The Roland R700 DirectDrive enables simultaneous operations on the press to be carried out in parallel, providing super quick makereadies, which have sent the press into the Guinness book of world record
For more than 150 years manroland has been a leading technology innovator in the printing industry, and today offset presses from all manufacturers offer as standard equipment technologies and features that had their genesis in the company’s sheetfed centre in Offenbach, and the other manroland centres of engineering excellence. The world famous name Roland first appeared in 1911 as the world’s first sheetfed rotary press, and since then has been indisputably associated with excellence and innovation.
In addition to sheetfed manroland is a major manufacturer of web presses, and they encompass all aspects of web production; coldset, heatset, hybrid (semi commercial) and UV. The manroland web press systems are so ubiquitous they have become industry standards in their own right, linking the past, present anf future, 1962 the inception of the Lithoman series, 1972 saw the birth of the Rotoman, 1977 the Uniman series for newspaper production, 1984 the Octoman, 1990 Pecom electronic systems control, and 2001 the Colorman, all of which are still in series production. 2007 saw robotics enter the industry for the first time with the introduction of APL.
Firsts for manroland read like a history of printing. The Roland Ultra was the first four colour wet in wet press at the first drupa, in 1951, then 1972 saw the first sheetfed ink control system, on a Roland 800, in 1977 Roland-CCI was the world’s first computer controlled inking system.
The latest first is what the company says is the world’s first multitasking sheetfed press, the Roland 700 DirectDrive - a patented technology. Steve Dunwell, managing director at manroland Australasia says, “The DirectDrive enables simultaneous operations on the press to be carried out in parallel, rather than the serial process of all other presses.” In May 2009 this was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest make-ready press. On May 26-27 at Rosler Druck in Germany, a six-colour multitasking press with double coater completed 169 separate print jobs, each with a 1000 sheet run, (169 form changes, 676 plates) within a single 24 hour period. That is 169 form chnages and 676 plates, and seven jobs per hour, one every eight and half minutes.
Observers emphasised that the record was set at, and by, an actual printing business.
Dunwell says, “Unlike demonstrations frequently seen at trade shows, or other venues, these were all different, actual jobs that had been done for customers with substrate, ink and other variables, from one run to the next.”
Manroland direct opens in Australia
In June 2009 manroland Australasia opened its doors as the new market organisation for manroland in the Australasian region. Headquartered in Regents Park, Sydney, the company also maintains offices in Victoria and New Zealand. Speaking at the opening, Peter Kuisle, sales director of manroland worldwide says, “Australia is the third biggest market for manroland. It is important that our customers know we are committed to ensuring the standards of service are higher than ever. Certainly we are in a great position to do that, because sales and service are the priority of the company, and the steps we are taking in Australasia will confirm that manroland customers and potential customers will be completely supported.”
In the two years since the opening manroland Australasia has achieved significant success.
Steve Dunwell, managing director says, “In the web market we have sold new presses and importantly, to new manroland customers. A number of new commercial sheetfed presses have been sold in the difficult market currently being experienced by commercial printers. We expect further sales of our sheetfed technology into the packaging sector. Our service and support operation has doubled in size, and our staffing has been increased to match that demand. In addition manroland printcom products are in daily use at many large sites and we plan to increase our consumable sales by entering the market for thermal plates.’
Dunwell continues, “We have to get closer to our customers. In today’s industry businesses that stand together and act for the strategic interests of each other will succeed and pull ahead of the norm. A strong manroland supporting strong manroland customers is our vision and I want to continue to see manroland out in front.”
