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Timsons News Archive - 2002

> 11/2002 Timsons, Inc. win GATF award
> 10/2002 Another Booker Prizewinner printed on a Timson Press
> 10/2002 28 million Chinese Bibles later...
> 09/2002 Conventional flexo quality now matches digital
> 08/2002 Big Brother
> 08/2002 2002 GATF InterTech Technology Award
> 08/2002 First Timson T48A Bookpress in Australia
> 07/2002 Lady Juliet Townsend presents Queen's Award and opens new museum
> 04/2002 Timsons receive Queen's Award
> 03/2002 Anyone for tea?
> 03/2002 Timsons rings the changes
> 03
/2002 Timson promotes careers in engineering
> 03/2002 Timsons at Ipex 2002
> 03/2002 Flexo at Ipex to print on filmics
> 02/2002 Port City Press go ZMR
> 02/2002 New members of the Timson Long Service Club
> 02/2002 Oundle School visits Timsons


Timsons, Inc. win GATF award

November 2002

GATF InterTech Award presented to Ken DeVito, President Timsons, Inc., accompanied by Steve Fyfe (left) and Larry Fieldman (right) at the Awards Ceremony in the Fairmont Hotel, New Orleans on 16th November.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Another Booker Prizewinner printed on a Timson Press

October 2002

The novel, 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel, has been awarded the Booker Prize for 2002. As last year's winner, this book has also been printed on a Timson press by Clays at their factory in Bungay, Suffolk.

Immediately after the announcement, a new print run of 30,000 copies was commissioned, quickly followed by a 20,000 reprint. Over 7,000 copies of the hardback book were sold in the UK alone during the week following the announcement and the book is heading for the top of the hardback fiction sales charts.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Tom Bowker (left) presenting the gift to Peter Dean of Amity

28 million Chinese Bibles later...

October 2002

Two of the book presses built by Kettering printing press manufacturer, Timsons Ltd, are turning out over 5 million copies of The Bible a year to keep up with increasing demand from Christian communities in China. The high speed web presses, located at the Amity Printing Company in Nanjing, produce quality print on the special lightweight papers used in Bible production. Over 28 million copies have been printed since the first press was purchased by the Company in 1987.

Tom Bowker, former head of Kettering Boys School, has recently returned from a tour of China, including a visit to Amity where he presented a gift and certificate to Peter Dean, on behalf of Timsons, commemorating the Company's recent achievements of The Queen's Awards for Enterprise: International Trade, and the GATF 2002 Intertech Technology Award for Innovative Excellence.

Mr Bowker and his wife were on an 18 day tour arranged by the Friends of the Church in China, visiting widespread Christian communities, from industrial cities - such as Shanghai - in the east, to churches in the farming communities of Panxian and Anshun in the far western area of southern China.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Conventional flexo quality now matches digital

September 2002

Technology in the flexographic field is improving at a tremendous pace for many manufacturers involved in the supply chain. With so much innovation that interacts together in the production process it makes sense for manufacturers to collaborate. The recent IPEX exhibition galvanised Timsons and four other like-minded innovative manufacturing companies to work together in order to ‘showcase’ some of their latest technologies during the live demonstration shown here.

'FlexoTech' magazine was impressed - click here to download their article in PDF format (80k).

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Big Brother

August 2002

83,000 copies of the latest book in the Big Brother trilogy were printed by Mackays of Chatham using one of its T32 presses. This 256 page book was completed within a four day turnaround.

(PrintWeek, August 16 2002)

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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2002 GATF InterTech Technology Award™

August 2002

Sponsored by GATF, the prestigious InterTech Technology Award recognises innovative excellence. Timsons, one of only 12 companies to receive the award, was honoured for the T48A ZMR Bookpress.

As one judge remarked, "Timsons addresses the industry's future need for short-run books and makes these jobs cost-effective on a web."

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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First Timson T48A Bookpress in Australia

August 2002

With a history stretching back to 1858, Adelaide book printer Griffin Press has installed the first T48A web press in Australia.

In addition to the standard T48A features, this press includes automatic positioning of slitters, register rollers and final draw when changing web width. The M7 folder fitted to this press produces long grain, 48 page joined pair sections (96 pages per revolution) at web speeds of up to 390 metres per minute. It can also fold 16 page sections (to make up the required number of pages in the book) from the same web width. Sections are free of creases and have excellent ‘lay flat’ characteristics.

This major new investment by Griffin Press puts them at the forefront of book production technology and enables them to produce quality books on time and at the right price for their customers.

Pictured from left to right: Daniel Lamb, Ashley Crawford, Ben Jolly and Geoff Bowden of Griffin press with their new Timson T48A Bookpress.

For further information, please contact Jeff Ward, Sales Director, at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Lady Juliet Townsend presents Queen's Award to Timsons and opens new museum

July 2002

Lady Juliet Townsend LVO, Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, presented the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade to Timsons at a ceremony attended by 200 employees and almost 100 guests at the Kettering factory on July 5. In her opening address, Lady Juliet congratulated all employees on their excellent achievement in winning this award for a second time. After the reading of the citation by Deputy Lieutenant Mr. A. R. Heygate, the scroll was presented to Timson MD Peter Brown and the commemorative rose bowl was accepted by Jane Brown. In his closing address Peter Brown thanked all employees for their dedication and hard work and also representatives of suppliers and professional and technical advisors for their contribution.

Following the completion of the presentation, Lady Juliet then opened the new Timson museum which charts the 106 year history of the Company.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Timsons receive Queen's Award

April 2002

The London Gazette dated Sunday 21st April 2002 (The Queen's birthday) announced:

"Her Majesty The Queen has been graciously pleased to confer Her Awards in 2002 upon the following business units in recognition of their outstanding achievements in International Trade."

Timsons Ltd is proud to be one of just 85 recipients of the Award for International Trade. Over the three year period leading up to the Award, Timsons' overseas sales increased by 80% and represented three-quarters of total turnover.

The Grant of Appointment and commemorative crystal bowl will be presented to the Company by the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, The Queen's representative, at a ceremony to be organised later this year.

This is the second time that the Company's achievements in overseas sales have been recognised: The Queen's Award for Export was received in 1992.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Anyone for tea?

March 2002

More than 120 pensioners and their guests gathered for afternoon tea. Hosted by the directors of the Company, the 19th staging of this annual event gave them the opportunity to meet old friends and to catch up with the latest news from the longer serving members of the current staff.

Managing Director Peter Brown welcomed the people attending for the first time: Peter Brace, Phil Lawrence and Colin Jeffs who, between them, had clocked up over 130 years of service with the company. The audience followed with interest, his review of the events of the previous year including the success of the launch of the T48A ZMR at the print show in Chicago although cut short by the tragic events of September 11th. A video of the demonstration of the press at the show created a great deal of interest

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Timsons rings the changes

March 2002

During 2001, Holy Trinity Parish Church in Rothwell (near Kettering) installed two additional treble bells in the tower to create a ring of ten.

Weighing-in at exactly five cwt. (254kg), one of the two new bells was co-sponsored by Timsons Ltd to mark the centenary of the company (1896-1996). Technical manager, Michael Hawkins, a dedicated campanologist, had composed a special peal, Timson Surprise major, which was rung in 1996 in celebration of the Centenary; this comprised 5152 changes and took 3 hours and 12 minutes.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Timson promotes careers in engineering

March 2002

Montagu School, Kettering was the venue for a careers exhibition by both local and national employers. Timsons personnel and training experts were on hand to discuss the benefits and advantages of the Modern Engineering Apprenticeship, and of course, explain the background of "Harry Potter and the Kettering Connection"

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Timsons at Ipex 2002

March 2002

Representatives will be on the stand to discuss the full range of Timson Bookpresses. These include the T32 with its “change-size” and double web capability, the T48A with its sub three minute plate change, and the T48A ZMR - Timsons first zero make-ready press. Combined with running speeds up to 450 metres per minute, the potential productivity of this press is outstanding.

New developments in folder technology match the increased print speeds. In the variable size market there is a new folder with exchangeable fold cylinder cassettes giving a comprehensive set of fold options and eliminating the need for speed reduction.

T48A presses can now be supplied with shaftless drive technology. Various options are available for the automation of settings to cut make-ready times. Each press is still designed to manufacture the book size you require. Web width and print cylinder circumference are selected to meet the needs of the individual bookprinter and there is a full range of folders to choose from.

Dryer options include gas fired hot air, infra red and UV. The full range of dampening systems includes - brush, spray, continuous and Timsons Delta. Timson bookpresses can print a wide range of substrates from 28gsm bible to heavier high bulk or coated stocks.

For further information on the new Timson ZMR press please contact Jeff Ward, Sales Director, at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Timson flexo press to print on new filmic materials at Ipex

March 2002

Timsons will be demonstrating their T-Flex press on two new filmic materials manufactured by UCB in Wigton.

Rayoart is a biaxially oriented polypropylene film designed for outdoor use. With a two year UV stability period, it is ideal for Point of Sale and Point of Purchase promotional material. The range of film thickness which can be produced by UCB's balanced bubble-blown process has been extended. This 90 micron film has superior tensile strength and dimensional stability characteristics compared with its PVC counterpart.

645E711 is the latest development substrate from the cellulose film division of UCB. This material has both excellent clarity and printability.

Not only will the demonstration include a job change (repeat length, image and substrate), it will also highlight Timsons’ re-insertion system with four colours being added in register to a pre-printed web.

Inks used for these demonstrations are the latest development of cationic UV inks from Mirage Inks. Design and repro work is being carried out by Corniche Fine Arts of Bridlington who will also produce the plates using Asahi photopolymer.

Timsons will be exhibiting the T-Flex press on Stand 340 in Hall 20 at IPEX.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Port City Press go ZMR

February 2002

American book printer Port City Press, Inc. takes delivery of a Timson T48A bookpress. Demonstrated at Print 2001 Chicago, this press incorporates Timsons ZMR system. On single colour work, it allows formes to be changed 'on-the-fly' with a minimum of waste and a loss of production time which is measured in seconds. Alternatively it can be run as a two colour press with a conventional make-ready using the semi-automatic plate changing system.

Founded in 1961 as a traditional book manufacturer, Port City Press, Inc. has evolved into one of the premier communications and information distribution companies in the United States. The company began with 55 employees and has grown to employ over 200. It is the book and directory division of Cadmus Communications Corporation.

Port City Press, Inc. is located in Pikesville Maryland and this is their fourth Timson Press.

For further information on the new Timson ZMR press please contact Jeff Ward, Sales Director, at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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New members of the Timson Long Service Club

February 2002

In January 2002 six employees achieved the milestone of 25 years service, bringing the total membership of the Timson Long Service Club to 60. Managing Director Peter Brown congratulated the new members and presented them with their certificates.

In addition, five members of the Club received 30 year awards, two achieved 35 year awards, and two more reached 40 years service. The final long service award was to a member of the design team for 45 years service to the Company.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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Oundle School visits Timsons

February 2002

Students of Oundle School, interested in engineering and manufacture, visiting Timsons on a fact finding mission. They were surprised to find a world-leading printing press manufacturer in a side street in Kettering, a town better known for the shoe company with a similar name.

Following an introduction by Manufacturing Director Alan Eldred, the students toured the works seeing the newly opened state-of the-art foundry, parts manufacturing with computer controlled machine tools, and finishing in the press erection and testing hall, where a T48A bookpress was put through its paces.

For further information, please contact Jon Walker at Timsons or complete the reply form.

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