Harland Simon has completed a project to upgrade controls and drives at Advance Central Services Michigan's Ann Arbor, Michigan production facility. The upgrade will support the company's growing commercial print business.
The project replaced GMI ink desks, folder SLC500 PLCs and Allen-Bradley 1395 drive modules, while also centralizing compensation, ink and damp control of the facility's two Goss Magnum presses.
"We are pleased Advance Central Services Michigan chose Harland Simon to centralize its controls and drives," said John Staiano, Harland Simon's Director – Americas. "We are confident this upgrade will help the company 'deliver excellence' to even more commercial print customers."
Harland Simon also completed similar successful projects at Advance Central Services Alabama's production facilities in Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama, which also support commercial print.
Harland Simon provided four new P6000 desks, which were interfaced to existing GMI inkers for ink control. To improve operator efficiency, the desks also serve as the central location for couple trim, damp pan and ink duct roller adjustments, which were formerly controlled only at the unit. With the original compensator control, adjustment was performed via a rotary and three-position toggle switch; now adjustments are performed at the P6000 console touch screens.
Harland Simon used Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLCs with its RSlogics 5000 diagnostic software and Allen-Bradley PlowerFlex drive modules with its Drive tools diagnostic software. All the diagnostic software is available at the Harland Simon-supplied maintenance PC, streamlining fault-finding procedures and allowing remote diagnostics and support via a VPN line. The obsolete folder SLC500 PLCs were replaced with an Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC to simplify the hardwired bus between the new folder PLC and the main press PLC, thus improving press diagnostic capability.
Harland Simon also delivered six new 200HP PowerFlex regenerative DC drive modules to replace aging or obsolete 1395s; in addition, the project replaced the obsolete SLC500 master drives PLCs with CompactLogix PLCs and reconfigured the new drive master PLC to enable master / slave selection and operation.
Harland Simon also provided its latest RIPSet system for calculation of ink presets and its latest Prima MS for upper-level management, monitoring and calibration of register presets.
All of the equipment and technology was delivered and installed without any disruption to production at the Ann Arbor facility using a system-replacement approach developed by Harland Simon over the past 15 years with customers including Goss, Harris, Rockwell Automation, Manroland and Honeywell.
• In addition to serving commercial print customers, Advance Central Services Michigan provides key support functions for MLive Media Group, including production, distribution, purchasing, accounting, technology and human resources. The company prints The Grand Rapids Press at its Walker Production Facility, along with several other titles, including the Kalamazoo Gazette and The Muskegon Chronicle. The company also has production facilities in Bay City, Michigan and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
