By: E&P Staff Graphic Communications of Accra, Ghana, has ordered a singlewide, two-around KBA Comet newspaper press to print The Daily Graphic, supplements, and other weekly and monthly publications. The Graphic is the country's largest daily, with a circulation of approximately 150,000.
Rated at 75,000 copies per hour in straight production, the floor-mounted press will comprise two four-high towers and one printing unit that can be expanded to a four-high tower in the future. Up to 64 tabloid color pages are possible. Cut-off is specified at 22.75 inches.
The installation will include automatic ink feed and fan-out control as well as four automatic reelstands positioned at right angles on the drive side of the press and fed by KBA's Patras M reel-handling system. Other features include a combination deck for flexibility in positioning color pages, a folder superstructure with one former, and a KF 3B jaw folder. The publisher hopes to add additional towers, a second folder, quarterfold capability and, at a later date, a semi-commercial package with options that include a heatset package.
The press is controlled with two KBA consoles with a presetting system and a diagnostics PC for remote maintenance.
Graphic Communications plans to build a new plant to house the Comet, as well as computer-to-plate and mailroom equipment.
KBA's Comet already is in use in a number of other African papers. In Nairobi, Kenya, the Nation Media Group added another four-high tower last summer, while another Comet is being commissioned at the Standard Group in the same city.
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