Some 12 of Harland Simon's new press control desks will go into projects for Gannett Publishing Services in Kentucky and Tennessee.

The company has just completed the upgrade of roll handling systems at the Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. Now the focus turns to press and drive controls on the KBA Colora press, as well as the Comet pressline at the Jackson Sun in Jackson, TN.

Harland Simon will replace EAE frontend controls with standard PC/touchscreens and Allen-Bradley Logix PLCs, enabling the sites to support the systems themselves in the future.

Two 'latest generation' Prima 7000 operator consoles will be installed in Jackson, and a further 12 in Louisville (pictured), with the project complete by the end of the third quarter of 2017, and presses remaining in production throughout the upgrade process. New workflow based Prima MS management information systems are also being installed, providing edition performance, press performance, and presetting accuracy among extensive reporting.

A new Bosch Rexroth MLC controller will upgrade the CLC drive control system, allowing the current drives and motors to be upgraded later, drive-by-drive, if required in future years.

To expand the capabilities for additional commercial opportunities at Jackson, the folder control system has been completely upgraded by the replacement of the KT98 and KT94 controllers with Allen-Bradley PLCs, to support double delivery.

Americas managing director John Staiano says the project follows a number of others involving similar equipment, most recently at the Windsor Star in Ontario. "We are confident this upgrade will help GPS to continue to build on their growing commercial market in these areas," he added.