Muller Martini accelerates
Malayala Manorama to a new pace with
five NewsGrip and ten NewsStack machines
Modernising and expanding its printing capacity with new generation presses and
mailrooms, Malayala Manorama’s investment in five identical direct printing lines from
Muller Martini, ensuring speedy production process from the printing presses to the ramps
at its four plants in Kozhikode, Kottayam, Kollam and Pathanamthitta, all in Kerala.
Let’s get a glimpse of this fresh thrust at Malayala Manorama.
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Widely read Malayala Manorama
daily with a circulation close to 2.3
million copies is itself a flagship
publishing company with the same name,
which publishes more than 40 periodicals
and magazines; it runs its own television
channels, FM radio stations and internet
portals. In order to enhance its printing
capacity, Malayala Manorama, which was
established 126 years ago, is installing
five double-width Diamond Spirit SA
newspaper rotary presses from Mitsubishi
with a maximum production speed of 75,000
copies per hour, and printing capability of
40 broadsheet pages, at its four printing
plants in Kerala.
Five identical lines
“Printed newspapers continue to be the
main source of our company’s revenue and
that will remain the case for the foreseeable
future,” says chief editor Mammen Mathew
of Malayala Manorama, explaining the
major investment. Further, in order to tidily
transport the newspapers from the printing
presses to the ramps, Malayala Manorama
opted for a total of five identical direct lines
from Muller Martini. The center-pieces of
state-of-the-art mailroom systems are the
latest generation NewsGrip conveyor chains,
each with a receiving and delivery station.
They not only have a new control system,
but also feature new guide sections, which
make maintenance easier and longer
economic lifetime. In addition, the five
lines, which will come on-stream between
December 2014 and December 2015, each
includes two NewsStack compensating
stackers, Solema belts, a Sitma bundle
film wrapper with cross strapping, manual
application of pre-printed top sheets and
a control system for bundle production.
Right selections
Mammen explains that Malayala Manorama
opted for the solution from Muller Martini,
due to financial and technical advantages.
“We calculated the total cost of ownership
of all the proposals we received and Muller
Martini stood first. The maximum speed of
90,000 cycles/hr for the mailroom exceeds
that of our new printing press by 15,000
copies. That means the mailroom systems
are not producing at their limit, which
lowers maintenance costs and increases
their economic lifetime.”
In addition to the good after sales support
by Muller Martini India, the feedback given
by another Indian Muller Martini customer
also spoke well of the new solution. To this,
Mammen states, “I enquired at The Hindu
about their experiences with the Muller
Martini systems and heard only positive
reviews from them.”
QUICK FACTS
NewsGrip F gripper conveyor
The paced NewsGrip F gripper conveyor is used in
the mailroom of Malayala Manorama at two lines in
Kottayam, one line in Kozhikode and expected to be
installed in Kollam and Pathanamthitta as well. These
can also be used for print finishing areas for commercial
works. NewsGrip F gripper conveyer is extremely flexible
as far as thickness and size are concerned. One gripper can
carry one or two products. The optimal chain geometry
of the system provides for very good working properties
and thus for a safe and controlled product transport.
Specific features of NewsGrip F include: modular
system construction; stable chain; high rail strength
due to hard anodised aluminium profile; wide grippers;
clearly arranged controls; diagnostics unit; single stream
in-feed; transportation of two products per gripper;
accurate control and specimen copy pick-up; accurate
waste diversion. NewsGrip F runs in a mechanical
speed of: 1:1 mode maximum 90,000 cph; 2:1 mode
maximum 80,000 cph; number of pages: broadsheet
4–160 pages, tabloid 8–192 pages in 1:1 mode; and
broadsheet 6–50 pages, tabloid 12–70 pages in 2:1
mode; sizes are: minimal 270 x 195 mm and minimum
450 x 320 mm; single spacing - broadsheet 4–80 pages
100 mm & 84–160 pages 100 mm; tabloid 8-128 pages
100 mm; 132–192 pages 200 mm.
Muller Martini mailroom system
- Pickup station: Designed for 4–144 pages BS, 90,000 cph,
it can easily work at the maximum press speed of 75,000
cph; self-aligning by deceleration into large clamps; no drop
of copies at pickup area; pressing device for better handling
of lower paginations; 1 copy in 1 gripper at 75,000 cph; odd
key bundles 35, 47, 61, ... can be made.
- Chain conveyors/clamps: Built with glass fibre-reinforced
plastics; almost unbreakable; lower chain pitch of 75 mm
slower speed of conveyor => lesser wear; free of wear and
tear parts; extremely long life; speed: 90,000 cph; to handle
highest press speed of 75,000 cph.
- Track profile: Hard anodised aluminium track; lighter but
harder than steel; special synthetic guides on which the chain
runs; easy & cheaper to replace instead of complete tracks;
modular construction, easy to dismantle, expand and modify;
no welding; secondary supports included in the scope; single
point responsibility.
- Stacker: Over 300 stackers already installed; proven, reliable
stacker; side alignment reduces chance of jams; maximum
speed of 90,000 cph; one stacker can take 75,000 cph when the
other jams; approximately 42 bundles/min; small key bundles
with minimum manual counting; layer lift and pressing; high
bundle quality; maximum bundle height: 400 mm; useful for
higher paginations >32 pages BS.
- Intermediate conveyors: Slip torque conveyors: 2.5 m after
stacker; it can handle up to 5 or 6 bundles for top sheets; slip
torque conveyor: 1.5 m after film wrapper; manual handling
of 2 or 3 bundles on conveyor.
- Film wrapping machine: Speed upto 30 bundles/min.
- Cross strapping machine: Speed 30 bundles/min.
