Fairfax Media will install closed-loop colour density technology in the second stage of its North Richmond control upgrade.

QI Press Controls will install its colour register, cut-off and closed loop colour controls across the whole of the New South Wales regional printing plant, which is being upgraded to print the Sydney Morning Herald.

The order is the second stage of an installation there, following a trial of mRC+ colour register control and mRC cut-off ribbon control on the UV-cured towers of the manroland Uniset press. Now the remainder of the combination heatset/coldset/UV Uniset press is being equipped, as well as the double-width Geoman being moved from Tullamarine, Victoria.

It will include 24 IDS (intelligent density system) scanners for colour and water dampening control, and 17 mRC+ colour register scanners. These will be installed on six Uniset towers (including the two UV towers) and two horizontal Uniset heatset webs (with three folders) as well as the four Geoman towers (with one folder).

This brings a total of 12 all-colour webs will be under IDS control, and will be Fairfax Media’s first IDS installation project. QI’s IQM (intelligent quality management) will provide overall monitoring of the system, analysing data from the closed loop systems and reports continuously.

QI chairman and managing director Menno Jansen says the installation will highlight his company’s experience and skill in this technology because of its complexity, due to the manroland Uniset press’s combination of heatset, UV and coldset, both single width and double width.

“I am extremely happy with this prestigious order for closed-loop colour control at North Richmond,” he says. “The combination of heatset, UV and coldset in one press line is truly unique, and is great to have as a reference site in Australia.

“This order will strengthen our partnership even further with Fairfax.”

Fairfax print and distribution general manager (North Richmond, Launceston and Beaudesert) Michael Gee says the installation will provide greater consistency and cost savings in ongoing operations in “a very competitive environment”.

Installation will start in January-February next year and take about a month. Fairfax have announced that production of its flagship metro daily will switch to the regional site in March, and that the Chullora (NSW) and Tullamarine (Victoria) centres will close by June. The workload is being shared between North Richmond, Beresfield, Ormiston, Ballarat and Canberra.

Fairfax also prints for about 200 external clients for whom, print chief executive Bob Lockley says, the technology will guarantee print quality and consistency.

News Corp Australia is currently installing QI’s closed-loop IDC density control technology on its presses in Brisbane, Queensland.

Pictured (from left) Menno Jansen, Michael Gee, Nigel Alexander (general manager of QIPC agent Ferrostaal Australia) and Bob Lockley