After taking its Universal press platform into double-width format with a 4x1 Universal XL last year, Goss has now added a 4x2 version.
Designed to complement the higher performance Uniliner series, the Universal XL presses are designed for applications requiring web widths up to 1220 mm and speeds of up to 75,000 copies per hour. For higher productivity, the Uniliner series runs at up to 80,000 cph with a maximum web width (on the 4x2 variant) of 1900 mm.
Goss vice president Jacques Navarre says there is an emerging requirement in several regions for presses that deliver double-width productivity along with versatility, simplified operation and a lower investment cost.
The Universal 4x1 and 4x2 are intended for new press installations and tower additions, and can be installed in single or double-former folder configurations. Although based on the Universal platform, they incorporate many technologies and design elements from the Uniliner series, making them a natural extension to existing platforms.
"We can now offer Goss alternatives for printers and publishers requiring capabilities that fall between those of our 2x2 single-width presses and our higher-performance double-width presses," says Navarre.
These capabilities can vary from the requirement for high output in very short time windows, to the flexibility provided by a double-width press that delivers renowned quality suitable for newspapers and semi-commercial heatset work. Both Universal XL models can be equipped with dryers.
The Universal XL 4x2 press can be configured with reelstands under the towers or at right angles to the press in the Goss T90 arrangement, the latter making it easier to run the press with a smaller crew. A Goss 2:3:3 folder can be equipped with a quarterfold option, completing the capability of the press to handle multiple smaller formats such as supplements and TV guides.
The first Universal XL 4x1 press has been installed at Union Printing in Italy. Almost 400 Universal presses with more than 4900 printing units have been installed in 55 countries since the model was introduced in 1991. These presses have been configured for coldset, heatset and UV production for an extensive variety of newspaper, semicommercial and combined applications.
"We have continuously applied our R&D resources to enhance this platform, and now we are extending the application range in response to the evolving requirements of our customers,” says Navarre.
