TimsonsCPI, the new joint venture between two of the oldest and most respected names in book press manufacture and print, is developing new, upgraded and retrofitted presses to meet the demands of a return to growth in book-publishing with the assistance of Baldwin Technology.
Established in 1896, the Timsons Group has been at the vanguard of printing press design and manufacture since the 1950s. Its machines set the gold standard for modern book presses. CPI is a leading print service provider in lithographic and digital printing.
The companies joined forces in 2021, following Timsons’ bankruptcy in 2015, during a prolonged downturn in physical book publishing. TimsonsCPI is well positioned to respond to the rebound of printed books and serve the book printers still operating 250 Timsons presses in operation around the world.
According to Booksrated.com, more than 788.7 million copies of printed books were sold in the United States in 2022, more than 100 million copies above the pre-pandemic period – the second-highest sales mark for printed books in the 21st century.
The first project of the TimsonsCPI joint venture is the upgrade and refurbishment to an existing T48 single-unit Royal format press to zero-make-ready. The second project, with Canada-based Friesens, consists of the manufacture and installation of a brand-new press, due for installation in 2024. It will be the first new Timsons press manufactured in more than 10 years.
Friesens is Canada’s premier book, yearbook and packaging manufacturer. Its press will be a completely new version of the Timson T48A, will be equipped with a new operating system and new features and productivity enhancements, including Baldwin’s Impact Fusion blanket-washing system, AMS Spectral LED UV and spray dampening and ribbon-control systems.
“With Baldwin technology we are able to make major improvements in the design, health and safety and productivity,” said Matthew Baldwin, Director, TimsonsCPI. “As the physical book business has returned to growth, publishers will be looking for printers that can provide speed, quality and value; upgrades and new investments will be required for them to remain competitive.”
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