A multi-stage project is equipping BH Media's Tulsa World in Oklahoma for a role as a contract printing hub.

Automation systems supplier ABB has just completed one upgrade project on the two Wifag OF370 presses there, and is about to start on another.

As the plant's future is secured by taking on an increasing number of third-party print orders, the first ABB project addressed demands for greater redundancy, following the installation of two Goss Metroliner folders which needed to be powered and integrated into the existing ABB control system.

A second order with ABB covers the modular retrofitting of new drives, production management systems and parts of the control systems on the first of the two Wifag lines.

BH Media Publishing Solutions operations vice president Sam Hightower says that with both the back-up folders running each week, they are starting a four-year plan to replace all obsolete electrical components on the Wifag press in Tulsa. "This project should start later this year and should be completed in 2020," he says. "During this time, we will need both presses most nights for our current production schedules."

The first of four phases sees the MPS press management system upgraded to include a cluster configuration, two older versions of MPS Control Console refurbished, and two softproof clients be added. Obsolete Wifag positioning systems on one printing tower are also being replaced with ABB APOS system and the drives replaced with ABB ACSM1 systems.

Phase two sees replacement of the positioning and drives systems on one folder and a retrofit of controls and driveson two reelstands. Similar retrofits on two printing towers and three reelstands follow in the third phase, and finally the fourth phase - scheduled for completion in 2020 - will cover two further towers and two reelstands.

Pictured: Control room at the Tulsa World