In his address on the opening morning of the show chairman Gerd Finkbeiner said the industry needed "new impulses and new ideas" in order to prosper and could not afford to sit around and wait for more favourable economic conditions. "We need to change our attitude and our thinking towards this business," he said.
In sheetfed it has bumped up the speed of its major machines. Its 500 model now runs at 18,000sph (equal to the new Speedmaster XL 105 announced by Heidelberg). Reductions in makereadies of up to 30% are also promised with the new QuickChange features.
The sheetfed highlight is the official launch of the 900 XXL machine (1,300x1,850mm) which can print up to 64 A4 pages per sheet, or produce a nine-sheet poster in just four parts.
New value added features include the InlineObserver, InlineEmbosser, InlineFoiler and InlinePrecoater. The foiler, named Prindor, carries out inline cold foiling using two press units. The first unit applies an adhesive using a conventional printing plate and the second applies the foil. MAN Roland anticipates great interest from packaging and label, as well as some commercial, printers.
In web it has boosted the speed of its Rotoman to 70,000cph and is showing a static unit from its 72pp Lithoman XXL machine. Finkbeiner also revealed that a 2/8 32pp version of the Lithoman would be available from September 2005.
Drupa 2004 also marks the official commercial availability for its direct imaged DICOweb. "It's ready for taking up industrial production," said Finkbeiner, adding that German test user Nussbaum has "accepted" the press.
