New printing plant is cool; come see for yourself
Some say the future of our business is digital.
That might be true, but we’re not giving up on the printed product just yet. Not by a long shot.
Bliss Communications is so confident that ink on paper will be around for a while that it built a $22 million printing and distribution plant. The place went online in October, and it’s been pumping out fine-looking newspapers ever since.
The Internet is cool. No doubt about that. But the technology on display at the new printing and distribution plant takes cool to a whole different level. It combines the best of the old world – newsprint, ink, printing press, etc. – with the computer age in a way that boggles the mind.
See for yourself this Sunday. Really. It’s a fascinating place whether you are interested in how a newspaper is produced or not.
Bliss Communications, publisher of the Gazette and other daily and weekly publications, will have an open house at the new plant from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Come on out to 333 S. Wuthering Hills Drive and have a look around. It’s free, and you might even walk away with some goodies.
For sure, you will get a good look at a sparkling new plant and some amazing equipment. The centerpiece is the KBA Comet press built in Germany. It’s 35-feet tall, weighs 370,000 pounds and is capable of producing 75,000 copies per hour. At top speed, the paper travels 1,860 feet per minute.
Special press runs are scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m., so try to plan your visit around one of those times. The press at full bore is a sight to see.
Among other things, you’ll also get a look at the mailroom equipment, which is pretty amazing in its own right. That equipment sorts, stacks and distributes the papers automatically and ensures that the right advertising inserts are put in the right papers.
Bliss and Gazette staffers will be on hand to guide visitors and answer questions. So come on out Sunday for a few minutes or a few hours. We’d love to have you.
Jun 22, 2008 at 5:32 p.m.
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beautiful building and landscaping.It was nice to see some of the faces of The Gazette that we don't always get to see. Sometimes we hear them on the radio for different spots. Hats Off to Skip Bliss and the entire Gazette staff!
Jun 22, 2008 at 3:41 p.m.
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Fair? It's called business. Welcome to capitalism.
Jun 22, 2008 at 11 a.m.
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That is nice that they got a new building and press to make the Janesviile papers, But everyone should know how they got an other newpaper in Delaven Wi name THE WEEK. But all the PEOPLE at THE WEEK are lost jobs as of aug 10 2008. Its not at all fair from them to get the axe, but to keep a newpaper that they just another one of CSI. And the new paper keeps there workers and THE WEEK does not I am sure we all call this unfair.
Jun 21, 2008 at 2:46 p.m.
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Oops yeah, that does seem fast
1860 /60= 31 fps
31 x .6818 = aww, 21.13 MPH? thats no fun!
Jun 21, 2008 at 2:32 p.m.
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Sorry Dr. C, I'll show my work
5280 feet in a mile
1860/5280= .352272 miles per second
x60 = 21.13632 miles per minute
x60 = 1,268.1792 MPH
Jun 21, 2008 at 2:19 p.m.
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FPS to MPH conversion
FPS X .6818 = MPH
Wow, 1,268.148 mph...that is a lot of paper!
(Thank you ballistics conversion tables)
Jun 21, 2008 at 9:03 a.m.
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Congratulations to the Gazette, Iam going to the Brewer game Sunday but would love to see the presses. Maybe I can get home before 5. I have been taking the paper since 1947 and my parents took it before that.
Jun 20, 2008 at 1:01 p.m.
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Sorry, I'm just here briefly on business. I'll be gone by then.
Jun 19, 2008 at 6:48 p.m.
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I'll see you there Evillehouswife.
Jun 19, 2008 at 1:05 p.m.
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I remember the last printing press coming online, and the comics in CoLoR just like the Milwaukee Journal. Man am I old.
Jun 19, 2008 at 11:37 a.m.
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Just think -- the new press allows you to commit misprints to permanent ink at 1860 feet per minute!
Jun 19, 2008 at 11:13 a.m.
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Oops. You caught us. I got that number from our press guru, and it turns out he multiplied when he should have divided.
How about this: The paper travels at 1,860 feet per minute at top speed.
Big difference.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes. That seemed mighty fast when I first saw it, but I'm a word guy, not a numbers guy.
I made the correction in the blog.
Scott Angus
Jun 19, 2008 at 10:43 a.m.
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Scott,
you sure about that speed? At 75K copies/hr, that is nearly 21 copies per second. If each copy is what, 21 in. tall, isn't it more like 36+ ft/sec.? Or nearly 25 MPH?---TCJ
Jun 19, 2008 at 10:34 a.m.
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It should be interesting- all the posters/responders should show up and have a coffee klatsch.
Jun 19, 2008 at 10:23 a.m.
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That press is flying!!! 1,491.14 Miles per hour!!! Most presses are doing good to hit 20 Miles per hour.
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