No 55                      Press Gallery          March, 2009

TIRFING '48'
Two-Revolution Press

1962

*


GRAFISCA MASKIN AB
[Usually known as GMA]

TROLLHÄTTAN, SWEDEN

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Svenska Flygmotor AB, of Stockholm had been supplying the Swedish Air Force with aircraft engines since 1930. Towards the end of World War II, they were looking for some object of civilian manufacture in addition to the military production, and found that printing presses were excellently suited to their particular machinery and manufacturing methods. And so the affiliated company of Grafiska Maskin AB was established in December, 1945, largely within the same plant, with the same machinery and the same skilled workers.
The company's first press was the two-revolution 'Viking' TP-110
[numbers signify maximum sheet width in centimetres] and was exported to several countries. This was followed in 1948 by the larger TP-140. The following year the well-known pre-war 'Frontex B' Automatic stop-cylinder press (see index) was also manufactured by them under license. In 1950, the press division was moved to larger premises in Trollhättan, due to the popularity of these flatbed (plus some rotary) machines. During the year work started on another two-revolution press, designated TP-100', later named 'Tirfing', originally the smaller of the size range. This was first shown at the Düsseldorf Graphic Arts Exhibition in 1954.
Key to the remarkably high output, for a large two-revolution press, was the beefed-up bed driving mechanism and the patented swing-arm gripper feed which fed each sheet to the cylinder with the same velocity, regardless of the running speed of the press. Dot-for-dot register was thereby ensured at all speed changes. The
TIRFING also incorporated other modern features: continuous loading and delivery, stream feeder, twelve-roller inking system with built-in wash-up device, automatic lubrication, sheet-slitting, backlash-free gearing and chain-and-gripper delivery.
The company ceased manufacturing letterpress machinery in 1962 and all other printing machinery seven years later.


Booklet "The Australasian Printing Exhibition, Sydney, October 1955" and pic from Inland Printer, courtesy of compatriot, Arthur Johnson.
Company history research courtesy of Norwegian, Atle Devik.
* The smaller TP 100 (quad crown size) was reputed to run at 4,000 I.p.h!


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