Manugraph DGM’s digital drive business has taken a leap forward with an order from Forum Communications in North Dakota.

The publisher of Forum West in its home town of Fargo will install 22 of the DC4000 series press drives across nine of its sites.

Others include the Grand Forks Herald and Dickinson Press in North Dakota,

Detroit Lakes Forum in Wisconsin, Mitchell Daily Republic in South Dakota; Duluth News Tribune, Brainerd Dispatch, Red Wing Republican Eagle and Willmar West Central Tribune in Minnesota.

The two-year installation programme starts next month, and adds to the 35 drives installed since the product was introduced two years back. Other orders include the Trinidad Daily News and the Murray Ledger Times in Kentucky.

Manugraph DGM sales vice president Ron Ehrhardt says the digital drive addresses the problem of obsolete drives for which parts are no longer available, and is also used in new equipment. Features include remote diagnostic support and multiple configurations.