McClatchy's Missouri-based Kansas City Star is to modernise hardware and software of the EAE control systems press systems on its four KBA Commander web presses.

Installed in 2006 in two identical lines, the presses comprise 36 towers and 40 reelstands, as well as two single and two double folders, and had EAE consoles and press controls as original equipment.

Aim of the retrofit project with QIPC-EAE Americas is not only to extend life and make production more reliable, but to generate other benefits from advanced technology. PC hardware of the 14 EAE consoles will be replaced, with new hardware running the latest Windows OS and a modern server virtualisation platform. EAE production planning and preset systems and reporting and logging system will also be brought up to date and better aligned to customer requirements.

The retrofit will take place in two phases, starting early next year with the update of workflow systems and one PC retrofit. PC retrofits for the other three presses is scheduled for 2018.

The presses operate 365 days a year, printing more than seven million newspapers. In addition to The Kansas City Star, the company also prints editions of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Wichita Eagle, Topeka Capital Journal, Lawrence Journal World, University Daily Kansan and other weekly, monthly, and quarterly publications.

Pictured: Part of one of the two press lines