The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash., last month wrapped up a 12-unit RTP upgrade to replace obsolete technology and boost press performance.

The paper (daily, 93,335; Sunday, 119,115) tapped Brock Solutions and partner Masthead International Inc. to oversee work on its Goss International Corp. Metro press. The project began on Labor Day, said Production Manager Paul Schafer.

The Spokesman-Review was compelled to replace its 14-year-old RTPs because the company that supplied them, AGS, went out of business two years ago. “We lost the ability to get spare parts,” Schafer said. Additionally, the newspaper needed to fortify the RTPs’ tension-control capabilities following a move to lightweight newsprint.

The Spokesman-Review also purchased Brock’s folder console touchscreen control and Advanced Press Reporting Package software. The software permits the RTPs’ operational statistics to be centralized in a database accessible through a Web browser.

Schafer said the new RTPs should help boost operational performance. “We were running rolls per break of about 85 and we saw that slip to 70” before the project began, he said. “We want to get it back up to between 85 and 100, and we are already seeing better registration during the paster.”

In addition to the new RTPs, The Spokesman-Review is upgrading its postpress packaging software, moving from outmoded Heidelberg software to Goss’ Omnizone app. The paper has three Goss inserters, a 26-head dual-delivery 630 and two 14-head single-delivery 632s.

Drive conversion

The News & Record in Greensboro, N.C., (daily, 89,672; Sunday, 106,614) in March completed a Brock/Masthead press retrofit project, one that converted its 1976 Goss Metro Offset presses from DC to AC.

The changeover, aimed at helping the newspaper conserve energy and boost reliability, also fueled the adoption of a footprint shaftless design to its 13-unit press, said Dennis Creamer, operations director.

“We have been able to reduce set-up time, changeover time between editions, improve registration and improve our ability to do maintenance on a unit while we were printing on other units on the same press,” he said of the project. Brock deployed its Master Press Control configuration to permit the News & Record to revert to shafted operation in the event of a drive or motor failure.

Brock also installed touchscreens on the press’ two folder consoles to allow operators a graphical view of the  machine.

The project included APRP press monitoring statistics software.


Toler

“Running shaftless will make our press rebuild project scheduled for next year easier,” said Jay Toler, the News & Record’s production manager. That project, in which Masthead will oversee a renovation of the press’ folders and units, will be completed in 2008. “This will help us make our 30-year-old presses more current with today’s technology.”