By: Jim Rosenberg The Zurich regional newspaper companies that own the print center DZO Druck Oetwil am See AG selected a Wifag evolution 371 offset press to replace the plant's existing press and increase print capacity. Installation is planned for the beginning of 2005, with production to start near the middle of the year.
Wifag conceived its evolution line of presses as platforms compatible with new imaging technologies as they develop, including on-press digital imaging of plates. The first sale, two common-impression evolution 471 presses, is going in now in nearby Schlieren for the Neue Z?rcher Zeitung, for start-up later this year.
The Swiss publishers signed a contract last month with Maschinenfabrik Wifag, Bern, after a two-year evaluation in which the shareholding companies and their print specialists narrowed the choice to three presses. In addition to technical criteria and speed, the group considered maintenance costs and waste.
Investment of 30 million Swiss francs covers the press, a building extension, and mailroom changes. The new press will comprise 40 print couples in five evolution 371 towers with Wifag-supplied cut-off and color-register controls, two folders, and seven autopasters M below the towers. Capable of delivering a full four-color web to either folder, the central 4/4 tower will ordinarily run two 2/2 webs, one to each folder. ABB will supply the press controls and consoles.
Partners in the DZO are Z?richsee Presse AG (publisher of Z?richsee-Zeitung, Sihltaler, Linth Zeitung and March H?fe Zeitung), Z?rcher Oberland Medien AG (Der Z?rcher Oberl?nder and Anzeiger von Uster), Akeret AG Druck und Verlag (Z?rcher Unterl?nder) and Walter Reist Holding AG (parent company of mailroom systems vendor Ferag).
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