Don’t stop the presses
September 1st 2005

When the Trinity Mirror newspaper group built its new £66m print centre in Birmingham, the design brief was for an operation that could meet a demand for rapid and continuing expansion. Because the print process is reliant on compressed air - from driving ink into the presses to taking finished newspapers off the lines - the company needed a system that could match its plans for growth .

Legris’ rapid-fit Transair aluminium pipe work system was chosen not just for its ease of installation and modification, but also for its long-term benefit in providing major energy savings.

The 40-acre Trinity Mirror site produces up to six million newspapers every week. In addition to the need to drive ink into the presses, Trinity Mirror relies also on a good, clean supply of compressed air for most of its post-press activities - inserting magazines into newspapers, stacking, strapping and palletising.

Six compressors of both fixed speed and variable speed types together with drying and filtration are linked to provide an output potential of 59.08m3/min (2086cfm).

From a central manifold connecting the compressed air plant on the upper floors, Transair pipe work has been specified to take compressed air down into the plant.

Because of the different volumes of air required for different applications, all of Transair’s six sizes - from 16.5mm to 100mm diameter - have been used to offer the greatest energy efficiency for each individual operation.

Climate Change Levy

A study by Oscott Air demonstrated the plant’s needs for rapid pipe installation and modification, and for the energy savings required to comply with the Climate Change Levy. As Trinity Mirror’s engineering manager Kevin Gittoes explained: "We needed a compressed air system that would feed over 100 applications and that we could install and amend quickly. When Oscott Air recommended Transair, it was difficult to find a down side."

Rather than cut threads with tools and dyes for galvanised pipe work, Transair connections can be made in just a few minutes by cutting and de-burring the pipe and then locking the rapid-fit connections into place.

Low pressure drop

"The smooth bore of the Transair aluminium pipe work means very low pressure drop compared to that of galvanised steel. As a 0.5 bar decrease in system operating pressure can yield a 5.25% reduction to the overall cost of electricity consumed by the system, it is energy efficient" explained Steve.

The Transair system at Trinity Mirror comprises one large ring main in 100mm diameter pipe, with over 500 take-off points into various locations within the press hall. A 76mm line feeds the post press operations, dropping in all sizes down to 16.5mm according to the application, and to 100 points of use.

"Extensions to the system have also been easy, " said Kevin Gittoes, "and breaking into the system to extend or amend it takes only a few minutes, not hours. Production has not been affected at all."

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