The ravages of time take their toll, even on the electronics of a 12-year-old COLORMAN press at HT Media in New Delhi, one of the largest newspaper printers in India. A necessary investment in contemporary technology is the basic precondition required to ensure at least 7-10 more years of secure production, at a fraction of the costs of a new acquisition.

“Retrofits of the controls and operating elements are particularly popular currently among users of manroland web systems’ newspaper presses; this also applies to our long term partners in India” explains Daniel Popp, Service Manager India at manroland web systems. The electronics and the connected sensors and software or operating elements, are currently subject to much faster technological change than previously. Thankfully it would appear that this does not affect the mechanical components, which have been designed for decades of continuous load. In order that their customers can further benefit from these durable materials, manroland web systems have developed retrofit packages, especially for these requirements.

Recently, HT Media, which produces the Hindustan Times, one of the biggest English language daily Newspapers, replaced the Interbus Loop on their COLORMAN press. It involved a complete exchange of the now obsolete and no longer contemporary system. The spare parts, which were left over, were not scrapped but rather can be stored for usage on other printing presses in the plant.

The new software and electronics provide even more features than the future availability of coordinated components; for example a more detailed error description, which enables faster and more precise troubleshooting. The benefits provided by these ever more complex sensors and automation innovations are unbeatable for the everyday tight production slots of a daily Newspaper.

The new system links all sensors and actuators directly with one computer. Possible faults (e.g. a faulty component) can therefore be precisely located and exchanged without major production delays. Additionally, this improves the diagnosis possibilities for manroland web systems’ remote diagnostics tool TSC (TeleSupportCenter).

In close coordination with the customer, the complete retrofit was completed within two weeks and that without any interference with the nightly productions. “The new technology was installed by manroland parallel to the existing system, then tested and after approval by the customer, commissioned,” according to Popp.