Print Register Systems Increase Productivity

Edited by the Printingtalk editorial team Aug 29, 2007

Quadtech's Autotron 2800 register guidance system and a Register Motorisation system has created increased productivity, reduced waste and accelerated start-up times at the Virginian-Pilot.

The commercial printer in Virginia Beach, Virginia (USA) installed the US$120,000 worth of equipment in March to three of its Goss Metro presses, initially on a trial basis to see how efficient the additional products would prove to be.

The plant currently has 30 units in a line, which consist of 20 half-deck (colour units) and 10 mono (black) units.

The Quadtech systems were bought from Litho Service, the first time that Quadtech has worked with the Quebec (Canada) web printing retro-fitting company.

Litho Service provided register motorisation for the circumferential, side lay and unit-to-unit compensators.

George Karangelen, quality and imaging manager, at the Virginian-Pilot commented: "From day one, the try-outs proved to be extremely successful and we have already seen start-up waste copies and bad papers due to paster cycles reduced by 23 per cent in the last six months." The Virginian-Pilot also prints the daily broadsheet of the same title that is not only its biggest printing title but also the largest daily metro newspaper in the State of Virginia with a daily circulation figure of 183,024.

Both the Autotron 2800 register guidance system and the Litho Service Motorisation System are currently on three units that run a youth-orientated tabloid called The Link.

The Link which is a five-day a week product, has a Monday-Friday circulation of approximately 32,000.

Lorenzo Mason, Virginian-Pilot's production maintenance manager, explained: "We deliberately chose to test the new equipment on this product because it is the only one that we run colour on every page, so we could really evaluate its proficiency.

We were the first printing company in the US to install the Autotron 2800 on a Goss Metro press and we are so pleased with the results, our next step is to install the motorisation and Autotrons on the colour leads for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.".