The best examples of automation work at the touch of a button. manroland’s One Touch concept has this goal for newspaper production. In this sector, the concept leads to increased market competitiveness in the media market and greater production efficiency. A newspaper’s level of technological and content-related innovation impacts public opinion of the newspaper and, thus, its success. Today, newspapers must change and redefine themselves in order to compete successfully in the multi-media environment.

Automation and change are successful when demanded by the market. New developments for their own sake are most likely to fail. In the case of newspaper printing companies, the need for innovation is real. This industry is already characterized by a strong level of innovation; however, it needs to improve its edge over other media.

Who has made the switch to autoprint?

manroland presented One Touch at IFRA Expo 2008 in Amsterdam. Many customers have already adopted this vision. Since its debut development has continued, the first autoprint systems have gone on-edition and a great deal of valuable and practical knowledge has been gained. The daily newspapers Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Freie Presse in Chemnitz, and Saarbrücker Zeitung rely on APL; The Mittelbayerisches Druckzentrum in Regensburg, the daily Mannheimer Morgen, and the Times of India are scheduled to follow.

How does autoprint work?

The automation approach used by the autoprint series is based on APL plate change using robot arms and the automatic plate transport APL logistics. During the print run, the newspaper press is regulated by inline control systems. All functions are integrated in one workflow and a single control console.

What else is available beside autoprint?

Customer demands vary. The same applies to machine configurations. There are a number of exciting examples of how print products can be made more attractive: through new materials (e.g. paper and ink), production processes using heatset or UV curing, or possibly, in the future, integrated inkjet printing systems.

In North America, Transcontinental has invested in two different hybrid systems: Three COLORMAN systems with heatset dryers were installed to print the San Francisco Chronicle, while the 9-cylinder tower of the COLORMAN, XXL at the Montreal facilities is equipped with UV curing, making it possible to produce high-grade advertising material as well as hybrid products.

Is autoprint a business model?

Even the most up-to-date technology, such as an autoprint printing system or a heatset/coldset combination, does not in itself represent a business model. But technology is an essential component- and often the basis- for a comprehensive strategy. Priorities may be placed, for example, on state-of-the-art technology, capacity utilization through contract printing, and the newspaper’s relationship to the entire media printing portfolio. Business models are as individual as publishing and printing houses. manorland sees its own task as consulting customers on their requirements, providing support, and delivering customized technical solutions.