Tenn. paper taps Acutech for lockups; to adopt new flexo plates

The Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press tapped Acutech LLC to install mechanical lockups on its manroland Flexoman press as it prepares to be the first U.S. newspaper to use plates from Japanese supplier Toyobo.
Acutech will install a total of 232 703F mechanical locks in a project to be completed later this summer, according to Frank Anthony, the
Times Free Press’ vice president of production. Acutech is also providing an Acuvision optical punch bender to improve press registration.
The upgrade comes as the Times Free Press narrows its web width from 50 inches to 46 inches and begins to use plates supplied by Toyobo. Anthony said the new steel plates, which measure only .0165 thick, will reduce its annual plate purchasing costs by $100,000.
The emergence of Toyobo’s plates, distributed in the United States by Anderson and Vreeland, means that MacDermid, long the industry’s sole supplier of flexo plates, will have some competition, Anthony said.
“This is really key,” he said. “Now there will an additional vendor that is making plates at lesser cost.”
News & Tech will have more information about the Times Free Press’ upgrade in the July issue.