Innovations

Highly automated multi-format triple width newspaper press installation featuring the first fully automatic triple former section for single (2×2), double (2×4) & triple (2×6) width formats along with a next generation catalog based production system which includes a fully integrated pre-press to press control system and end to end tracking and reporting of all activity including all products, materials, waste and labor. The press was also configured with a fully integrated UV curing system, a first for a triple width newspaper press.

This highly efficient press installation is part of the newest complete greenfield production facility to be built in North America. The entire facility was designed to optimize workflow and efficiency. Another key design element was to insure all equipment could be installed and maintained in the most efficient and cost effective way possible. Hundreds of details were taken into account in the design and layout from how many foot steps each person must make to do a task to how many feet of electrical cable or ink piping would be necessary to complete the installation.

In addition, a very customized workflow was developed so that a single platform could be used  from front door to back door to further increase efficiency and minimize waste and mistakes. The process starts with customers selecting what size and type of product they want from the catalog and then suppling their files accordingly. From there, the process flow is automated through prepress with any sizing, optimization or other necessary adjustments made and plates coded and produced for exact placement on press.

After the plates are installed, a full preset for that exact job including the particular size and format is done. And because presetting can have so many different meanings in our industry, the level of presetting here is one of the most advanced anywhere in the world. The printers use no tools when changing jobs and almost every possible adjustment is done automatically from roll size selection for each paster to the tension setting for each web to the position for every slitter, angle bar, trolley wheel and nip wheel to level settings for every spray nozzle and ink key and even the position of each former board. When the press starts, no matter what size or format the job and even if it was never run before, everything is in the correct place and waste is minimized.

Similar installations costing millions of dollars more do not approach the level of efficiency the Great West Newspaper installation has proven. In the first 5 years of production, consider these results:

1. Over 14,000 print jobs have been run including broadsheets, tabloids and ¼ fold magazines in sizes from as small as 7” to as large as 16” and many sizes in between.

2. Product paging has ranged from tabs a small as 4 pages all the way up to 144 pages with full color and many sizes in between. Broadsheets as large as 72 pages in 6 section in full color are regularly run as well as ¼ fold magazine and directory style products.

3. Slightly over 300 million printed products have been produced in the first 5 years of production.

4. Average run length is 25,377, median run length is 13,174

5. Total waste over the first 5 years has been 4%

6. A little more than 30 million tons of paper has been consumed

7. All of this is done with a staff of only 2 or 3 press people per shift and 1 CTP person. Staffing does not need to be increased for additional production. For example, a million+ weekly run was taken on contract with no staffing changes required with further room for growth.

8. All production equipment will have paid for itself in 5 ½ years. This in itself speaks to the productivity and efficiency this equipment and facility has provided Great West Newspapers return on their investment.