Offset Printing
BALDWIN SPRAY BARS LEAD TO HUGE SAVINGS AT NEWSPRINTERS, AUSTRALIA
Friday 06. November 2009 - The addition of Baldwin Technology LithoSpray World spray bars to a seven-unit Goss Community press at Newsprinters in Shepparton, Victoria, has not only resulted in huge reductions in paper waste and savings in ink and water usage, but has also played a vital role in helping the Australian printer to win two prestigious newspaper awards for print quality.
“I cannot stress too much the importance of the improvements we have seen throughout the pressroom since we installed Baldwins LithoSpray World spray bars,” says print manager Angelo Cirillo. “Previously, on a print run of 5,000 copies we could easily have incurred wastage levels of around 1,200 copies but this can now be as low as 400. Weve seen reductions in ink and water usage, while the press itself is much cleaner because there is less ink fly.
“The improvements to print quality have been so great that we have recently won two awards for print quality and LithoSpray has been crucial to our ability to win those awards. The Constant C technology incorporated within LithoSpray is fantastic and has proved to be extremely effective at preventing blocked nozzles. This means that we achieve a consistent and even spray of dampening solution at all times, with the resulting colours being vibrant and the print extremely clean.
“We are also benefiting from greater productivity because our press operators no longer have to spend time every shift cleaning the socks that were part of the original dampening system. Our operators can hardly praise the LithoSpray system enough because it has made their working life so much easier.”
Baldwins unique Constant C technology eliminates the problem of plugged or blocked nozzles on spray dampening systems by providing an air curtain around the nozzle tips, which keeps ink mist and debris away. With this feature, nozzles perform at the same high quality level at all times. Constant C technology is fitted as standard on LithoSpray Maxima systems and can also be supplied with or retrofitted to existing World or Optima spray bars.
In addition to the spray dampening system, Newsprinters has taken delivery of a Baldwin DailyLiner unit, which allows highly efficient and accurate premixing, circulating and cooling of fountain solution. DailyLiner can be supplied in either air-cooled or water-cooled versions and operates at ambient temperatures of up to 42 deg C. Where a dampening circulation system is used to supply the dampening units, the DailyLiner filtration unit offers longer production periods before filters need to be changed.
“The LithoSpray dampening system and the DailyLiner unit require very little maintenance,” says Angelo Cirillo. “Weve had to clean out the DailyLiner only once in four months of continuous use. Both systems are extremely easy to operate and I have to say that the installation was the smoothest Ive ever experienced of any equipment that weve incorporated into the Goss. Nothing was too much trouble for the Baldwin engineer and overall the service we have had from Baldwin has been superb. There is no doubt in my mind that weve done ourselves a big favour by investing in this Baldwin technology.”
Newsprinters is the printing division of the McPherson Media Group, which includes McMedia, a local internet Telco provider, and the sheet-fed printing division Water Wheel Press. The Shepparton News, the flagship newspaper of the group, has been part of the McPherson family since 1888. Newsprinters prints all 12 of its own titles as well as a wide range of short and long run publications, brochures, direct mail etc for other customers throughout Victoria.
The coldest Goss Community press has been extensively upgraded in recent years and now has a high level of automation, with the ability to print up to 56 pages. The addition of an eighth unit early next year will give the press the ability to print 64 pages.