Workflow

Druckzentrum Rhein Main builds Europe’s most efficient print site with ABB-Workflow

The signing of the contract in Baden, Switzerland. Front row: Boris Falk, ABB; Michael Rettig, Joint Managing Director DRM; Ulrike Koehler, Joint Managing Director, DRM; Christian Villiger, Head of Printing, ABB. Back row: Remo Jaeggi, ABB, Olaf Klemstein, Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main, Roman Schoenbaechler, ABB, Joerg Sauer, Medienhaus Südhessen

Wednesday 15. July 2009 - ABB has announced an extensive order to supply workflow solutions to the new Druckzentrum Rhein Main (DRM) newspaper print site in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

The highest possible efficiency was the aim when Verlagsgruppe Rhein Main and Medienhaus Südhessen decided to build the shared print center. Together with ABB they have now taken a great step towards their target. The new Rhein Main print center in Rüsselsheim is to be equipped with probably the most extensive integrated workflow solution anywhere in the newspaper industry.
Ulrike Koehler, Managing Director of Druckzentrum Rhein Main (DRM), explains: “we are building the most modern printing plant in Europe with the intention of producing newspapers as efficiently as possible. In order to achieve this we have to ensure that we optimize our processes as far as possible.”
The cooperation between Druckzentrum Rhein Main and ABB began with a series of workshops that examined the various parts of the workflow and identified optimum solutions, taking account of not only the technical but also the commercial needs into very fine detail.
These workshops were, however, just the first step. The contract for supplying the workflow solutions has now been signed.

Why with ABB? Ulrike Koehler’s answer comes quickly: “ABB’s systems convinced us, in particular the insert management system MPS InsertManager. Previously there was nothing like this on the market for the fully integrated commercial and technical processing of insertion orders.”
Michael Rettig, who leads the new print center together with Ulrike Koehler, adds “it is important to us that all data are entered once only and are then available everywhere. The fully integrated solution from ABB makes this possible.”
The scale of the workflow supplied by ABB is impressive, in particular as the presses at DRM are already equipped with ABB’s MPS Control Console and the press management system MPS Production. The scope of supply of the new order includes the following systems:
MPS Cockpit for the plant-wide planning and management of the entire newspaper production process.
MPS Insight for the plant-wide tracking of the entire production.
MPS InsertManager for the support and coordination of sales, production planning, storage and the regionalized fine distribution of newspaper inserts.
MPS PlateWorkflow for the fully automated plate production.
MPS Roll Handling for the automation of the reel supply coordinated with the production planning of the press.
An important aspect of a project like this is that the whole is a lot more than just a collection of systems. It is the integration that creates added value for DRM, and that includes a wide range of interfaces between the ABB systems and the sales, distribution and commercial systems of the two publishing houses.
The various systems and interfaces will be commissioned between June and November 2010.
Boris Falk, Head of Sales at ABB’s Center of Excellence Printing says “we have shown once more that ABB has the technical expertise, process know-how and the systems to meet the highest demands for integrated workflow. We are convinced that this combination will be the key to success for many of our customers.”