Ferag Upgrades 'Trinity Mirror' Post-Press

By: E&P Staff Ferag of Hinwil, Switzerland, is replacing part of its inserting installation at Trinity Mirror's plant in Oldham, England, with four new MultiSert systems, each comprising a MultiSertDrum with MultiDisc and RollStream equipment, QuickStrap in-line cross strapping, and a PKT plate-chain evacuation system.

From copy transfer to bundle loading, a LineMaster will control each line. A PostPress Management system at a central control station will handle planning, control and monitoring of the entire operation.

Four UTR matrix switches will decouple the installation from the press, for freedom in assigning production to separate lines. For preprints, the MultiDisc on each line will consist of one winding and three unwinding stations. To feed the supplements, each drum will connect to a RollStream line with four JetFeed hoppers, allowing up to seven inserts to be added to a main jacket in one pass.

Short throughput time is accomplished by online inserting. When needed, offline inserting is possible using an unwinding station on the main jacket infeed.

Two MultiStack units on each line will produce bundles, which will be addressed by in-line topsheet printing, sorted by route on two PKT plate-chain evacuation systems, and directed to any of six loading docks.

The first two lines are to be in operation in about a year; the second two lines are expected to follow in April 2006. Oldham's production runs to millions of copies weekly, and includes the Manchester Evening News, the Guardian Weekly, The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, and Independent.