➤ DS Chemport is now the exclusive distributor for Trelleborg’s Vulcan® blankets in the Oceania region, following a commitment to invest heavily in the new venture. A major supplier of pressroom chemistry, the company has supplied fount solutions and wash products to newspaper and commercial heatset printing companies in Australia – and via its agent Chemtek NZ, in New Zealand – since its foundation in 1987. Its 2003 acquisition by the Fujifilm Group has led to ongoing exchanges of technology and research and development activities, helping DS Chemport and its customers to meet the challenges ahead. Now, with the Vulcan® appointment from the beginning of this year, DS Chemport’s own team provide nationwide coverage in Australia, complemented by Chemtek in New Zealand. DS Chemport’s commitment to the Vulcan® range has seen the appointment of additional staff and the purchase of state-of-the-art blanket converting equipment, based on Trelleborg’s advice. A new building to house the converting operation is being built adjacent to its established facility in Campbellfield in Melbourne’s north. “Vulcan® blankets have an excellent reputation for quality consistency among their large user base,” says Andreas Rau, DSC’s national product manager. “As well as the most advanced converting operation in the region, we’ve put quality control systems in place to ensure that every batch that leaves our factory will withstand the sometimes very harsh conditions they will be exposed to on printing machinery.” Rau says this is extremely important, especially on double-width newspaper presses where downtime caused by any kind of press consumable product is not acceptable ... with blankets no exception. “For this particular application, we have invested in a press manufacturer approved bar pull-out tester, which simulates press conditions,” he says. Marco Carlini, Trelleborg’s regional technical and commercial manager, who visited DSC earlier in the year to get a first-hand impression of the equipment installation and staff training, expressed complete satisfaction with what he saw: “We are very confident in DS Chemport, based on its reputation in the industry, and the total customer care shown by all staff members. “We only appoint exclusive distributors, and try to match Trelleborg’s interests with what our distributors have to offer. The appointment of DS Chemport as our partner was a natural fit as our philosophies are very similar. “In addition, DS Chemport’s Malaysian operation has been our distributor for Vulcan® blankets for 15 years.” The range of products available covers all printing segments. In the newspaper sector, DS Chemport is able to convert blankets for all types of presses – single-width and also double-width machines. Products have been supplied since the beginning of the year with excellent acceptance by the customers. The newspaper blanket range includes some well-known products such as 714 Master which can best be classified as an all-round workhorse product with no weaknesses and perfectly suited for single-width operators. Where the necessity for a neutral-feed blanket is shown, Vulcan® Mytho has been very successful and is currently being used by a number of operators. “Neutral feed technology gives press operators more control of the web and reduces tension issues, often going hand-in-hand with reduction in web breaks,” Keith Clowes, DS Chemport’s southern region sales manager says. For double-width presses, a comprehensive product range provides solutions ready for any demand. This includes positive feed blankets in conventional construction, or equipped with Trelleborg’s patented Dynatech® technology to reduce issues originating from mechanical causes. Dynatech® blankets incorporate a compressible layer made from special rubber compound to give these products their unique characteristics. Most operators nowadays use blankets equipped with Dynatech® and neutral feed or Feed0® characteristics to be able to control press conditions to the maximum. To round off the product range, a conventional built-up blanket has been developed, which has the standard carcass construction with Feed0® technology to give it its neutral feed properties and relieve web tension stress. Another area of particular interest and well adopted by operators in Australia and New Zealand is that of metal-back blankets. There are already two metal-back blanket presses in Australia with an additional one due later this year and another in New Zealand in 2009. “Trelleborg started manufacturing this type of blanket in 1993 and we are the world leader of that technology”, says Marco Carlini. “Compared with conventional blankets, metal back products provide exceptional durability and stability together with higher press speeds and distortion-free imaging.” Andreas Rau says the DS Chemport team is looking forward to enquiries and can provide references for any of the Trelleborg products. “Just contact us and we will be more than happy to find a solution”, he says. DS Chemport (Australia) Pty Ltd Melbourne – Ph: (03) 9357 0933 Sydney – Ph: (02) 9540 1019 Brisbane – Ph: (07) 3217 8433 Adelaide – Ph: (08) 8238 3430 www.dschemport.com.au