www.newsandtech.com www.newsandtech.com November/December 2018 The premier resource for insight, analysis and technology integration in newspaper and hybrid operations and production. Newspapers make strides with AR in ’18 u BY TARA MCMEEKIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Over the past year a number of image that launched a fireworks display for readers. newspaper publishers have ventured Mitchell worked closely with Strata and the company’s CEO John Wright into augmented reality. to help tailor the solution to newspaper publishers and offer it to them for a “This is the first time that we’ve fraction of what it would cost them to develop apps on their own. He then crossed the digital divide where began talking to other publishers about the benefits. He believes AR technol- your newspaper becomes the gate- ogy holds tremendous value in terms of luring advertisers back to newspapers way — and it all plays off the printed by giving them the ability to layer video, audio and other features behind a product,” Jack Mitchell, publisher of print advertisement. Northern California’s twice-weekly Ledger Dispatch told News & Tech. Spreading the word Mitchell has been championing In June, Mitchell met Yankton (South Dakota) Daily Media owner Gary Wood the use of AR by publishers ever during a conference and the two discussed AR. Wood quickly got onboard since the Ledger Dispatch launched and two months later, on August 14, his flagship Yankton Daily Press & Dako- Using the Interactive News code in a smartphone its own AR experience platform in tan launched its own iteration of Interactive News. camera prompts readers to download the app. February. He formally presented the “We aim to always be ahead of the curve and I loved the idea of putting the technology to the California News ability to bring news, sports and ads to life right at our readers’ fingertips,” Publishers Association not long after. The Ledger Dispatch’s Augmented Real- Wood told News & Tech. “We had 178 downloads on day one.” ity News App is powered by the Interactive News platform. Utah-based AR Both Mitchell and Wood said the ease of use is one of the most appealing technology innovator Strata developed Interactive News. things for newspapers. The Interactive News AR platform can be deployed With the Ledger Dispatch’s app, readers can trigger images to access deep- without the need for additional staff. er content. For example, readers can hold their smartphone, enabled with the “We can put 12 interactive stories together in about 30 minutes,” Wood app, over the paper’s masthead to get an audio recap of the day’s news. Or, said. “Most of the video can be shot on cell phones and then we also use they can hold their smartphone over a restaurant ad and instantly book a din- some of our higher-end cameras for news and sports, too. It’s so easy that ner reservation. Over the July Fourth holiday, the Ledger Dispatch featured an AR technology continued on page 5 Manroland Goss Group focuses on customer-oriented solutions u BY MARY L. VAN METER NEWS & TECH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Chicago – Manroland Goss web systems CEO Wassermann was named CEO with the merger sermann told conference attendees. Alexander Wassermann talked to attendees of the in August. He specializes in developing strategies “I absolutely believe that this is an industry ING conference, held Sept. 28–29 at The Hyatt Re- for engineering companies in declining markets where still a lot of money can be earned for all of gency in Chicago. and steering their transitions into service compa- us,” he said. “We are here to help you earn that nies. money and that is what our vision is all about,” At the conference, he addressed he told ING attendees. “We are absolutely com- the company’s recent merger and mitted to this industry. “Not so surprising is that trends in the industry. Below is a the merger between Goss and manroland has been Turn to sampling of what Wassermann on the table many times. This is actually the fifth said. attempt to merge the companies over the last 20 page 33 “The newly-merged manroland years,” he said. for expanded Goss company will share a com- “The history of both companies means a lot of mitment to web-fed printing, mail- different press manufactures have merged into this industry room, and finishing solutions with group and we have retained all the intellectual coverage a global service advantage,” man- property of those companies. We can offer parts, roland Goss CEO Alexander Was- Manroland Goss continued on page 6 News & Tech November/December 2018 u 1 www.newsandtech.com — Let’s write the future. With retrofit solutions that give your press another ten years of life. ABB’s retrofit solutions for newspaper presses will extend the productive life of your press, improve print quality, reduce waste and improve efficiency — for a fraction of the cost of a new press. Worried about the availability of spare parts for your existing controls? With an ABB retrofit you know that spares will be available worldwide for ten to fifteen years. Whether looking for replacement drives, new controls, conversion to shaftless or a complete press reconfiguration, ABB has the right solution for you. The key to the future of your printing business lies with ABB. www.abb.com/printing 2 t November/December 2018 News & Tech ABB-Ad_Newsandtech_228x276_a.indd 1 21.07.2017 07:51:57 uIndustry News Gannett orders retrofits for two U.S. print sites Gannett has placed orders with ABB for press control retrofits and up- to Release 6. The commissioning of the systems in Milwaukee will begin grades at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in Wisconsin, and North Jersey around the middle of 2019. Media in Rockaway, New Jersey, according to ABB. The second order is for the North Jersey Media print site in Rockaway, The order for the Milwaukee site, which prints on a KBA Commander where Gannett’s The Record and other newspapers are printed on WIFAG press, will see the original KT94 and MR93 control systems on three printing evolution 371 and Mitsubishi Lithopia presses. ABB will be replacing the towers replaced with ABB’s AC500 PLC. ABB will be using its adapter solu- press control system on the Wifag press, including those units on the printing tion for this upgrade — the new control systems are mounted on footprint- towers, folder and reelstands. The original “Platform Plus” controls from Wi- compatible adapters that mean that the new systems occupy exactly the fag will also be replaced. The new solutions are based again on the industry- same space and have exactly the same connections as the original systems. standard AC500 PLC. The Journal Sentinel will also be upgrading its ABB MPS Control Consoles The commissioning will begin in spring 2019. to the latest version based on ABB’s Compact Product Suite HMI. At the In addition, ABB, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, will be upgrading same time their MPS Production press management system will be upgraded the control consoles on both the Wifag and Mitsubishi presses. Five Indian printers working with QIPC QIPC is working with five Indian printers: Ka- of QIPC-EAE India. “These orders also involve The order Saraswati Press placed with QIPC lptaru Offset, Natraj Print House, Saraswati Press three different types of machines.” consists of four different projects, all of which will and Hexagon Print & Pack, according to a press The work for Kalptaru Offset involves an mRC- be carried out at the Kolkata printing plant. release from QIPC. 3D system for color register and cut-off control The job for Hexagon Print & Pack, in Mum- The Dutch specialist in measuring and control installed on a TPH Orient press. In total, two cam- bai, involves an mRC-3D color register system equipment for the printing industry is supplying eras are involved. installed on a TPH Orient press. Sanat Printers is the Indian printers with various mRC-3D systems Natraj Print House will also equip its Pressline having a new mRC-3D system for color register for color register control. press with an mRC-3D system for color register and cut-off control installed on its Harris M600 “Every press and printing company is different, and cut-off control. This also involves two cam- press. of course,” said Rakesh Dave, managing director eras. Engle Printing Company turns to DCOS for upgrade Pennsylvania-based Engle Printing Company has contracted with “As printers struggle to make their presses more efficient and easier to DCOS Sweden for a press automation upgrade on one of their existing Tensor operate, this is a very important project for DCOS in the United States as it T400BE presses. demonstrates the full capacity of our press register, density and cutoff inspec- The Tensor T400BE press configuration is four towers and one folder. The tion and automatic control capabilities,” says Ron Ehrhardt, sales director, existing WPC register system will be replaced by eight CRC4 closed-loop Americas, for DCOS. density/register control cameras. The folder will be equipped with four PCT4 The installation is scheduled to be completed by the end of November cut-off cameras. For ink density control, DCOS will integrate the CRC4 cam- 2018, according to DCOS. eras with the existing Perretta remote ink system. Norway’s Agderposten Trykk contracts with DCOS Norway-based newspaper printer Agderposten newspapers, and commercial work. fices in Illinois, will install the control components Trykk has contracted DCOS for a major automa- The overall scope of the project involves sepa- to handle the quality functions of the press along tion upgrade of their Goss Magnum press, involv- rating the quality functions (ink, water, register with three operator desk touch screens, a printing ing partial retrofit of the existing Goss Omnicon and web tension) from the Omnicon system, framework software package including presetting system, and adding a DCOS closed-loop inspec- which eliminates the need for the Goss WebCen- and pre-press interface and its Inspection System tion system.