WURZBURG, Germany — Main-Post Media Group is doubling its Commander CT press infrastructure, adding a second compact press from Koenig & Bauer AG next year.

The four-high tower will join an existing Commander CT tower used to print the 145,000-subscriber Main–Post in addition to a number of other local and regional weeklies, dailies and other periodicals, said Andreas Kunzemann, technical director.

Photo: Newspapers & Technology
A KBA worker monitors a pour at the vendor’s Wurzburg, Germany, foundry, which is responsible for the fabrication of all press frames and cast-iron support structures.
 

Kunzemann made the announcement at an open house formally debuting the doublewide press, which KBA introduced at IfraExpo 2006.

Main-Post began testing the machine, aimed at newspapers and semi-commercial printers, in mid-2006. Since then, Main-Post has produced more than 25 million newspapers on the press, Kunzemann said.

“The press has allowed us to offer a broader range of products in an increased production window,” he said. “Color registration is no longer a problem and we have decreased our waste, reduced our fan-out and saved labor costs.”

Kunzemann said Main-Post is unafraid of rolling out new technologies or employing novel marketing approaches.

Case in point: the production of Zip’n’Buy newspaper display ads with perforated borders. Main-Post was recognized with a German Printing Industry Innovation Award for the technique, which enabled readers to easily detach the ads for redemption. The tactic fueled other companies to place ads with the publisher.

Main-Post’s Commander CT, configured as a single four-high tower, is engineered with a 55-inch web width and 19.75-inch cutoff. The operation prints both broadsheet and tabloid publications.

Photos: Newspapers & Technology
Through the use of the Zip’n’Buy ad, readers just pull along the perforated line and bring the ad into the store, a hugely successful revenue-generating idea for Main-Post.

Once printed, the papers are folded by two 2:5:5 jaw folders on Main-Post’s existing KBA Commander 10-cylinder satellite press, equipped with a perforated knife system.

With the addition of the second Commander CT, the publisher will have two four-high towers with 32 pages of 4-over-4 color on each press.

Automation key

Print and color registration quality is only part of the press’ benefits, Kunzemann said. The machine’s automation and engineering permitted Main-Post to reduce makeready and auxiliary times by an estimated 50 percent, he said. Power consumption on the Commander CT, compared to the existing Commander satellite press, is down by 15 percent, which enabled the publisher to reduce its electrical bill by more than $18,000.

Oil consumption meantime, is down by 1,000 liters, again compared to the 10-cylinder machine.

“Still, what impresses us most is the solid reproduction, the contrast and the brilliant color,” he said. “We are using 20 percent less operating staff and our bottom line is realizing corresponding savings.”

Andreas Kunzemann, Main-Post’s technical director.

KBA engineered the Commander CT specifically for operations that produce newspapers and semi-commercial work. It’s built from the same platform as KBA’s waterless Cortina press, which, with more than 420 printing couples in use, is on-edition at 12 printers worldwide.

To that end, the 45,000-copy-per-hour (in collect mode) machine is cloaked with a high degree of automation, including KBA’s PlateTronic automatic plate changer, Plate-Ident plate identification and RollerTronic automatic roller locks. The press also is equipped with the supplier’s NipTronic bearing units for the remote adjustment of printing pressure between the plate and blanket cylinders.

No gears on drive side

The press console also features EasyTronic automatic press startup and run-up, which mesh with control software from ABB.

Additionally, KBA designed the Commander CT without gears on the drive side, relying instead on Indramat shaftless motors to drive every Main element. That reduces power and oil consumption, and also makes the machine highly efficient, said Christoph Müller, KBA’s executive vice president of web sales. “The power efficiency on this press is the highest in the industry. Less mechanical components mean less consumption of power.”

Christoph Müller, KBA’s executive vice president of web sales,
with David Brandstaetter, Main-Post’s managing director.

Photo: KBA
Main-Post’s Commander CT press has been in operation for more than 18 months and printed more than 21 million newspapers.

The press stands at a compact 12 feet, 9 inches high for easy placement and features oil-free StepIn towers that split down the middle to allow operators easy access to change blankets. An undershot film inking unit — with three form rollers  — can handle a wide variety of inks, from heatset and UV to hybrid and conventional inks.

“The press is designed to fill the niche between newspapers and commercial work,” Müller said. “It utilizes automation throughout the entire production sequence.”

David Brandstaetter, Main-Post’s managing director, said the Commander CT fit all its requirements, from being able to print a wide variety of newspaper and commercial products to fitting into the publisher’s existing press hall. “Only minor foundation work was necessary,” he said.

In addition to commissioning the press, Main-Post upgraded its prepress, going into production with three Polaris computer-to-plate systems from Agfa. The publisher also rolled out Agfa’s Intellitune software and Sublima screening app. “The CTP conversion has helped us increase our dot sharpness and contrast and enhance register precision through video alignment,” said Kunzemann.

A full range of Muller Martini equipment anchors postpress operations.

More to come

The Main-Post Commander CT machines will soon be joined by a third Commander CT, at Spanish publisher Heraldo de Aragon. The company, which prints more than 250,000 newspapers and other titles per day, is buying a machine configured with four reelstands and four four-high towers. The variable width Commander CT will go into production next spring at Heraldo’s suburban Saragossa press facility.

“We needed to take new technology on board in order to print more full-color papers and expand capacity to accommodate brisk growth in free (papers),” said Jose Manual Lozano, Heraldo’s managing director.

KBA is providing three press consoles with a service PC for online remote maintenance. An existing EAE job scheduling and presetting system will be upgraded to a Print system, KBA said.