Automated guided vehicle

This automated guided vehicle (AGV) was used at News International's Wapping plant to move rolls of paper in the main printing hall. 16 MAN Roland Newsman 40 printing presses were installed during Wapping's Phase II development in 1989-1990. Prior to Phase II, News International used Goss presses installed in 1986. The order of 42 MAN Roland presses for News Corporation's worldwide operation was the largest single order of its kind in newspaper history. They were used to print all four of News International's titles (The Sun, News of the World, The Times and the Sunday Times) interchangeably and could run off 80, 000 copies an hour. On a busy night the Wapping presses could consume 900 reels.

Before the introduction of computer-controlled AGVs in 1991, paper was delivered to the presses by conveyor belt. AGVs were designed to reduce manpower in the production process. Each AGV could carry a one ton reel from a rack in the paper store directly to the printing press via a guide path. The press's operator would then direct the reel onto the reel stand. The presses were served by a fleet of 32 AGVs which had the advantage that they were faster than the conveyor belt and could be redeployed in the event of a malfunction. They therefore made a breakdown in the automated process less likely. This type of AGV was powered by a rechargeable fiber nickel cadmium battery. They could travel forward, backwards and sideways and would stop when they sensed the presence of other vehicles.

The 11 acre Wapping site was purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News International in 1977 and construction began in 1980. At the time The Sun and News of the World were printed at Bouverie Street (off Fleet Street) and The Times and Sunday Times at Gray's Inn Road. The Wapping site was designed to use new computerised, semi-automated printing processes rather than the labour intensive 'hot metal' production of Fleet Street. In 1986 Murdoch sacked 5, 500 print workers resulting in a major industrial dispute between News International and the print trade unions. Newspaper production at Wapping stopped in 2008 and the site was sold for redevelopment in 2012.