Today's issue of The Times was printed at the new Progress Press facility at Mriehel, achieving a milestone after a series of partial trial runs made over the past few days and weeks.

The 72-page issue, published by Allied Newspapers Ltd, was the first edition to have been processed and completed entirely on the new €26-million facility.

The process included reception of files from the Valletta offices, plate generation, printing of the early pages late in the evening, printing of the main pages and on-line insertion in the early hours of the morning, and final distribution to the outlets just before dawn.

Printing was made on the Global Web Systems G-145 Platinum Series, made up of eight printing towers, and capable of rotating paper reels weighing 0.5MT each at 270rpm to pump out 64 newspaper-sized pages simultaneously, at a rate of 40,000 copies per hour. The FERAG state-of-art mailroom system is hooked to the Web machine's output to pick up the printed newspaper and convey it for automatic on-line insertion, stacking and strapping.

The new machine provides for automatic registration of colours and has improved colour balance controls that should lead to the achievement of good quality copies in shorter time, cutting down on set-up time and waste.

As in the previous trials, the purpose of the print run was primarily to collect data to evaluate the state of readiness of the new installation, verify its capabilities against the specified requirements and identify ways for process optimisation. This forms part of the qualification process that will lead to final commissioning of the equipment in the coming weeks and the transfer of the newspaper printing process from Valletta to Mriehel.

The project involves intense daily coordination between technical staff from GWS & FERAG equipment suppliers, their local agents Kasco Technical Services, and Progress Press management, engineers, technicians, printers and sorters.

The Times is currently celebrating the 75th anniversary of its first edition.