UK Newspaper Publisher Is First to Order Goss Compact Double-width Press Model

A leading newspaper publisher in Scotland will be the first to install a new compact, double-width press model from Goss International. D C Thomson & Company Ltd., a family-owned publisher and printer based in Dundee, will add a Goss Colorliner CPS press in an eight-tower configuration which will include heatset capacity.

Goss International developed the new Colorliner CPS (Compact Printing System) model using many of the features from its proven high-performance FPS (Flexible Printing System) model to address the needs of printers requiring versatility, high print quality, simplified operation and a high level of performance relative to investment cost. The unique compact design makes the new press ideally suited for greenfield sites as well as existing press halls, including installations involving an existing support structure.

The Colorliner CPS press to be installed at D C Thomson will print up to 90,000 copies per hour, driven by a full automation package including Goss Autoplate plate changing technology and closed-loop controls. Goss International will equip the system with Goss Contiweb FD pasters, two Goss Ecocool heatset dryers and two J2:5:5 jaw folders. Installation will begin in mid 2012.

“We are pleased to be continuing our 100-year partnership with Goss through the installation of a new Colorliner CPS press,” explains David Thomson, Chief Operating Officer. “The press will provide the high levels of quality and automation required to take our newspapers forward with renewed confidence. D C Thomson is proud to be investing in the future of print.”

The Colorliner CPS three-form inker and bearer-to-bearer cylinder configuration deliver high print quality and dynamic stability using conventional blanket technology. A short distance of 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) between the first and last impression reduces fan-out and supports superior registration. The compact, non-splitting design minimizes the operating width as well as the height of the towers, enabling installation in existing facilities without the need for more complex configurations such as stacking four-high towers on top of one another.

Access to all of the Colorliner CPS printing sub-systems is via the aisle of the unit and is unhindered by the automatic plate loading devices. A natural air circulation system adapted from the Goss FPS press design is another key feature, allowing the new CPS press to maintain a suitable temperature for printing without a complex, costly forced-air cooling system.

“We are taking the lead in offering a new, more cost-effective compact press model that delivers value, automation and performance features that newspaper publishers and printers need to stay competitive and create new opportunities,” according to Jochen Meissner, Goss International President and CEO.

Meissner says that the Colorliner CPS press complements the compact Goss FPS press, which offers a split-apart tower design and changeable cut-off option. “The new compact model rounds out our comprehensive single- and double-width press portfolio and further extends our ability to give customers the best option for any production requirement or business model,” he adds.

The Colorliner CPS incorporates proven technologies from Goss commercial and newspaper presses and is designed for simplified operation with minimal manning requirements. The new model is available in 4x2, 5x2 and 6x2 configurations and a wide range of cut-offs. Available features include Goss DigiRail digital inking and automated presetting, start-up sequences, roller adjustment, plate changing and web width adjustment.

Chief Operating Officer David Thomson says the company will also reconfigure existing Goss Colorliner equipment into a seven-tower, two-folder system as part of its investment in the future of its newspaper printing and publishing business. “A major controls upgrade and other enhancements, combined with the robust design of the Colorliner press family, will extend the productivity and competitive efficiency of our existing equipment well into the future,” he explains.

D C Thomson and Goss International personnel with wide ranging expertise have formed a team to manage the large-scale project and to ensure that production capacity is maintained at the Dundee facility throughout all phases of the new press installation and the reconfiguration of the existing equipment.