Bangkok daily newspaper printer Matichon has upgraded its 16-year-old pressline to improve reliability, diagnostics, and make it easier to operate.

The manroland Uniset line built in 1995 has been upgraded in two four-week stages to include the latest manroland PECOM control hardware in all units. The project undertaken by manroland engineers, began in August last year, just prior to flooding in the city, and has been achieved without interrupting production.

“Electronic parts of older technology are more and more difficult in the market, but newspaper products need to be printed every day,” said a Matichon spoklesperson. “Therefore, to secure the production, we have to keep the press most reliable.

“With a new electronic upgrade, it is more reliable, features better diagnostics, and is easier to operate.”

Founded in January 1978, the company has been listed on the Thai stock exchange (SET) since December 1989 as Matichon Public Co. The print site produces the Thai-language daily, and other newspaper, magazine and pocket book work.

The new electronic upgrade has improved productivity “to a large extent” with the whole production process smoother and more stable.

Matichon has a staff of 1500, and has been a using manroland web presses such as the Uniset for many years.

The manroland PECOM technology connects and automates preparation, printing and reporting processes and can be configured to customer needs.