Press and Equipment Configurations, Details, and Manning (where known)
(A) Sun Engraving, early 1920s to mid-1930s
At present our information is sketchy concerning the early presses at Sun Engraving; the following has been gleaned from a variety of sources, most of the writers not positively identified.
In the early days many jobs were produced by means of a combination of sheet-fed and rotary printing: for instance, the Pickup and Knowles rotary would print two colours on one side (i.e., 4 pp) of an 8 pp ‘forme’ which was sheeted after printing. The sheets were delivered to the warehouse where they were pinned, and then trimmed to produce a consistent lay edge (which sheeting off the press couldn’t do) in preparation for 4-colour printing on the other side of the sheet (‘backing up’), on the Johannisberg presses. This produced 4 pp of 4-colour backed by 4 pp of 2-colour, such as the cover and centre spread of Weldons Ladies Journal.
Also of note is the fact that re-reeling (and automatic insetting) allowed the Sun to combine rotary gravure with rotary letterpress during the 1930s. Gravure pre-printed webs were run into, and registered with, the product of rotary letterpress presses. We believe the Sun was the first firm to use this technique by means of automatic register insetting, very early in the 1930s, allowing colour preprints to be combined with monotone rotary letterpress work. A separate article on automatic register insetting appears elsewhere on this page.
Presses about 1920:
Sheet-fed
Marinoni (3 presses, sheet size not known) / Johannisburg (3 presses, sheet size not known)
Rotary
Pickup and Knowles reel-fed 2-colour, with sheet delivery
In 1924 were added:
[#1] Albert (?) Rotary, 2 units with folder ) These two presses could also
) share a single larger folder
[#2] Albert (?) Rotary, 2 units with folder ) positioned between them
In the late 1920s was added:
Albert Rotary, 5 units with folder, capable of 64 pp, of which 16 pp could be 2-colour.
About 1930 was added:
John Woods, 8 units (42 in.) with Albert sheeter/collator at one end and Bell Punch rewind at the other, capable of producing 32 pp of 4-colour in one operation. This press produced colour sheets for Weldons Ladies Journal or 4 x 4 rewind reels (‘preprints’) for The Times of India in Bombay. This was probably the press designated #10 in our 1938 list.
In the early 1930s was added:
[Manufacturer unknown], 5 units (52 in.) + 5 units (30 in.) with Bell Punch rewind on the 50 in. units which were capable of producing 32 pp of 4 x 1 as a rewind product in one operation. The product could then be run onto a magazine rotary letterpress machine so as to, for instance, form the colour content for Woman’s Own, which had a launch figure of 800,000 copies weekly. Note: The rotary letterpress machine was fitted with a Bell Punch insetting device which electronically registered the incoming preprinted colour web with the rest of the magazine.
About 1935 were added:
[1] [Manufacturer unknown, original configuration unknown] two 70 in. units added in 1936 which permitted the capability of producing up to 88 pp of Farmers Weekly printed, folded, and stitched.
[2] Baker Perkins, 2 units (70 in.) + 5 units (52 in.) + 8 units (30 in.), with Vomag folder; this press was capable of outputting 96 pp of Farmers Weekly (that is, a complete issue), or 112 pp of Weldons Ladies Journal (also complete).
To print Everybody’s, the following were installed late in 1937:
[Two] Vomags, combined letterpress/gravure units, capable of producing 60 pp 2-set (i.e., 2 up, one revolution printing 120 pp). These pages consisted of 40 pp of letterpress black-and-white, and 20 pp of gravure printed full colour one side, and black the other. These two presses could manufacture approximately a million copies of Everybody’s between midnight Thursday and 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
(B) Sun Engraving 1938
The following were the Sun’s gravure presses immediately before World War II, listed numerically by press number. We show, to the extent we are able, the make, # units, whether equipped with folder or re-reeler, name of chargehand, principal job(s) printed. Thanks to Jack Garratt for helping to provide this information.
Rotary
#1 John Woods(?) / 5 units 24 in. or 25 in. / sheet delivery
#2 Baker-Perkins / 5 units / folder / Les Dolamore, chargehand
#3 Re-reeler / 5 units 24 in. or 25 in. / Bill Woods, chargehand, ? Murray, Jack Garratt / pre-war, printed Home Notes
#4 Baker-Perkins / 5 units / Bill Body, chargehand
#5 Baker-Perkins / 5 units / Peter Stewart, chargehand
#6 Albert / Wally Gravestock, chargehand, 3 others incl Jack Garratt / postwar, printed part of TVTimes
#7 [?] / re-reeler / 2 units monotone / Jack (‘cheerio bo’) Burdett, chargehand
#8 Baker-Perkins / 5 units / Harry Latham, chargehand / Mickey Mouse
#9 [?] / 3 units monotone / folder / Vic[tor] (‘Pedlar’) Palmer, chargehand / Farmers Weekly
#9a Baker-Perkins(?) / 3 units monotone / folder / Stan Civil, chargehand / Farmers Weekly
#10 [?] / re-reeler / Dick White, chargehand
#11 Baker-Perkins / 5 units 25 in. + 5 units 50 in. / Vomag folder / Ron Hardy, chargehand / Woman’s Own
#12 [?] / Harry Tilt, chargehand, with George Allen (jnymn, later chargehand)
#13 [?] / 4 units 54 in. / Fred Fisher, chargehand / Picture Post covers
#14 [?] / Norm Bagley, chargehand
#15 John Woods, 7 units 76 in. + 5 units 25 in. + reel-in / Vomag folder / Bill Munro, chargehand (sometimes Ron Hardy), with Wally Ebling + George Crunkhorn + Gordon Cornish / Farmers Weekly complete;Weldons Ladies Journal complete (112 pp) [baby, 4x1, main 4x1 + 1x1, for 3 webs]
#16 [?] / 4 units / Bill Godin (? Godden), chargehand
#17 [?] / Bert Rodwell, chargehand
#18 [?] / monotone / Bill Batchelor, chargehand
#19 [?] / 5 units main + 5 units baby / Bert Nockles, chargehand, Ron Hardy, F.Collins
Sheet-fed
3 Olympias (Vomag) under DeLyle, Eblin, and Hann
4 Palatias (Albert) under Chapness, Willis, Innocence, Chapman,
Wacket, and Hudson
Sungravure configurations (as shown in 1937 brochure)
(a) John Woods, 5 units 76 in., plus Baker Perkins, 5 units 25 in., Vomag fixed cut-off folder
(b) Baker Perkins, 5 units 50 in., plus 5 units 25 in., Vomag fixed folder
(c) Baker Perkins, 2 units 50 in., plus 3 units 25 in., ‘baby’ Vomag fixed folder
(d) Baker Perkins, 5 units 50 in., Vomag variable cut-off folder
(e) Baker Perkins, 5 units 25 in., Vomag variable folder
(f) Baker Perkins, 2 units 50 in., Vomag variable folder
(g) Baker Perkins, 2 units 25 in., Vomag fixed folder and sheet delivery
(h) John Woods ‘Tiny’, 6 units 14 in., re-reeler
(C) Rembrandt Photogravure, 1956
We are grateful to Rob Clayton for the following information. If press numbers were used, they are not known to us.
Rotary
John Woods, 2 units double width for 1 x 1 (i.e., perfecting) plus 5 units ‘baby’ for 4 x 1. chargehand on days was Bob Holden, Ken Anscomb was register hand, ink slinger not known. The two full-width units were supervised by an employee of The Times of India.
John Woods, 5 units ‘baby’ for 4 x 1. chargehand was Peter Mowbray, register hand Stuart Miekle, 3rd man varied.
Baker Perkins [Sungravure], 4 units with rewinder. Bill ?, chargehand, Rob Clayton register hand, 3rd man not known, five assistants.
John Woods, 5 units ‘baby’ for 4 x 1
John Woods, 5 units ‘baby’ for 4 x 1
Sheetfed
Vomag (2) high-speed, for monotone only; Palatia (?)
(D) Sun Printers, 1966 / Letterpress Machine Room
Along with (E) below, this information was taken from layout drawings made by L. Jackson and dated February 1966. We list, first, Sun’s inventory # within [], then the serial #. Year built (if known) is enclosed within ( ), and feeder # is prefixed F. All Miehles have HTB feeders except #6 Demy series.
Heidelberg Cylinder, 20¼ in. x 30¼ in.
[ 1] SB26946 (1965
[ 2] SB26886 (1965)
[ 3] SB26948 (1965)
[ 4] SB26914 (1965)
[ 5] SB21947 (1963)
[ 6] SB21945 (1963)
[ 7] SB21913 (1963)
[ 8] SB21914 (1963)
[ 9] SB16374 (1962)
[10] SB16379 (1962)
[11] SB16392 (1962)
[12] SB16394 (1962)
[13] SB19483
[14] SB19486
[15] SB19485
[16] SB19484
Miehle, #6 type, Demy, 17½ in. x 22½ in.
N.b.: 3000 series new in 1927, 4000 series new in 1934, 5000
series new in 1949
[20] 3744 F2459
[21] 3338 F2460
[22] 3438 F2458
[23] 4089 F1895
[24] 3442 F2456
[25] 4370 F1268
[26] 3745 F2457
[27] 4373 F2075
[28] 5082 F1890
[29] 5081 F1269
[30] 3231 F919
[31] 3233 F918
[33] 3448 F2078
[35] 4372 F2455
KSB, 18 in. x 22½ in.
[39] 4372 F2455 (1965)
Platen, type not specified
[40]
Wharfedale (stop-cylinder), Double Crown, 20 in. x
30 in.
[49] 13632
[50] 14151
[51] 6244
[52] 14149
[53] 6243
[54] 14150
Linotype & Machinery 2-colour, Quad Crown, 30 in. x
40 in.
[55] 143 F82375
[56] 142 F82385
[57] 273 F82383
MPM #4, Double Royal, 25 in. x 40 in.
[58] 3917 F7404 (1930)
[59] 4402 F7405 (1935)
[60] 4403 F7572 (1935)
MPM, Quad Crown, 30 in. x 40 in.
[61] 2791 F8974 (1923)
Miehle, #1 type, Quad Demy, 35 in. x 45 in.
[63] 2708 F8168 (1923)
[65] 3069 F8252 (rebuilt 1958)
[66] 3071 F8441 (rebuilt 1955)
[67] 3834 F8375 (rebuilt 1959)
[68] 3833 F8366 (rebuilt 1955)
[69] 3068 F8351 (rebuilt 1956)
[70] 5416 F8786 (1953)
[71] 5408 F8759 (1953)
[72] 6239 F82286 (1960)
[73] 6240 F82291 (1960)
[74] 3504 F8166 (rebuilt 1957)
[75] 4427 F8249 (rebuilt 1958)
MPM #00, Quad Royal, 40 in. x 50 in.
[80] 5129 F8332 (1953)
Miehle, 8 Crown, 40 in. x 60 in.
[81] 5513 F8108 (1953)
[82] 5511 F8962 (1953)
[83] 5510 F8952 (1952)
[84] 5509 F8156 (1952)
[85] 5512 F8838 (1952)
[86] 5514 F8895 (1952)
Dawson, Payne, Elliott, Sheet-fed rotaries, R54 with
autofeed
[88] 22603 FQCDH2014 (1966)
[89] 22421 FQCDH1559 (1965)
MPM #’A’, Super 8 Crown
[91] 19243
[92] 19406
(E) Sun Printers, 1966 / Warehouse Equipment
Equipment is listed by Sun inventory #, then make and type, then size where appropriate.
Basement level
[21] Camco folder, Mod. W
[22] Camco folder, Mod. W
[23] Camco folder, Mod. W
[24] Camco folder, Speed 28
[25] Camco folder, Speed 28
[26] Stahl folder, K80
[27] Stahl folder, K80
[29] Camco folder, Double Royal
[30] Camco folder, Double Royal
[31] Camco folder, Double Royal
[32] Camco folder, Double Royal
[33] Camco folder, Double Royal
[34] Camco folder, Quad Crown
[36] Cundall folder
[47] Auping sectional folder, Cross
[48] Auping sectional folder, Parallel
[51] Dawson, Payne, Elliott, guillotine, Ace, 52 in.
[52] Dawson, Payne, Elliott, guillotine, Ace, 52 in.
Ground floor level
[56] Grieg guillotine, 42 in.First floor level
[ P] Peter’s labelling machine
[39] Camco folder, Quad Royal, twin feed
[41] Camco folder, Quad Royal, twin feed
[44] Sheridan stitch A.T. trimmer
[49] Sheridan Martini B.T. trimmer
[50] Sheridan (old style) binder
[68] Christensen stitcher
[69] Christensen stitcher
(F) Sun Printers, 1971
The following specifications pertain to the Sun’s rotary gravure presses as of mid-1971, and were prepared at that time by Bert Nockles. Dimensions on the original document are in mm. We have converted to show mm and inches, since the machines were engineered in inches and other articles on this web site explain the technology in those terms. There are some apparent anomalies in this information, and we will try to resolve these in the future.
The presses are listed numerically:
#36
8 Koenig & Bauer units
Sun D3 folder, variable cut-off
16 pp 4 x 4, or 32 pp with 8 pp of 4-col
Web width, 794 mm / 31¼ in. max.
Strip width, 165 mm / 6½ in. min.; 381 mm /
15 in. max.
Cut off: 318 mm / 12½ in. min.; 540 mm /
21¼ in. max.
#37 as above
#50
8 Koenig & Bauer units
K&B folder, variable cut-off
32 pp 4 x 4, or 64 pp with 16 pp of 4-col
Web width, 1473 mm / 58 in. max.
Strip width, 267 mm / 10½ in. min.; 462 mm
/ 18¼ in. max.
Cut off, 432 mm / 17 in. min.; 559 mm / 22 in.
max.
#51 as above
#53
4 Koenig & Bauer units
Sun D4 folder, fixed cut-off
[K&B folder?]
64 pp monotone
Web width, 1473 mm / 58 in. max.
Strip width, 280 mm / 11 in. min.; 356 mm / 14 in.
max.
Cut off, 510 mm / 20 in.
#71
15 John Woods units
K&B folder, variable cut-off
4 x 4, 1 x 1, 4 x 1
[2 webs only]
48 pp 4 x 4, or 96 pp 4 x 4 and 4 x 1 with 72 pp in 4-col
Web width, 1867 mm / 73½ in. max.
Strip width, 254 mm / 10 in. min.; 349 mm /
13¾ in. max.
Cut off, 445 mm / 17½ in. min.; 559 mm / 22
in. max.
#72
18 Goss units
Goss folder, fixed cut-off
4 x 4, 4 x 1, 4 x 1
60 pp 2-set (i.e., 2-up), or 112 pp 1-set
Web width, 1829 mm / 72 in. max.
Strip width, 292 mm / 11½ in. min.; 368 mm
/ 14½ in. max.
Cut off, 538 mm / 21¼ in.
#73 as above
# 74
18 John Woods units
Goss folder, fixed cut-off
4 x 4, 4 x 1, 4 x 1
60 pp 2-set (i.e., 2-up), or 112 pp 1-set
Web width, 1829 mm / 72 in. max.
Strip width, 292 mm / 11½ in. min.; 368 mm
/ 14½ in. max.
Cut off, 538 mm / 21¼ in.
#75
13 John Woods units
K&B folder, variable cut-off
4 x 4, 4 x 1
48 pp 2-set (i.e., 2-up), or 96 pp 1-set
Web width, 1867 mm / 73½ in. max.
Strip width, 267 mm / 10½ in. min.; 452 mm
/ 17¾ in. max.
Cut off, 432 mm / 17 in. min.; 559 mm / 22 in.
max.
#76
10 John Woods units
K&B folder, fixed cut-off
4 x 1, 4 x 1
48 pp 2-set (i.e., 2-up), or 96 pp 1-set
Web width, 1867 mm / 73½ in. max.
Strip width, 267 mm / 10½ in. min.; 452 mm
/ 17¾ in. max.
Cut off, 541 mm / 21¼ in.
#80
5 John Woods units
K&B folder, variable cut-off
4 x 1
48 pp
Web width, 1867 mm / 73½ in. max.
Strip width, 254 mm / 10 in. min.; 349 mm /
13¾ in. max.
Cut off, 445 mm / 17½ in. min.; 559 mm / 22
in. max.
#81 as above
# 80 and # 81 could be run coupled together,
giving 48 pp 4 x 4, or (? 96 pp 4 x 1, using 2 webs) or
– Cerutti rewind, 4 x 4, 4 x 1, or 4 x 0
#82
5 John Woods units
Sun D4 folder, variable cut-off
4 x 1
48 pp
Web width, 1867 mm / 73½ in. max.
Strip width, 254 mm / 10 in. min.; 349 mm /
13¾ in. max.
Cut off, 445 mm / 17½ in. min.; 559 mm / 22
in. max.
#90
13 Goss units
Goss folder, fixed cut-off
4 x 4, 4 x 1
Web width, 2096 mm / 82½ in. max.
Strip width, 292 mm / 11½ in. min.; 343 mm
/ 13½ in. max.
Cut off, 536 mm / 21 in.
(G) Sun Printers, 1989
Principal presses (exclusively web offset) and finishing equipment were as follows at approximately December 28, 1989 ...
APVBaker G16
8-unit long-grain
22,000 impr/hr
16 to 64 pp, 100% colour
In-line perforating
(1983)
APVBaker G16
5-unit long-grain
22,000 impr/hr
16 to 64 pp, 50% colour to 100% colour
(1983)
MAN-Roland Lithoman III
8-unit short-grain
38,000 impr/hr
12 to 64 pp, 100% colour
In-line stitching
(1989)
All of the above with Butler reelstands and Civiemme pressure-bundling stackers and automatic palletisation.
Muller-Martini 300 GST line (x 3)
12,000 copies/hr
7 feeders
glued-card
loose inserts (3)
robot palletisers
(1981)
Muller-Martini 300 GST line (x 3)
18,000 copies/hr
7 feeders
glued-card
loose inserts (3)
robot palletisers
(1983)
[Updated October 2006]