Delegates to Australia's SWUG conference in March will see some of the industry's most modern print technology... and some of its oldest.

Group president Bob Lockley will play host for a visit to Fairfax Media's award-winning North Richmond print site, and delegates will also tour the Penrith Museum of Printing, of which the Single Width Users Group is a supporter.

SWUG returns to its regular March slot after an "extended break" in 2015, with dates set for the weekend of March 4-6 at Penrith Panthers Event Centre at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Mulgoa Road, Penrith.

It's also a return to the North Richmond site, barely recognisable from its 1990 days when it was owned by Rural Press and housed a single-width Goss Urbanite coldset press and Müller Martini saddlebinder.

Two major expansions have seen the introduction of heatset printing and UV-curing integrated into a long coldset line which includes both single and double width manroland press equipment.

A $21 million upgrade in 2014 saw the press enlarged with the addition of a standalone three-tower Geoman pressline, and the integration of another Geoman tower - all sourced from the former Tullamarine site - running into the existing single-width Uniset pressline. A system that splits and turns the web was specially-developed for the site.

"The combination of running a double-width web into a single-width press at full speed, as well as the options for UV and heatset drying, make this a unique production facility, and one which is sure to be of interest to SWUG delegates," says Lockley, who is Fairfax's chief executive for printing and distribution.

The press features QI Press Controls' for closed-loop colour, registration and cut-off control, and other technology at the site includes Fujifilm CTP, Ferag inserting and mailroom equipment, a log-fed Müller Martini binding line and Segbert auto palletising equipment.

The site - named 'best print site' in the 2014 PANPA awards - produces editions of the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, and The Land newspapers as well as other Fairfax Media publications and a wide variety of commercial work.

In addition to the Saturday night site visit, the 2016 conference will include a Friday night welcoming reception, and Gala Night on Sunday, at which SWUG awards will be presented.

On a visit to the Penrith Museum of Printing, delegates will see a working collection of historic printing machinery which is maintained by volunteers who preserve and teach the art of letterpress printing.

"Having travelled to Darwin and Rockhampton for the last two conferences, we decided to make this one more easily accessible for delegates in the southern states and from overseas," Lockley says. "We're hoping for a big turn-out.

"The conference facilities are first rate and are conveniently located for visiting the North Richmond site on the Saturday night."

Hotel accommodation at the conference site in Penrith.

Registration details and awards entry forms are being posted on the SWUG website, www.swug.com.au with updates on Facebook. For more information, contact Bob Lockley at Fairfax Media on (02) 4570 4444 or email swugconference@gmail.com.

Pictured: Two views of the giant pressline from our 2014 feature

On our home page: Welcome to my place - SWUG president Bob Lockley at North Richmond