Compacta Camera Installation

KOENIG & BAUER PARTNERED WITH DCOS ON COMPACTA S80 RETROFIT AND UPGRADE

KINNA, October 22nd, 2020 – The Koenig & Bauer Compacta S80 short-grain heatset press is known for its robustness, dependability and high print quality. Even though these presses were manufactured decades ago, it’s still a hot candidate for service-life-extensions and automation upgrades.

Koenig & Bauer decided to partnered with DCOS to develop a retrofit & upgrade solution for these presses and first out is a 1991 vintage Compacta S80 in Germany. Besides a complete drive and control system upgrade the project also includes a fully loaded Print Inspection System.

The original drive and control systems was facing absolute obsolescence and becoming a liability. DCOS automation platform Printing Framework was customized to fit the needs in a combined engineering effort between Koenig & Bauer and DCOS.
It incorporates new main drive system, mechanical PIVs has been replaced by shaftless drives, updated safety system and a new machine and quality control system.

Mattias Andersson, CEO at DCOS says: “Customizing a Retrofit on a thirty-year-old press, that was fairly automated for its time, always comes with some engineering challenges. We have enjoyed being part of this project together with Koenig & Bauer and it is rewarding to see the outcome. A modernized & fully automated press with many productive years ahead… and only 30 year old.

To further increase print quality and waste efficient the project scope also included a full DCOS closed-loop Density, Color register and Cut-off control system and Softproof system.
A new feature in the DCOS Print Inspection Systems family was developed for this project, a camera based closed-loop web-guide control system. This feature will serve as a possible upgrade solution for obsolete web-guide control systems.

Leif_Bergstrom

DCOS UP FOR ANOTHER OMNICON RETROFIT AND INSPECTION SYSTEM INSTALLATION ON A GOSS MAGNUM PRESS

KINNA, October 8th, 2020 – In May 2020, DCOS inked a deal with Tryck i Norrbotten (Luleå, Sweden) to future-proof their eight tower, single folder Goss Magnum press. The order includes a “full DCOS package solution”, replacing and retrofitting the complete Omnicon system, the shaftless drive system and the QTI Multicam system.

Obsolescence of components and support on the Omnicon platform has been driving factors behind the decision as well as the desire to improve waste efficiency and productivity.

DCOS became the natural choice for us as they can take ownership of all automation systems on the press & auxiliary equipment and be the long-term partner we need to secure future support and uptime from one source. The Closed-Loop Density system is an essential part of our project and we have very high expectations on it being the ROI driver on this whole investment.” Says Leif Bergström, CEO at Tryck i Norrbotten.

The Goss Magnum press was installed in 2009 and is unique in the aspect it has a Goss Universal folder with single former board and three sections ribbon split, all stitched.

Tryck i Norrbotten is a fully owned subsidiary of Norr Media AB which is part of the NTM Media group. NTM group is publishing thirty-three newspapers and operating three printshops across Sweden.
NTM group recently continued its growth in northern part of Sweden by acquiring the newspaper “Norran”. The consecutive closure of “Norrans” printing operation has consequently further increased the print volume at Tryck i Norrbotten.

In order to minimize operational and consumable costs, Tryck i Norrbotten decided to invest in a complete Print Inspection System with Density, Register and Cut-off control. 24 Closed-loop cameras will be installed to ensure maximum waste efficiency and high consistent print quality.

In addition, DCOS sister company AMAL Webline will carry out a retrofit on two of the existing AR70A splicers.

Mattias Andersson, CEO at DCOS: “I’m honored that Leif and his team decided to partner up with DCOS, I’m convinced this will be a success for both parties now and in the future. DCOS has done many similar projects over the years and I think this is where we can bring most value to our customers, one partner that can take overall responsibility and make sure to get the maximum press performance.

The installation will take place in the fourth quarter of 2020 and finalize prior to the new year.

The Charleston Post & Courier

THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER GETS DCOS AUTOMATION UPGRADE

KINNA, August 5th, 2020 – DCOS AUTOMATION is pleased to announce an order at The Charleston (SC) Post and Courier for a new controls system integration for their 108 Goss digital page packs including ink preset and a new closed-loop color registration/ink density system replacement to their existing CC1 register system.

We are very excited to have the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities regarding lowering waste, producing high print quality and ease of operation on a non-4-high tower GOSS Metro Press consisting of mono-units and color decks” said Ron Ehrhardt, Sales Director for DCOS North American Operations.

While the more traditional ‘old school Goss Metro’ base is shrinking somewhat over the last few years there are still quite a few out there that can benefit from our upgrade, I look forward to speaking with these customers soon, hopefully at a rescheduled Metro Production conference later this year or in 2021?” adds Ehrhardt. “It’s also nice to see newspapers making investments in upgrade equipment during this current Covid 19 economic situation.

The project started in 2019, according to Sidney Stover Production Manager at The Charleston Post and Courier: “Near the end of 2019 the current system failed and we were without ink presetting capabilities for two weeks. Our IT department was able to restore the system, but it was only a matter of time before it will fail and not be recoverable.”

Sid Stover adds “We later realized the original planned upgrade to our existing system was not going to fix the issues we were having. We were facing a much larger investment to keep the system running. So we began researching ink presetting system vendors. The owners at DCOS are very hands-on and easy to communicate with. The company’s services are exactly what we were looking for and DCOS focuses on using nonproprietary components. They have a strong commitment to the printed product and the high level of quality print customers have come to expect. This mirrors our company’s commitment to a quality printed product. We are making a financial investment in our printing equipment to maintain and even improve the quality for our customers and readers. Another key factor for us choosing to partner with DCOS was that they not only have a proven track record with digital ink presetting systems, but the same system has camera registration controls. This allowed us to replace another aging legacy system on the press at the same time.

DCOS has a strong history with open fountain presses on both single and double width presses and now will gain experience on a Digital Page Pack inking System double width press. We have installed our closed loop ink density inspection equipment on just about every type of press in operation and this order moves us into a new market” Says Ehrhardt.

The contract was signed in July and the installation is schedule for the end of this year.

Bodo

AMEDIA BODÖ GETS RETOFIT AND CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM FROM DCOS

KINNA, July 8th, 2020 – In the past weekend the DCOS crew replaced the original drive and control system of the eight tower, single folder Tensor press at Amedia´s printing facility in Bodö, Norway. Two weeks of preparation cumulated in the silencing of the old systems from 2006 and the new drive and control system installed, tested and ready for Sunday production. Long days and hard work to meet the customers print schedule.

Pasi Ylikankaanpää who was the first DCOS technician on-site says; ”It has been a couple of intensive weeks of preparations and minor retrofits steps to put us in a position to carry out the main system switch in such a short time frame. Good planning is the key. It rewarding to see the result of the effort and see the first live print job hit the street on time”.

The press was also upgraded with a new DCOS closed-loop cut-off system for eight webs.
The first ever installation of DCOS Closed-loop system was in Norway back in 2007. This order marks the milestone for over 200 DCOS closed-loop cameras installed in Norway.

I´m pleased we have completed the project and our drive and control system is now top modern. The project has been intensive but right on time, I´m very satisfied with the close co-operation with the team from DCOS. The closest printshop is 6 hours away so its an understatement to say we are very dependent on a modern supportable press control system”, says Trond Olsen, managing director Amedia Bodö.

Contract Signing Schibsted

SCHIBSTED TRYKK BOOSTS ITS OSLO PRINTING PLANT WITH DCOS CLOSED-LOOP INSPECTION SYSTEM

KINNA, May 28th, 2020 – In the middle of the blooming area of Nydalen in Oslo where new apartment buildings, stores, supermarkets, hotels and office buildings are constantly being developed, one of northern Europe’s largest printing facilities is still an impressive landmark. With twenty-two Goss Colorliner 80S towers and five Quad-Former folders, Schibsted Trykk has the largest printing press in the Nordics. Today three folders and 12 towers are in daily use, producing around 4.5 million copes every week.

In the continuous strive to increase productivity and reduce cost of consumables, Schibsted Trykk decided in 2019 to take a closer look at upgrading its press with closed-loop density control. Just before Christmas last year, Schibsted decided DCOS would be their best choice of partner for the project.

We have high ambitions with this investment and DCOS has appeared to be the best fit for us to reach our set goals. DCOS has a huge install base and we have got nothing but positive feedback from other DCOS users and the ROI is well within our expectation”, says Bjarne Andersen, CEO Schibsted Trykk.

DCOS will install its proven concept of a complete Print Inspection System (density, color register and cut-off) on one section plus Digital Presetting across twelve towers. The press has Goss Digital Inking System (Page Packs) and the project involves a partial retrofit of existing Honeywell Digital Inking control system.

Patrik Martinsson, Sales Manager at DCOS adds, “I´m very pleased we have been awarded this project by Bjarne and his team, we will make sure this becomes a success. This order also marks the seventh consecutive Inspection System order in Norway won by DCOS, a fact that gives us even more motivation to continue doing our utmost to find solutions that make our customer more productive”.

Installation is ongoing and will be completed in June.

Jussi Talvi at Suomalainen Lehthipaino

SUOMALAINEN LEHTIPAINO’S bold move switching to DCOS pays off, month-by-month

KINNA, May 7th, 2020 – In 2008 Suomalainen Lehtipaino, based in Kajaani in northern Finland, invested in a new printing press. A seven tower and two folders Tensor T400BE press with DCOS drive and control system was installed and substantially increased the color and pagination capacity compared to the Solna press it replaced. The press was originally equipped with Inventor Spray Dampening and Perretta Remote Inking and Register System.

In 2016 it was announced that Suomalainen Lehtipaino invests in additional automation as the Perretta closed-loop register system was replaced by a closed-loop Color, Register and Cut-off system from Dutch company QI Press Controls. The customer’s expectations were to increase the quality and obtain savings in ink and waste paper. The system was installed in the end of 2016.

Starting at the end of 2018 we were in contact with Marja and her team discussing future retrofit needs and we could see that the efficiency and savings was not at a level we normally expect on a press with Closed-loop Color control. Start-up waste was almost doubled compared to equivalent DCOS installations. This encouraged us to investigate if there is a financial incitement to replace the new QI system with a DCOS system”,says Marcus Juselius, DCOS Agent in Finland.

A detailed ROI study was made and presented. This was followed up with two reference visits to demonstrate the DCOS Inspection system to highlight the differences. In late summer 2019 Suomalainen Lehtipaino decided to place the order with DCOS to replace the Closed-loop Inspection System.

The target for the investment was for the start-up waste to be almost halved, reduced by 47,5% with DCOS Technology.

We were thrilled about this opportunity. We know our technology is unrivaled when it comes to ROI and waste savings, we have seen this trend for years, but it’s always hard to compare different systems on different type of jobs, presses and pressrooms. Here we finally got a chance to compare apple-to-apple. Replacing the old system with the new and monitor the result.”, says Mattias Andersson, CEO and DCOS.

The QI Press control system was dismantled as the DCOS system was installed and commissioned in December 2019. The first full month waste report for January showed a 39% start-up waste reduction from the previous year and the start-up waste has continued to decline since.

Marja Niemi, Production Manager Suomalainen Lehtipaino says; “I have to admit it was not easy to make the decision to replace the system we installed in 2016, but the DCOS reference visits were very convincing and we felt confident the ROI was there. Today I’m very pleased to see the promises come through, resulting in savings for us. Additionally,our operators give me very positive feedback on a fully automatic and user-friendly system”.

This is DCOS second Closed-Loop Inspection System installation in Finland.

covid_19

Update from DCOS, TENSOR & AMAL on the current COVID-19 situation

KINNA, March 24th, 2020 – The COVID-19 situation is the primary subject in almost all conversations today, the global impact is huge and we are all affected, by the virus or by the consequences of the means to defeat the spread of the virus.

At DCOS, Tensor and Amal, the safety and health of our employees, their families, customers and business relations are our top priority. We are currently operating almost as normal with a high order volume and focused to ensure business continuity, but obviously with restrictions due to the COVID-19 situation. These restrictions involve travel restrictions, social distancing, establishing methods and best practice to limit the spread of the virus in our workspace.

We will experience some delays in ongoing projects, mainly due to travel restrictions, but we also seek individual solutions to keep project going to the best of our ability. We are open to explore new ways to run installations in difficult times like these and we are amazed by the initiatives and openminded support shown by our customer in a uniform approach to keep the projects going.

Our hotline support and parts service operate as normal, we are not seeing any major impact in supply chain or logistics that would affect our ability to support our customers in their day-to-day operation.

The situation is changing rapidly, and we follow the development closely and adapt to the guideline of our authorities. Should you have any questions to us, feel free to contact me.

I like to express our deepest concerns for those who are affected by the crisis. Stay Safe!

DCOS IGA MD´s

DCOS sets new footprint in the GERMAN MARKET

KINNA, February 6th, 2020 – Automation House Sweden AB, the holding company of DCOS Sweden AB, Tensor International LLC and Amal Webline AB has acquired a majority of shares in IGA Plauen GmbH Ingenieurgemeinshaft Automatisierung based in Plauen Germany. The acquisition follows many years of successful cooperation between DCOS and IGA and the company will be renamed to DCOS IGA Automation GmbH.

IGA is an automation company with roots in the former Manroland Plauen operation specializing in electrical design, software development, machine safety and project management. IGA is well established as a solution provider to printers and partners in the global market.

DCOS has in recent years developed a global leadership position in closed-loop density control for offset printing. Combined with its retrofit solutions, DCOS is unique in being a single-source, brand-independent automation provider for the printing industry.

DCOS has a proven record of success in the seamless integration of press drives, controls, and closed loop density, register and cut-off control equipment to all existing OEM offset presses. The acquisition of IGA further enhances our capabilities.

DCOS completed its first retrofit project in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) back in 2011 and several presses in this market have been equipped with DCOS automation. However, it has always been obvious that a local organization would be advantageous to support sales, project and service efforts, not least due to language.

“This acquisition and partnership with IGA is a strategic step for DCOS. I see an excellent growth potential in the DACH market for our automation solutions and being able to run projects, service and support from our Plauen office will certainly strengthen our position. Secondly, partnering with IGA not only helps us grow our organization with qualified and experienced engineers, it also adds new competences to our group that gives edge to our offer.” says Mattias Andersson, CEO DCOS.

Stefan Leissner, founder and MD at IGA adds; “After working together with DCOS for many years I´m pleased that we have taken the decision to become part of the same company. With this acquisition we want to merge the strengths of each individual company to further improve our capability and capacity in our projects to the benefit for our new and existing customer base.”

Stuart team

DCOS wins another DGM press project

KINNA, October 31th, 2019 – DCOS Automation has been awarded a contract to install closed loop ink density / color registration equipment to a DGM 440/430 press at Stuart Web, located in Stuart, Florida. Working with imPressions Worldwide on a comprehensive press addition and system upgrade project, Stuart Web will also add 3-used DGM 430 4-high towers to their existing press.

This project is the second DCOS closed loop automation system installed on a press with UV curing in North America.

Stuart Web’s DGM 440 tower is dedicated to UV curing. Due to the higher operational costs of UV printing, smart UV printers are realizing the benefits of the lower waste that our proven closed loop automation systems provide” adds Ron Ehrhardt, Sales Director for DCOS.

Delivery and installation will commence in January 2020.

BTT Retrofit

SWEDISH PRINTER picks DCOS for complete retrofit of its KBA COLORA PRESS

KINNA, October 3rd, 2019 – For almost two decades, Borås Tidning Tryckeri (BTT) has been a cornerstone in Bold Printing Group, one of the largest printing groups in Nordic countries. The printshop in Viared (west of Borås) was established in 2002 following a joint venture between media groups Bold Printing and Gota Media.

Gota Media is also the owner of the local newspaper Borås Tidning, who used to operate its own printshop in downtown Borås prior the joint venture.

As a result of the ongoing changes in the media landscape in Sweden, Gota Media decided to buy Bold Printing out of BTT and regain ownership of the printing plant, this transaction is ongoing and will be concluded prior end of the year.

The KBA Colora press, installed in 2002, is unique in its design. It consists of three four-high printing towers, one five-high, and one folder. The five-high was not part of the original press order but at the time the press was manufactured in Würzburg, BTT secured another print contract requiring 80 pages and needed one additional web, the result was extending one four-high to a five-high.

The press automation was typical for this time, a solution called “Leittechnik” that is a mix of KBA on-press automation and EAE´s section controller, control desks, planning and reporting. The drive system is a Bosch Rexroth SYNAX system. In 2012 BTT placed the order with DCOS to equip the press with its Closed-loop inspection system, this included the replacement of the EAE ink-preset system. This created a situation where the main automation systems on the press are from four different vendors based four different technology platforms.

For some years BBT has seen the emerging need to retrofit its automation systems to fight obsolescence and to future-proof its operations. The decision was delayed due to the ongoing change in ownership, but with the new owner in place earlier this year, BTT decided to put their plans into action and DCOS was awarded the contract to become the automation partner for all the press automation.

We have been very pleased with the original systems from KBA, EAE and Bosch Rexroth but for us this was an opportunity to unify our automations systems into one hardware and software platform. The openness and push towards standard non-proprietary components by DCOS were also important for us”, says Måns Källqvist, Production & Technical Manager at BTT.

DCOS has developed a drive and control system solution for the “Leittechnik” presses which involves a complete change in technology, the many fieldbus systems in the “Leittechnik” concept will be removed and the new systems will run only over Ethernet. The complete EAE system will be replaced, the obsolete ABB KT98 and KT94 PLC on the press will be replaced by standard I/O systems, and the Bosch Rexroth motion controllers will be removed and integrated in on unified drive and control system by DCOS.

Tommy Johnsson, CEO at BTT; “We invested in DCOS Closed-loop system in 2012 and have been very happy with both system and support. DCOS is a very dynamic and flexible company that well fit our needs for future, we are very pleased to extend and intensify our partnership with them”.

The project preparation phase is ongoing, the retrofit will start on-site beginning of 2020, and last for about 3 months.

Interesting enough, this is the third KBA press within a one-hour drive to undergo a retrofit by DCOS. In 2012 Henreco press choose DCOS to retrofit and extended their KBA Express pres,s and in 2017 V-TAB Landvetter contracted DCOS for the retrofit and extension of their Manroland Colorman press with three stacked KBA Commander Satellites.

We are honored to win the trust of BTT for yet another project. For many years BTT has been our most frequently used showroom for our Inspection system and a prefect place for our “Leittechnik” retrofit”, says Mattias Andersson, CEO DCOS Sweden AB.