Man the presses for a chance at the Ipex crown

The world's best offset press operators will go head-to-head in a test of skill to be staged at Ipex 2014, battling it out for the official Make Ready Challenge crown.

Offset printers the world over are invited to put forward their best two-man team to enter into the competition and make ready a job in the quickest time possible. Contenders are up for a chance to win riches and glory, with a cash prize on the line as well as the prestige of being crowned the official Ipex 2014 Make Ready Challenge Champions.

Wayne Beckett, Ipex 2014 sales director and organiser of the Make Ready Challenge, said, "It adds an extra element to Ipex, and while it is a bit of fun, the challenge is a great opportunity for offset operators to demonstrate just how skilled they are. It promises to be a very entertaining spectacle and we fully expect it to pull in the crowds."

The challenge is set to run six sessions a day throughout the event, 24-29 March 2014, firing up the presses at 11:00 am with teams stepping up to log their best time every hour on the hour, winding up at 4:00 in the afternoon. Only 36 slots are available, and according to Beckett they are filling up fast.

In a race against the clock, challengers will start with a profile set up, fill the feeder with a maximum of 250 sheets, load the plates and achieve colour registration to complete a job to be scored by a specially assembled panel of Ipex judges. The fastest time will be crowned the winner, and a bonus prize will be awarded for the team with closest to a 100% match.

Weapon of choice will be a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM52-5, circa 2003, with auto-plate removed, supplied by Burnetts, an industry leader in providing print machinery breakdown insurance plans and sponsor of the Make Ready Challenge. All teams must be led by an operator fully trained on the SM52-5, and at least a year's experience running a Heidelberg of this type.

Slots are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. To find out more, go to www.ipex.org or click here.