This article originally appeared on the Newspapers &
Technology web site.
Three months after its pressline conversion was completed, The Orange County (Calif.) Register
is continuing to see positive results.
The newspaper (daily, 300,888; Sunday, 367,000) last summer converted its four Goss Metro
presses from DC mechanical line shafts to an AC shaftless drive line configuration, said
Mike Burns, director of print operations.
New ABB operator screen installed in existing press console.
Photo courtesy of Brock Solutions
"We are seeing reduced electrical consumption and increased productivity as a result of the
conversion," he said.
Even more beneficial: The shaftless configuration means the newspaper can run each press
unit independently, eliminating the hobbles that formerly forced The Register to either run
all of its units simultaneously or shut down the entire pressline.
The Register contracted with ABB Printing Systems and Masthead International to tackle the
conversion project, which was completed in October. ABB brought in Brock Solutions as a
sub-supplier, providing the project with hardware, engineering and software used to control
the presses.
ABB drew up the design concept that would enable The Register to achieve precise unit-to-unit
color registration as well as supplied the newspaper with AC drives and motors. Brock,
meanwhile, contributed its SAFphire master press control software, while Masthead managed
the electrical installation and on-site services.
Drive to future
Specifically, the four presses were repowered with 40 ABB ACS600 direct torque control AC
drives, and associated motors, replacing decades-old DC motors used to power the
65,000-copy-per-hour Goss press.
The drives automatically determine the ideal switching voltages of their connected motors,
thus supplying the required torque to ensure that unit-to-unit color registration never
varies by more than .002-inch, said Hans Wirth, ABB’s manager of printing drive systems.
"It automatically corrects torque and maintains the proper position necessary for the
cylinders" to maintain registration, he said.
The SAFphire software regulates the drives and also makes sure newsprint rolls and
cylinders within the press’ units are positioned correctly.
Two identical lines
The Register’s Metro presses are arranged in two presslines with two identical presses
in each line. Each faces one another with a common operating area in the middle of the
press bay. Each press consists of 11 units, five half-decks and one double 3:2 folder
with nine static belt RTPs.
"Being in California, the bulk of our return on investment was based on electrical
savings moving from the DC to AC motors," said Dan Guthrie, electrical maintenance
supervisor of The Register. Guthrie said it’s too early to pinpoint how much electricity
the paper is saving, but in power-conscious California, any reduction is critically important.
"We’re just now quantifying it," he said, "but we know [the conversion] has affected it
in a positive way. We’re still learning. Like any new toy we are still in the process of
figuring everything out."
Sequencing the press
Each press now has a master controller that is responsible for sequencing the press as
well as for regulating the speed and positioning of the individual units. The controller
gets its marching orders from a press operator inputting data on a dedicated PC running
the Windows 2000 operating system.
In addition, each press has 11 high-resolution encoders driven by the blanket cylinder
to provide position feedback.
Algorithms and control capabilities built into the SAFphire software enabled Brock to
significantly enhance the off-the-shelf encoders’ ability to monitor unit-to-unit color
registration. The newspaper uses 46-inch-circumference print rolls on multiple units
and has thus far met its .002-inch registration goal, even at full production,
Guthrie said.
Guthrie expects to gain speed and process improvements exploiting The Register’s
shaftless configuration. The individuality of the units means press crews can now
perform multiple tasks simultaneously. "This gives us much more versatility than
we used to have," Guthrie said. "In the past, if we lost any units we had to shut
down the entire press."
