, used equipment and services, along with extensive training programs provided by the Print Media Academy. Furthermore, the Company assists its customers’ investment plans by offering financing concepts.