Press Release Almanac: February 21, 2008

Keep up to date with Print 21's selection of the latest industry press releases  received this week.

* Gandinnovations introduce the Cyclone UV Liquid Laminator by Alliance Technology
* Hoekstra Boom announce installation of Goss Flexible Printing System
* Flint Group forms global Flexographic Products division

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | February 14, 2008 - Gandinnovations a world leader in grand format digital printer innovation; have introduced the Cyclone UV Liquid Laminator which is made by Alliance Technology to their product line. The launch of this new UV product is a prefect printing add-on solutions for our Jeti UV True Flatbed digital printers.
 
This latest UV product to be added to Gandi's grand format digital printers portfolio is a prefect add-on solution for our Jeti UV True Flatbed digital printers. Specially designed for rigid materials up to 2 inches think.
The Cyclone is equipped with UV light, which can laminate between 30-110 linear ft/min, the specially designed UV lamp allows for super fast drying, this allows the user to lay down a variable thickness of laminate.  The dryer has a lower stand-by lamp setting to conserve energy. The Cyclone is compatible with our new Premium UV-curable inks, which are featured in all 3 of our Jeti Flatbed printers. Gandinnovations provides a very durable clear varnish that is scratch resistant and protects the finished print for outdoor use when applied on many substrates.

The Cyclone UV Liquid Laminator now gives our customers the ability to apply a glossy or matte finish to their finished prints without waiting or losing any downtime.

The laminator accommodates two 5-gal containers of liquid laminate, allowing users to change from a gloss to matte laminate just by closing and opening valves, the self-contained units require minimal clean-up.
The Cyclone UV Liquid Laminator will be available in 2 models
Cyclone UV60 and Cyclone UV80.

February 14th, 2008 - Installation of continental Europe's first Goss Flexible Printing System is now well underway at F.D. Hoekstra Boom in Emmeloord, the Netherlands.

The newspaper publisher expects to bring the 90,000 copies-per-hour press into production on schedule this spring.

"We're truly excited to be at this stage of the project," comments Hans Emmink, technical director at Hoekstra Boom. "Watching the press take shape, we can't wait to operate it."

The compact Goss FPS press was chosen to provide a future-proofed solution, perpetuating Hoekstra Boom's position as a leading industry innovator. The press is being installed into a new low-height building, purposely designed to provide maximum flexibility and to allow for changing requirements in the future.

Hoekstra Boom is the first Goss FPS press customer to specify provision for changeable cut-off on the units and the folder at the time of the order. Future addition of a second set of cylinders both for printing units and folder, will allow the publisher the flexibility to accommodate a wider variety of work.

When fully installed, the Goss FPS press will comprise two 4 x 2 four-high towers with 58 cm cut-off and 1680 mm web width, two Goss Contiweb FD pasters and a 2:5:5 modular jaw folder equipped with stitcher, skip slitter and quarterfold capabilities. The press has also been specified with a fully integrated Goss press control system, including extensive presetting capabilities, predictive maintenance and self-learning technologies.

"The FPS press fits our company philosophy perfectly; our entrepreneurship and our quality standards," explains Emmink. "Hoekstra Boom is driven to optimize processes and capabilities to ensure we can always maintain our high standards, no matter what the future may throw at us. For us, having such production flexibility within clearly defined, sustainable parameters of quality and consistency is the ultimate goal."

Ongoing progress at the Hoekstra Boom site can be viewed via the company's webcam, linked to the Goss International website at www.gossinternational.com or on www.hoekstra-boom.nl.

Flint Group has announced the formation of the new global business unit Flint Group Flexographic Products. It combines the Flint Group Printing Plates activities with the Rotec sleeve business, which was included in the Flint Group acquisition of Day International in 2007.

Flint Group Printing Plates is a supplier of photopolymer plates for flexography and letterpress; Rotec is a supplier of sleeves and adapter systems for flexo applications.

'The new business unit is a logical step following the acquisition of Day International in 2007 in order to create real added value from the combined businesses,' commented Charles Knott, CEO Flint Group. 'The new global business unit will bring in-depth expertise in the field of flexography and leverage this potential for the benefit of our customers and us.'

Dr Thomas Telser has been appointed president, Flint Group Flexographic Products. Mario Busshoff has been appointed vice president marketing management, Flint Group Flexographic Products.

The R&D activities of Flint Group Printing Plates and Rotec as well as the application departments of both businesses will be combined within the newly set up Technology Department headed by Dr Uwe Stebani, who has been appointed vice president technology.

The regional sales teams of Flint Group Printing Plates and Rotec will be merged. Sales director Friedrich Klein will be responsible for the direct sales activities in Western Europe. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Pietzka takes over responsibilities as sales director Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle East and India Pacific. Sales director Roy Schöttle will lead the combined sales activities in Asia. Jim Rogers was appointed vice president North America and will be responsible for the combined business activities of the Flexographic Products division in USA and Canada.

Sales director Thomas Isselhard will head the global key account management team. Andreas Koch was appointed sales director for the OEM business of the new division.

The management team of the new Flexographic Products division is excited about the new opportunities this move creates. 'The combined R&D expertise and technical know-how puts us in a unique position with respect to the development of new products and enables us to provide unmatched technical service to flexographic trade shops and printers all over the world,' said Dr Thomas Telser, president Flint Group Flexographic Products. 'One area where we expect that the new organization will give immediate proof of its effectiveness is the photopolymer sleeve segment. We are looking forward to present to our customers at drupa our new ready to image photopolymer sleeves nyloflex ITR Thin and nyloflex ITR Classic.'