New press technology from manroland and Ferag’s mailroom expertise are again teamed at the new Times of India plant in Kolkata.

The double-width, one around Cromoman 4-1 is the second installation of the ‘designed for India’ press, the first having gone to TOA’s Pune print site.

Both presses were installed by manroland India’s Augsburg-trained web engineers. They feature H-type printing units and floor-mounted reel stands placed parallel to each other, and are designed for speeds of up to 75,000 cph. Production options include web width variability and quarterfold production, and the compact design saves infrastructure costs by fitting into existing buildings.

Two Ferag mailroom lines in Kolkata bring the Swiss maker’s tally to eight of the 30 TOA sites. A modular system includes UTR conveyors which deliver newspapers to two MultiStack bundling units. Two Kallfass units foil-wrap bundles, which have an automatic top sheet provided and are cross-strapped using SmartStrap machines.

An existing PKT plate-chain conveyor takes bundles to the loading docks.

The modular equipment is the first phase of a programme which can be continuously extended. A further line – with a third MultiStack, under route-planned LineMaster control – is to be installed in preparation for the commissioning of the second folder early this year.

With a circulation of 4.3 million copies, the Times of India is the most widely sold English-language daily newspaper in India, and reaches more than eight million readers.

Pictured: A delegation from the Times of India at DRUPA, where contracts were confirmed