07.11.11 - EKTAB is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Eskilstuna-Kuriren media group which among other things produces morning papers Eskilstuna Kuriren, Strengnäs Tidning, Katrineholms Kuriren, Tidning Folket and a significant portion of commercial production. In the printing plant in Eskilstuna is a total of four printing towers, a mixture of KBA COLORA and A500 units and two folders. With its vision "to provide the best quality and the shortest lead times in coldest printing" they decided in early 2011 to equip the main folder with DRCS closed loop register system for the maximum of eight ribbons which can be run simultaneously.

"We chose to partner with a local company in Sweden that has a very market-oriented approach to the services they offer. Responsiveness to our ideas about the function and structure was crucial for the decision” said Philip Brännlund, president EKTAB.

The system monitors the print position of each ribbon in length and lateral position into the folder. With these measurements the position of the turnbars and cut-off register are automatically regulated to ensure that the ribbons is in the correct position relative to the folder in the shortest possible time, in order to minimize start-up waste. The ribbons position is continuously monitored during production to ensure product quality throughout the entire production.

Philip says: "In October we were nominated Swedish Champions in Print with a product in the segment up to 100 000 copies a night. The new register system has contributed by its speed and accuracy. Next to this wastage is on the way down. Overall, we have a user-friendly system that gives us better quality faster and at lower cost."

The press has drive and control system from EAE, and a color registration system from QIPC since many years. The project has involved a takeover of all preset functions for main, cut-off and turnbar register that were previously controlled by EAE. Since the DRCS system is adaptive, and records the adjustments performed both in automatic and manual mode, the operator can rely on the registers being in the correct position before a production starts. "We are very pleased EKTAB chose our system prior to other alternatives in the market. We believe DRCS system performance and functionality combined with our expertise on integration into existing drive and control systems on presses qualified us the best partner for EKTAB ", says Mattias Andersson, CEO DCOS.

About DCOS
At DCOS (Drive-Controls-Operator Systems) we are committed to providing increased productivity in our customers’ printing processes. Thanks to specific expertise in printing automation and many years of experience from the printing industry we offer best of breed products and solutions.
As for products we offer hardware such as drive controls, control desks and closed loop systems as well as software for operator interface and production management. However, just as important as our products is our dedication to always finding the optimal solution for every situation we are presented with.
Since the company started in 2004 we have helped optimize printing processes all over the world. We work directly with our customers as well as via a network of carefully selected agents.
Read more about DCOS – productivity in printing - at www.dcos.com