Last available ECOMAN successfully installed at VLM NOVOtisk in Prague

PrintHouseService GmbH (PHS) from Halle/S. has realised a challenging project together with partner companies. The relocation of an ECOMAN printing system from the former Soltau site to the long-standing customer Vltava Labe Media a.s. (VLM) in Prague - from dismantling and transport to successful recommissioning.

The speciality: the relocated system is the last available machine of this series. VLM NOVOtisk has been operating two other ECOMAN printing systems since 2009, one of which was extensively modernised in 2016 with the support of PHS. The machine that has now been relocated was retrofitted in 2015, meaning that VLM NOVOtisk is now considered a beacon in the Czech printing market with the addition of three ECOMAN systems in production.

Fast, precise and ready for production

Despite its age, the converted system was ready for use within a short space of time. ‘We had saleable products after just 1,000 copies of waste paper,’ says an impressed VLM NOVOtisk Operations Manager Marian Vitoul. He praises the well-coordinated PHS team, who once again impressed with their expertise and reliability. In the same breath, PHS Managing Director Timo Valentin expresses his thanks for the smooth and excellent partnership-based cooperation with the VLM NOVOtisk staff in this major project.

As part of the relocation, the machine's pneumatics were also revised and the web width adjusted at short notice ‘just in time’. ‘This project shows what can be achieved through partnership, experience and precision,’ says Holger Limmer, project manager and site manager at PHS. ‘From planning to the last screw, everything went hand in hand - on schedule and in the interests of the customer.’

A strong signal for the future

Despite the tense market situation, VLM NOVOtisk is optimistic about the future - also thanks to robust technology and reliable partners like PHS. Further joint projects are already being planned. The collaboration sets standards: technically, personally and strategically.

About VLM NOVOtisk
VLM NOVOtisk is a leading Czech newspaper printing company with sites in Prague and Olomouc. As part of the VLTAVA LABE MEDIA Group, which is owned by the investment company Penta Investments, VLM NOVOtisk processes over 5,000 tonnes of newsprint annually using the coldset process. The print shop offers a comprehensive range of services, including graphic preparation, folding, stitching, insert processing and addressed and unaddressed distribution. With state-of-the-art rotary technology in Berliner format (305 × 470 mm) and tabloid format (235 × 305 mm), NOVOTISK serves both national and international customers.

The manroland ECOMAN printing presses are a central component of VLM NOVOtisk's technical equipment. These coldset web offset presses are specially designed for newspaper printing and are characterised by high energy efficiency, reliable print quality and short makeready times. They enable economical production even for medium to long runs and offer flexibility for different printing requirements thanks to modular expansion options.