Summary

During recent years, more and more printers have started calling upon suppliers to develop equipment that is based on industry standards, therefore ensuring easy connectability. Printers’ experiences are that no guidelines or specifications are available, and in practice quite often the only solution is to build complicated and speed-reducing gateways or other interfaces. The need for guidelines has been discussed in the IFRA Rotary Press Committee. This report decribes first of all the practical approach towards plant-wide integration, such as the DNEX Tryckeriet AB (of which Tidnings AB Marieberg in Stockholm is the mother company), printing house of "Dagens Nyheter" and "Expressen", has taken. Secondly, selected manufacturers have been asked to give their comments regarding the "Swedish way", and present their own views on the issue. It should be noted that our aim is not to promote the "Swedish way". We have chosen the DNEX company as a case plant because it has presented the same specifications to all suppliers, and so far the project seems to be promising. > With this Special Report, we yish to promote the discussion of different ways of approaching overall integration.