Redacción Alabrent
"Until the installation of the QuadTech register and ribbon systems with MultiCam, we were measuring color and color register manually," said Mr. S. Balasubramanian Adityan, Daily Thanthi Director. "The biggest challenge came when the number of color pages increased; it was very difficult for operators to control register on our high-speed, double width and double circumference presses."The installation of the QuadTech systems benefits us in five ways: we can shorten make-ready times, reduce startup waste, achieve consistent color, and optimize labor and press usage, while also contributing towards a better product and increased readership," he said.
The technology has been installed recently at four of Daily Thanthi's plants: in Cuddalore, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil, in Tamil Nadu, in the southern Indian Peninsula. Two additional QuadTech systems have been in operation at the group's headquarters in Chennai since 2010-11.
The choice of the QuadTech systems were based on the company's proven technology, reliability locally available spare parts and service support, and QuadTech's high market share in India.
"Since installing the systems, we have seen a 20% reduction in the time taken to achieve good register, and a 10% reduction in waste. Our ability to maintain consistent color throughout the run has also increased, giving us better overall quality," said Mr. Adityan. "We used to face a challenge after each auto-pasting cycle, with variations in register, but that has been completely eliminated."
The QuadTech Register Guidance System with MultiCam® offers unmatched color-register performance with operational flexibility. With lateral and circumferential register control, MultiCam searches marks as small as 0.36mm (0.014in) up to 30 times per second, even during make-ready and upsets in web tension. The QuadTech Ribbon Control System with MultiCam provides a high level of ribbon control tasks including cut-off, print-to-cut, print-to-fold and crossover register.
Both systems are operated from QuadTech's ICON™ platform with a user-friendly interface that facilitates quick and easy job setup, minimizes waste and integrates with downstream equipment such as UV coaters, perforators and rotary cutters.
Speaking for QuadTech, Vinodhkumar Balakrishnan, Regional Sales Manager, QuadTech, said: "Daily Thanthi Group has been carrying out an investment program, renewing its press and ancillary technologies in its print centers. This has contributed not only to better print quality but also to a notable increase in the paper's circulation. We're very pleased that the Daily Thanthi Group has chosen QuadTech as a partner to bring about the changes that are contributing to this growth."
More than just a newspaper
Established in 1942 with a mission to educate and create awareness among all sections of the Tamil community, Daily Thanthi today is a full-color broadsheet newspaper printed in 16 locations with a circulation of more than 1.5 million and an estimated readership in excess of 7 million.
While carrying a full portfolio of news and features, the paper continues to fulfill its original educational mission, publishing model examination questions and answers, past examination papers and an annual career guide.
With its long print runs and 15 editions covering a vast and varied area, spanning all of Tamil Nadu, and now including a Mumbai edition and an online edition, Daily Thanthi is reaching beyond Tamil Nadu to the worldwide Tamil community.