Unveiling a major project to boost color capacity and print quality, the Los Angeles Times last month tapped MAN Roland Inc. to supply add-on towers and reconfigure its existing 15 presslines.

Ten of the Times’ Goss International Corp. Colorliner presses will receive ColorMAN towers from MAN Roland. The remaining five Goss Retroliner presses will be reconfigured to permit additional four-color capacity, according to Mark H. Kurtich, the Times’ senior vice president of operations.

Presses at two of the Times’ three Los Angeles-area production facilities will be upgraded as part of the project. Installation is slated to begin in July and end in early 2005. Each upgraded press position will be able to run two webs, Kurtich said.

“MAN Roland won our business because they provide a complete, turnkey solution,” Kurtich said.

“We currently have the capacity to print up to six sections, 96 pages, with 24 pages of full color,” said Kurtich. “When we’re done with this project, we’ll still have six sections and 96 pages, but instead of 24 pages of full color, we’ll have 32.”

The Times is the first newspaper to buy towers from MAN Roland. The vendor last June said it would enter the add-on market.

Adding color

“This (press expansion) will help the Times add color. This is what’s required to meet market demands,” said Vince Lapinski, chief operating officer of MAN Roland’s web operations.

Lapinski said the upgrade would use press control technology from Rockwell Automation to manage the reconfigured presses. Masthead International will handle assembly, rigging and installation. Digital page packs from Controls Group Inc. will replace existing Goss inkers.

Lapinski said MAN Roland would engineer the ColorMAN towers to match the physical characteristics of the Colorliners. To that end, the ColorMANs will be constructed in four pieces and boast cylinders and other components to mesh with the existing Colorliner presses.

Challenging portion

One of the more intricate portions of the project involves stacking existing Goss Colorliner four-couple A/B units to create eight-couple, four-high towers that will be installed on three of the Times’ five Retroliner presses. It’s the first time a newspaper has attempted to connect two A/B-level Colorliners together.

The two remaining Retroliners will be fitted with Goss Colorliner towers from a 16th press that is being removed.

Kurtich said the Times never seriously considered replacing its Goss presses, which were upgraded to a 50-inch web width in 1999.