Summary

The "Big Bang" came three days before the opening of the show, when it was announced that Crosfield Electronics, or rather the parent company De La Rue, had acquired Composition Systems Inc. (CSI). This move ensures Crosfield’s entry into AI (Artificial Intelligence - see IFRA Special Report 3.3) systems, a method of data manipulation which is becoming increasingly important in our industry. Simultaneously Crosfield has established a new conglomeration in the Pre-press sector with the takeover of Hastech and Muirhead Communications. It will be most interesting to see how these three interact with regard to total systems. With rotary presses the Japanese company TKS once again took us by surprise by introducing a robot which automatically makes plate changes on press and they are already announcing that they are bringing out another robot for automatic glue prepara- tion of the new web for reel splicing. In the post press operations sector the technique of "topping" (the stacking of newspaper sections) has smoothed the path for faster distribution. , This Special Report will give our members further information about these and other exhibitors and also preview developments scheduled for the next IFRA EXPO in Lausanne, Switzerland from 20th to 23rd October 1986.