The New York Times upgrades press with QI Press Controls’ automation

The publisher inked a deal with Netherlands-based QI Press Controls (QIPC) in May to supply 64 IDS-3D cameras to improve colour and registration control across seven Goss Colorliner presses at its College Point production plant. The plant houses seven press folders and includes the Colorliner 85 the publisher installed in 2008. That press has 12 colour towers and two folders, which NYT runs as two presses.

Nick D’Andrea, vice-president of production, NYT, “The install is scheduled to begin at the end of September. The first press is slated to be available by the end of October, with one being brought up every four to six weeks after that.”

NYT first began looking into the benefits of closed-loop at Drupa in 2012. At that time, damp control — something NYT wanted to implement — wasn’t prevalent in the technology. When the publisher resumed its search, it challenged several suppliers to find the right solution for its unique needs. Having supplied an IRS system to NYT in 2006, QIPC was a logical choice to throw its hat in the ring.

“After extensive analysis and investigation, we decided that QIPC’s single-camera option was the best fit for us,” said Todd Socia, senior vice-president of print products and services for NYT. “Doing it all on one camera was simpler from an installation and maintenance standpoint, and we felt it would ultimately offer us a lower total cost of ownership.”

In addition to closed-loop control, the project includes damp control and enhanced print default detection. The latter was also the key for NYT, and QIPC’s tools for print defect detection and keeping press cameras clean stood out. “We have a big pressroom with lots of cameras, so keeping the optics clean was important to us,” Socia said.