Syracuse Touts Tote Tanks
Ink by the barrel--or more precisely, by the 55-gallon drum--typically brings with it headaches by the bushel.
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Ink tote tanks reduce spillage and air bubbles, and save money. |
Loading ink from the relatively small containers into press supply lines creates frequent opportunities for spillage, and just as many chances for air to get into the lines, causing spots or misses in print.
So Syracuse Newspapers Inc., working with US Ink of Carlstadt, N.J., began receiving its ink in tote tanks--large, stainless-steel tanks holding more than 300 gallons of ink apiece. The reusable tanks are brought into the newspaper plant by forklift, where they are connected to supply lines that use gravity to feed the ink directly to the presses. Once empty, the tanks are returned to US Ink, where they are cleaned, refilled and sent back to Syracuse or other customers, according to Dave Harder, a lab technician with US Ink.
Advantages include the ability to change ink supplies without exposure to air, and a reduction in the number of such changes. According to Michael Stern, production manager of Syracuse Newspapers, the process is also more cost-effective.
The tanks, which are color-coded to indicate the type of ink they carry, can also be made of plastic, or in the case of shipping ink overseas, heavy cardboard.
In Stern's words, the decision to go with tote tanks was a "no-brainer."