WRH supplies publishing line to Smurfit

WRH Marketing UK has supplied a publishing line to Smurfit Kappa, which is currently creating a MAN Roland Colorman XXL newspaper press line at its Kells factory in Ireland.

The Ferag equipment includes a UTR pick-up station with TCP grippers, Multistack, Underwrap and Smartstrap facilities, as well as dispatch control and Linemaster control.

The Colorman XXL is a triple wide press, capable of printing 288 tabloid pages or 144 broadsheet pages in full colour.

When in production, the press will produce up to 86,000 copies per hour in straight mode.

From the press's two folders, newspapers will be taken by the Ferag UTR Universal conveyor, which provides superior flexibility for the pick-up of printed products at the folder delivery and offers a two-to-one offset facility, ensuring even-numbered and odd-numbered bundle formation, while cutting chain speed by half during production.

This, in turn, will extend the lifecycle of the chain.

Copies will be transported by Ferag's gripper system and forwarded to a Multistack stacker, capable of generating up to 40 bundles per minute.

The line is also equipped with Ferag's Linemaster control, underwrapping facilities and Smartstrap machines for inline cross-strapping.

The line will then deliver the bundled product to PKT dispatch conveyor systems.

Tom Mooney, chief executive of Smurfit Kappa's print division, says: 'We produce a range of titles for News International and Associated Newspapers, including The Sun, Daily Mail, Sunday Times, Times and Racing Post.

'Ferag's TPC grippers provide great flexibility in the way we handle work coming out of the 4/7/7 folders on the Colorman XXL.

'It will also be relatively easy to expand the Ferag line by retrofitting additional facilities, such as stitching and inserting should we wish to in the future.

'The entire line was completed several weeks ahead of schedule and is now ready for commissioning of the press, which will take place during April.

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