The Charleston Post and Courier of South Carolina, USA, has experienced significant performance improvement since implementing a Goss enhancement program. The program has involved upgrading the reelstands of two Goss Metroliner presses comprising 10 units and seven half-decks.
 
"We judged that, with a few efficiency improvements, our Metroliner presses have at least another 10 years of good service in them," says Mickey Bella, president of the newspaper's shared service division. "We were looking for improved paste performance and better overall tension control and we got precisely that." According to Bella, with the presses regularly running at 92 – 96 percent capacity and only a few non-production hours each day, the company has also greatly benefitted from a sharp reduction in maintenance time.

The Goss RTP Upgrade program for double-width CT45/50 reelstands is a package of hardware and software enhancements designed to extend the competitive lifespan of installed newspaper presses through enhanced reelstand performance. New features introduced through the upgrade include an integrated controls system, supported by the latest generation of digital drives, encoders, valves and sensors. Together, these components provide finer control and improved repeatability via a user-friendly interface.

"Older reelstands can be subject to a range of issues after long-term, extensive use, including reduced control of web tension, instability of dancer roller, complex maintenance, and the difficulty of replacing aging or obsolete components," says Tom Bernth, senior aftermarket product manager for Goss International. "The integration of this latest component technology, combined with our knowledge and experience, results in improved registration, reduced paper waste and reduced maintenance during pastes and center half-roll applications."
 
According to Bernth, the Goss RTP Upgrade amounts to a low-risk opportunity to get an immediate boost in production capabilities and efficiency from an existing press that might otherwise experience a gradual decline in overall competitiveness.

The Goss RTP upgrade program also offers a wide range of optional extras including remote diagnostic support, replacement drive motors, automatic edge alignment, and mechanical refurbishment packages tailored to match the generation and condition of individual reelstands.
 
According to Mickey Bella, from very first start-up after the initial upgrade installation at The Charleston Post and Courier, the paper has seen a significant improvement in successful splice rates. "In fact, it was weeks before we missed a paste," he adds. "The improvement in web tension has also greatly helped in keeping the color register tight, which is an important benefit to us as we're running back-to-back color every day."

The 208-year-old company prints a number of in-house titles, including up to 91,000 copies daily of its flagship title The Post and Courier as well as a number of weeklies and contract publications and a healthy volume of work for commercial customers.