Offset Printing

Harland Simon to Upgrade Meridian/Echelon controls on a Goss Newsliner Press

Monday 11. May 2015 - Harland Simon to Upgrade Meridian/Echelon controls on a Goss Newsliner Press

Following the success in upgrading the controls on their Goss Universal press at The Tribune-Review, PA in 2014 Trib Total Media have selected Harland Simon to replace the aging and obsolete Rockwell Automation frontend and Goss Meridian on-unit control system on their Newsliner press at the same site. With increased demand on their press and lack of component availability for the existing control systems, The Tribune-Review had to act in order to guarantee delivery of their increasing range of publications.
Building on their proven upgrade methodology, for this project Harland Simon developed an innovative technique of replacing the Rockwell frontend with standard PCs and touchscreens and the Meridian controllers, such as the SmartMacs and SmartPacs, with off-the-shelf Allen-Bradley products. This new method enables a fast changeover between the Harland Simon and Rockwell/Meridian system during access periods. It also allows the press to be upgraded without the need to shut production down or affect normal schedules, a key requirement for most press control system upgrades. At the same time, costs have been minimized by retaining elements of the existing system that can still be used and supported.
Harland Simon’s Managing Director – Americas, John Staiano commented, “It’s very rewarding to see that the performance of the Harland Simon team on the Universal project and a smart approach to the Newsliner project have given Trib Total Media the confidence to continue the working relationship with us. We are pleased that our cost-effective upgrade methodology will allow them to continue to produce excellent quality publications with fast turn-around times to meet their customers’ expectations.”
As part of this project, Harland Simon will also supply three P6000 operator screens providing the same user experience across both the Universal and Newsliner enabling full flexibility across the presses. Similarly, a single upper level system comprising the Prima MS and RIPSet solutions will provide presetting, planning, monitoring and reporting for both presses to improve operational efficiency at the Tribune-Review.