Susan Friedman Many

Laser diemaking stands ready to serve big and small shop needs. by Susan Friedman Many bigger die shops are upgrading; many smaller outfits are finding the investment more palatable. But where do the rosiest prospects—for buyer and seller—lie in laser diemaking systems? "Laser system sales have been cyclical," says Tim Christopherson, regional sales manager, Laser Machining. "Heavy sales prior to 1984 filled existing need, and very few were sold in the next few years." From his perspective, 1992 was the next peak sales year, and volumes are likely to swing upward again in the near future. Renewed sales volume could spring from any point

Offset plate suppliers stretch to manage conventional- and digital-world needs. By Susan Friedman Many offset plate suppliers are stretching to be in two places at once—edging conventional technologies up a notch while running like mad to win the digital marathon. Convention rally On the conventional side, Dwight Collier, national sales manager for pressroom products at Pitman Co., a distributor of printing consumables, equipment and services, sees "a conscious effort to continue to improve plate latitude in a variety of environments." Three areas of emphasis, he notes, are developing coating weights that are more resistant to abrasion, improving grain structures to achieve a more efficient