Plans for its acquisition by German rival technotrans continue to progress and are dependent on the completion of a binding agreement being signed by the end of January.

Introducing its plans for Drupa vice president corporate marketing Shaun Kilfoyle said: To be candid our products arent sexy, but they are quietly important. We help make presses respond better to the market."

Changes in presses and the papers used have spurred several of the developments, notably the move to cheaper grades and lighter weights.

P3 Series Prepac blanket cleaning cartridges for use in its Impact automatic blanket washers target three needs. One is the increased build up of calcium carbonate due to the use of cheaper stocks. A new proprietary chemical formulation has been developed to shift the deposits which conventional solvents and water cant remove. It has also come up with a cartridge for cleaning UV, hybrid and conventional inks.

Its other major launch at the show is the S-18 WebCatcher, designed to prevent web breaks causing cylinder smashes and other damage.

Wider presses, lighter papers and higher running speeds mean that potentially disastrous web breaks are going to happen more often, said Kilfoyle. This is insurance to prevent damage to cylinders and blankets.