Marietta (US) - Largest flexo newspaper printer in the U.S. renews its trust in QIPC-EAE Americas to implement retrofit strategy

QIPC-EAE Americas is delighted to have secured another retrofit order from GateHouse Media (The Providence Journal) in Providence, Rhode Island. Established in 1829, the Journal is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the United States. Providence  is also the most important print medium in the East Coast state of Rhode Island. 

The Providence Journal is an all-flexo paper – indeed the publisher’s own printing house in Providence is the biggest newspaper production facility using flexographic technology anywhere in the U.S. The web press consists of three identical sections. Each of these sections in turn comprises eight flexo printing units (six Journalflex units from Windmöller & Hölscher plus two KBA Colormax towers installed in the early nineties), eight KBA reelstands and a KBA folder. Apart from the Providence Journal, various editions of the Worcester Telegram &Gazette, the Cape Cod Times, The Standard Times (New Bedford), the New London Day,  and the New York Daily News are also produced on this busy web press line along with five other dailies and several weekly titles.

The newspaper printing line in Providence has been equipped with EAE press control and control console technologies from the outset, and has already seen one major upgrade between 2004 and 2008, when EAE was charged with retrofitting the entire control and automation technology. Amongst other things, the main press and reelstand drives were replaced with new AC drives and drive controls to match. Furthermore, all printing unit controls were renewed and the obsolete, button-operated control panels on the units superseded by touch consoles. The old control consoles simultaneously made way for EAE Baltic Star models. 

Next-generation PC hardware ensures optimal availability and serviceability

The motivation behind the new retrofit project with QIPC-EAE Americas was that the PCs for the control consoles and the other EAE systems are gradually getting on in years and the operating system is no longer supported by Microsoft. To ensure their unbroken availability and serviceability in the future, The Providence Journal decided to upgrade both the PC hardware and the operating system of all EAE systems installed in the press. All in all, QIPC-EAE Americas will replace ten PCs with modern computers running Windows: not only the PCs for the three EAE control consoles but also the hardware for the EAE Info reporting and logging system, the EAE Net PCs responsible for communicating control commands within and between the different press sections and the EAE Service PC. The latter acts as an access gateway to the entire EAE installation to permit remote maintenance by the manufacturer.

“We’re thrilled that the Providence Journal has elected to open a new chapter in the decades-long partnership with our company”, said Ronald Reedijk, Managing Director of QIPC-EAE Americas. “The comprehensive PC upgrade will enable the press to continue operating with the accustomed reliability and efficiency while guaranteeing the future availability of spare parts and computer upgrades.” This newest retrofit order is scheduled for execution in the fourth quarter of 2016. The technicians will be required to proceed systematically and in narrow time windows; after all, there must be no disruptions to newspaper production as a result of the PC migration project at the Providence facility.