Chinese newspaper expands into commercial printing with first Goss M-800

To support a plan to expand beyond its current newspaper productin capabilities and seize new commercial printing opportunities, Beijing Daily will install a new heatset four-unit Goss M-800 press featuring a four-pages-around by four-pages across (4×4) cylinder configuration. The new press will go into production in late 2012 at a facility in Beijing where more than 300 employees print more than two million newspapers daily. Beijing Daily is part of the Beijing Daily Group, a media company that manages nine newspapers and three magazines.

“We now print coldset newspapers only at our facility, but demand for commercial products and heatset retail inserts is increasing in our region,” explains Jia Fudong, vice director for the Beijing Daily printing operations. He projects those commercial print volumes will continue to increase over the next five years and says the new press, the first M-800 model to be installed in China, will be called on to produce a wide range of products and formats. Print-quality expectations for those products are increasing along with page counts in the Beijing area, while run lengths are stable, Jia reports. “When we decided to expand into the commercial arena, we also decided on the clear leader in commercial web press technology,” says Jia.

A Goss PCC-2 pinless folder will allow the new M-800 press at Beijing Daily to produce heatset products at up to 80,000 copies per hour in straight production or 40,000 copies per hour in collect mode. Goss International will equip the new system with a Contiweb FD paster, Ecocool dryer and its Omnicon press control and digital workflow technology. Tim Mercy, vice president of sales for Goss International, says the ability to print magazine, tabloid and other formats in straight or collect mode makes the M-800 model a good fit for the varied requirements of Beijing Daily. “This is also an excellent option for commercial printers looking to diversify with a four-around press that complements existing two-around presses such as Goss M-600 and M-500 models,” he adds.