Turkish newspaper publisher Hurriyet Gazetecilik ve Matbaacilik A.S. last month purchased 76 press units from Tensor Group Inc. in a move to increase color and print capacity.

Hurriyet, a division of Istanbul-based Dogan Yayin Holding, will eventually have the world’s largest continuous single-width web pressline when installation is complete later this fall, Tensor said. The project will begin this summer.

Dogan’s titles range from general interest to niche publications.
Photo: Tensor Group

Tensor will install a 194-foot-long pressline consisting of 13 four-high towers and six two-high towers at Dogan’s print facility in Adana, Turkey. The T1400-series press will also feature three H-50 folders; 25 splicers will be installed below press level, according to Don Gustafson, Tensor’s president.

The machine will replace Dogan’s existing pressline.

At a sister Dogan printing plant in Antalya, Turkey, Tensor will install a T1400 press configured as three four-high towers that will be added to Dogan’s existing pressline.

Standing left to right, Ahmet Toksoy, chief financial officer, Hurriyet Gazetecilik, and Mehmet Yoruk, finance coordinator, Dogan Yayin Holding; seated left to right, Soner Gedik, chief financial officer, Dogan Yayin Holding, and Don Gustafson, president, Tensor Group, at contract signing.
Photo: Tensor Group

Dogan prints a variety of newspapers, including Hurriyet, Milliyet, Posta, Radikal, Fanatik, GšzcŸ and Finansal Forum. In addition to the DYH group titles, three other national titles are also printed at Dogan’s six print facilities on a contract basis. Total production for all the titles exceeds 3 million copies, of which 480,000 are printed daily at Dogan’s Adana plant.

Growing demand

Hamil Alniacik, managing director of Dogan Printing Center, said growing demands for color, speed requirements and a desire to boost contract printing spurred the decision to buy the Tensor equipment.

The new presses will enable Dogan to run three products simultaneously, Alniacik said, or two titles up to 48 broadsheet pages with 32 pages in full color. 

The Tensor press in Adana, Turkey, will extend almost 200 feet.
Graphic: Tensor Group

“As we have to print 10 daily titles in a very limited production slot, we decided to choose a single-width, single plate around press, which enables fast job changeovers and short make-ready times,” he said.

Commercial work

The 12-web capacity folders will give Dogan the flexibility to print newspaper as well as forthcoming commercial jobs. “We are also planning to move into commercial contract printing,” he said.

The T1400 press units feature remote inking, supplied by Essex Products Group, and motorized register controls. Fincor Automation Inc. is supplying the drives, which will be controlled by software developed by Standard Electric Inc.