Technology News 2011
October 19, 2011IFRA Expo 2011 brings good news for printed newspapers
At the technotrans stand at IFRA Expo 2011 press peripherals orders worth Euro 1.5m were placed over the three days - Ifra Expo 2011 proves significance of printed information
Continuously highly frequented: technotrans presentation at Ifra Expo 2011, Vienna.
Print, it appears, still has a strong future in newspaper publishing despite the predictions of decline from many pundits. Indeed at Ifra Expo in Vienna, the world’s largest trade show for newspaper printing, the stands of the non-print based exhibitors were not nearly as busy as those of the press manufacturers.
“In terms of new presses it was encouraging to see good news coming from manroland, KBA and Wifag. These are companies we work closely with in the newspaper sector,” says technotrans’ Board Member Henry Brickenkamp.
At the show Wifag announced an ordered from Mindener Tageblatt for the installation of a Wifag Evolution. Manroland introduced new, innovative technology on its Colorman E:line. This even more automated newspaper web press was ordered by the Allgäuer Medienzentrum. The company also announced a Euro81m order from the WAZ group for its plant in Braunschweig.
“As well as the investment in new presses, this Ifra there were a number of visitors looking to modernise, to retrofit and re-tool existing machines,” says technotrans’ Board Member Henry Brickenkamp.
In this respect technotrans was pleased to present its spray dampening technology, inking and dampening filtration systems. These products offer real advantages in terms of productivity, quality and control in this very time-sensitive sector.
“This Ifra has again shown that the success of a show is not in the quantity of visitors but in the quality of the discussions,” says Walter Bartmann, head of the technotrans Ifra team. “We have about 60 documented visits in three days made up almost entirely of decision markers form the large newspaper printing groups and contacts from our OEM partners.”
As a result technotrans left the show with orders worth around Euro 1.5m as well as other enquiries which are now being followed up.
Mr Brickenkamp concludes: “At this trade show it was refreshing to see that newspapers are – and will continue to be – more than printed paper. Newspapers really have cultural significance and will continue to play an important part in relaying information.”