Popular Bangkok daily Thairath is investing again in its six-line manroland Geoman press installation in an upgrade to maximise production security.

Almost five years after one of the most comprehensive service upgrades ever, publusher Vacharaphol has commissioned manroland web systems for a further major PECOM upgrade.

The project - due for completion in December - includes new control hardware and software for the six Geoman presses totalling 24 towers, 36 splicers and six folders, which were first installed in 1995.

It includes modern operating surface and control desk computers, touch screens and consoles and PECOM Press Manager Server software including a 'hot-standby' backup server, which takes over immediately in the event of a fault. Production is controlled and analysed by a Press Monitor 2 system, which provides master data for process optimisation, monitoring prepress, press and postpress.

A new manroland soft proofing system at control desks is expected to improve production efficiency and quality, and reduce waste.

manroland service project manager Gebhard Sutter says they are "very proud" of the trust Vacharaphol is again placing in them: "We are are definitely going to make our highest efforts to fulfil the expectations of our customer and to contribute to their success."

The family-owned media company was founded in 1950 by Kamphol Vacharaphol. Thairath Daily is the largest newspaper in Thailand with an average circulation of about a million copies per day.