Magnum Compact’s concept comes to reality

GOSS International Open House in Shanghai triggers the press to full action

It was in China Print 2013 at the stand of Shanghai Electric (SE) where gathered a huge crowd around GOSS Magnum Compact presented in the form of a standalone tower but something really new. Compact in size with special features including options mainly to feed paper and auto plate changing in three-part printing units, it was indeed an aspiring concept with a great interest not only by web press users but also by fellow manufacturers equally. But the concept of Magnum Compact came out lively into full action recently. SK Khurana, editor, Print & publishing attended GOSS International Open House in Shanghai to witness the remarkable ‘live’ demo of this highly-automated 2×1 press system. GOSS International Open House demonstrated Magnum Compact spreading over three different slots during March-April 2014. Presentations in terms of the introduction of SE (Shanghai Electric) Group, machine portfolio and equipments were well attended by a group of people including the existing GOSS customers and prospects of GOSS web presses. The visiting delegates were warmly received by the GOSS team comprising Yong Peng, general manager, GOSS International; Jessica LV, deputy general manager, GOSS International and others such as Peter Kirwan, vice president-Asia Pacific Newspaper Sale, GOSS International who formally introduced and demonstrated Magnum Compact to the participants.

Close scrutiny of the print by delegates.From India, some of the newspaper publishers, commercial and book printers attended one or other demo slots of GOSS International Open House to update themselves about the state-of-the-art Magnum Compact web press designed compactly to offer much larger options to avail. Peter Kirwan enumerated the special features of the machine one by one impressing the crowd. He introduced Magnum Compact as the latest version of GOSS’ best selling Community/Magnum product family. Retaining its proven and class-leading features, this press introduces automatic plate loading and compact design for the first time in the web press market, making it ideal for producing run lengths from as low as 500 copies, through to 2,50,000 plus.

“Magnum Compact press system brings the benefits of automation and large-scale production efficiencies to smaller operations, delivering more flexibility and opportunity for newspaper printers as well as those engaged in printing books, specialist and niche publications,” mentioned Peter adding that the design of press aims at improving print quality and flexibility achieved by conventional single-width press offerings while significantly increasing productivity, reducing product cost and environmental impact.

Significant features

A unique feature of automatic-plate changing comes as standard on Magnum Compact which enables plates for the next product or edition to be loaded while the press is running. “With the full sequence of old plate removal/new plate loading taking less than 30 sec, the impact of manpower, makeready waste and product uptime can be significant with Magnum Compact,” explained Peter. He further detailed that multi-shaftless press drives as standard on every press also means that each cylinder level and inker is driven totally independent, as is in the in-feed roller, to provide maximum flexibility and control over changeover waste and this control can be further enhanced with the addition of GOSS DigiRail digital inking.

Weighing 12 tons, overall unique specifications which make Magnum Compact significant from other conventional web presses can be summed up as single-level compact design, three part printing units, auto-plate fully automatic plate changing, shaftless servo drive, automated pre-setting and start-up sequences, slot-gap plate lock-up, reel rod blanket lock-up, blanket cylinder bearers, double-row preloaded roller bearings, solid stainless steel cylinders with AGMA class 12 gears, motorised ink fountain rollers, motorised GOSS remote control keys, automatic ink leveling, pneumatic ink train wash-up, automatic grease lubrication, motorised register control, spraybar dampening and automatic web-up.

“Options available in Magnum Compact press include DigiRail digital inking, closed-loop register and colour controls, temperature controlled drums, heatset and UV configurations, quarter and double-parallel folding. MIS-System can also be integrated in the machine,” explained Peter. With cut-offs of 533 mm, 546 mm, 560 mm, 578 mm and 630 mm, Magnum Compact has a 2×1 cylinder format, capable to run upto 50,000 copies/hr. Its folders consist of 1:2 jaw–upto 12 webs, 2:2 jaw–upto 8 webs and 1:3:3 jaw–upto 16 webs.

User-friendly

“As Magnum Compact allows pre-press, press and mailroom to be operated seamlessly, combining Autoplate, presetting and shaftless drives with optional closed-loop colour register and cut-off control enables minimum manning with minimum makeready time and waste,” mentioned Peter. He continued, “The short 2.2 m height and single-level design of Compact Magnum provide clear operational benefits in terms of press manning.” In addition, maintenance of the press is simplified for the fact that the inker units allow simple, single-level access to blankets, rubber rollers and ink ducts for cleaning, setting and the low-height upper press rollers are serviced via drop-down steps.”

With the reduction of makeready time as much as 90 percent, automation in Magnum Compact enables users to reach into new market and fresh applications. Short-run lengths and low pagination can be produced cost-effectively. “Choice of four folders per reel stands accommodating upto 16 webs enable smart production configurations while quarter folder and double parallel options add format flexibilities for books, semi-commercial magazines, direct mail and academic literature,” explicated Peter adding that the heatset options in the press can also offer an added value. In fact, Magnum Compact’s greater substrate flexibility and economy than digital as well as use of standard inks and consumables eventually make this compact press present a compelling case for runs as low as 500 copies.

Another added advantage of Magnum Compact which Peter mentioned included the machine’s low height which helps users install in simple industrial buildings and its larger footprint means special floors are unlikely to be required. As a result, both initial cost and ongoing operating costs are reduced drastically.

Further move

Closure of the open house was marked with delegates nodding satisfactorily to the outstanding features of Compact Magnum which offered more flexibilities and opportunities to newspaper houses as well as others around. SE is a multinational power generation and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Shanghai. The company now boasts of its annual turnover of more than US$8 billion and employing 60,000 employees. The next level development at GOSS International will be the shifting of the company’s existing manufacturing facility in Shanghai to a much larger area next year.

Staten Island Advance in New York to install Goss Magnum Compact press

Advance Publications will install a new Goss Magnum Compact press in Staten Island, New York – a move that will add versatile, short-run capability in combination with output capacity approaching that of its existing double-width system. The installation, which is expected to be completed by October, will make Advance Publications the first user of the press in the US. The six full-colour Magnum Compact print towers and one folder will accommodate a growing volume of contract newspaper, commercial and insert printing, and also backup a double-width press used to print the daily Staten Island Advance newspaper.

Advance Publications executives were on hand for live print tests at the Goss manufacturing facility – tests that included fully automatic plate changes.

John Giustiniani, director of production, Staten Island Advance said, “Versatility, job-change speed, print quality and simple, cost-effective operation make the Magnum Compact unique – and the right press to meet our needs.” He added that they were impressed with the press’s clever configuration, which takes advantage of the low 2.2 m of its towers – a feature that is allowing them to add the capacity they need with only very minor modifications to their existing building. Goss Autoplate technology also factored in the decision in favour of the Magnum Compact press, according to Giustiniani, who said fast make readies for successive jobs will be a key to the success of his company’s business model.