March 2008
Heidelberg unveils its new VLF presses, the Speedmaster XL 145 and XL 162 at its Wiesloch manufacturing facility

June 2008
At Drupa, makeready speeds in the B1 market are a dominant topic. Heidelberg, KBA, Komori, Manroland and Mitsubishi all launch major enhancements. KBA claims a world-record by producing 15 separate jobs, each of 520 sheets, in under an hour on a Rapida 106. Meanwhile, Heidelberg declares that the three-minute makeready is a reality. Manroland launches a new entry-level B3 press, the R50; and Goss shows the Folia, a 16pp web press without a drier that produces sheets directly from the end of the press

September 2008
Goss International and Manroland settle their patent dispute involving web press sleeve technology

January 2009
Ryobi launches the 920 press in SRA1 format for the UK market, aiming to exploit a market gap with a more affordable option for printers who don’t need to step up all the way to B1

February 2009
Chinese press manufacturer Hans-Gronhi acquires its compatriot Sanxin, giving it a 70% share of the B3 market in China.
February 2009 CL Print, based in the Republic of Ireland, becomes the first company in the UK and Ireland to install a KBA Rapida 75

June 2009
Goss International installs the biggest web offset press in the world – its 96pp Sunday 5000 – at Italian magazine printer Grafiche Mazzucchelli. The deal was signed at Drupa 2008

August 2009
Rumours circulate of a potential merger between Heidelberg and Manroland. By October any putative deal is called off

September 2009
Chinese manufacturing giant Shanghai Electric completes its move to become the second-largest shareholder in Goss International

October 2009
Benson Group buys Europe’s first Komori Lithrone SX40 in an investment worth £1.9m

March 2010
Manroland announces it is in discussions to buy Swiss newspaper press manufacturer Wifag

March 2010
Presstek takes its on-press imaging technology into the B2 format with the 75DI

Ipex Preview: Presses