With the press towers clearing the overhead by no more than an inch, the first Magnum Compact press system in the United States has been installed and initial tests on its six 2 x 1 units completed. The press is currently undergoing commissioning tests and shadow production before moving into full production later this month. The new press for Advance Publishing of Staten Island, New York complements the company’s existing double-width press line and offers back-up to the production of the daily Staten Island Advance newspaper – while adding capacity for other contract newspaper, insert and commercial work.
Even at just 7 feet, 2 inches tall, the installation of the Magnum Compact towers was a high-precision operation, said press manufacturer Goss International. In what is likely a unique configuration, web slots were cut into the ceiling to accommodate turner bars for delivering the web to a folder on the above floor. Extra web slots were also cut to feed an additional future folder that was planned in the configuration. “An engineering achievement in itself, the installation was completed with only very minor modifications to the building,” said the OEM.
Among the Magnum Compact features attractive to newspaper was Goss Autoplate technology that delivers fast make-readies and enables successive jobs to be run with complete plate changes within two minutes. This is accomplished with minimum waste. Plates that have been removed can be reused for repeat production of shorter-run jobs, further extending the value proposition of the press. Also, the design of the Magnum Compact system gives the towers a lower profile without compromising print quality or performance. Easy access to blankets, rubber rollers and ink ducts enabled by the single-level towers facilitates and accelerates maintenance. The ability to print cost-effective runs as short as 500 to 1,000 copies – and up to 250,000 copies – was also a key factor in the installation.
The Staten Island Advance was established in 1886 and is part of Advance Publishing’s family of newspapers that includes dozens of titles across the United States. Advance Publishing also has interests in cable television, leading media Internet sites, business journals and magazines – as well as newspapers.
Unique configuration for first Goss Magnum Compact Press in the U.S. enters final phase of testing
