Heidelberg Prepress, Press & Postpress Technology Delivers Quality Results For Printers Nationwide |
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| 03/03/2008 |
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations:
Independence Press Increases Capacity by Adding New Speedmaster XL 105 Press from Heidelberg
Independence Press, founded in 1948 and located in Thorofare, NJ, installed a six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 press with coater in November and realized a 50 percent productivity increase thanks to the new equipment. "We looked at all the competition out there - all the presses in that class," said Mike Henry, Vice President of manufacturing. "After a lot of evaluation, we concluded the Heidelberg was the best press for us. We wanted to find out if the XL 105 truly ran at 18,000 sheets per hour, and we found that to be true." Independence Press, located just across Delaware River from Philadelphia, is a general commercial shop with 50 employees specializing in direct mail printing, catalogs and annual reports. As such, it runs a variety of different stocks and needs to maintain high quality with fast turnaround times. "We must make every deadline," Henry said. "It’s important not to miss any today. After the initial training, we were right out of the gate at 18,000 sheets per hour. We run every job at that speed. It’s really increased our capacity and our ability to run jobs we simply couldn’t run before. With our older style presses we weren’t able to do heavy board, but now we can." In addition to the new XL 105, the shop runs two Speedmaster SM 102 presses from Heidelberg and a POLAR 137 XT cutter. Independence uses Heidelberg Perfect Dot Blankets on all its presses. "I can’t say enough about the Heidelberg team lead by Jon Rasmussen from Heidelberg sales. His years of diligence and perseverance paid off. Jon wasn’t trying to push the XL 105 on us. He wanted us to buy the right press line for our needs. We saw that and it really made us feel comfortable throughout the process." The shop’s clients have also been impressed with the new Heidelberg equipment. "The feedback from our customers has been really positive," Henry said. "People just want to see it run. They can’t believe not only the quantity but also the quality."
Merritt Press Realizes Productivity and Quality Gains from New Heidelberg Platesetter
Scott Merritt, Owner of Merritt Press in Lansing, MI., decided the time was right to upgrade his shop to its first computer-to-plate system last fall. "We first looked at computer-to-plate systems six or seven years ago, but the expense was so high we could not justify it," Merritt said. "Now the systems have come down in price, and we knew it was time to make the move. If any business is going to succeed, it’s got to have up-to-date equipment." Merritt installed a Suprasetter A52 platesetter from Heidelberg shortly before Christmas and has been pleased with the results. "It’s awesome. I can’t say enough good things about this system because it’s freed up a lot of my time," Merritt said. "I was doing a lot of the prepress stripping and plate burning myself. The new Suprasetter has freed up about four hours a day of my time. That’s huge." Merritt is also impressed with the quality improvement of the Suprasetter over traditional camera-and-film work. And with minimal processing, thanks to Saphira chemfree thermal plates from Heidelberg, running the plates has never been easier or more environmentally friendly. "When we go to press with it, the clarity of the letters and the screens is a remarkable difference over what we had before," Merritt said. "Plus, in terms of productivity, we can probably kick out as many plates in one day as we did all week before." Merritt Press was founded in 1985 and prints envelopes, letterheads, business cards and other commercial work. In addition to the Suprasetter A52, the shop runs a Printmaster QM 46 press from Heidelberg for sheet work.
Venerable Pittsburgh Shop Installs Speedmaster XL 105 from Heidelberg
Reed & Witting Company, a printer that has been serving the Pittsburgh, PA area for more than 100 years, recently added a six-color Speedmaster XL 105 press with coater from Heidelberg to its pressroom. The fast 18,000 impressions-per-hour speed and Heidelberg’s reputation were the primary factors in making the decision to go with the XL 105, according to company President Ed Cyphers. "The biggest selling point for me was the fact that I’d been to several demos and seen first-hand what the XL 105 could do," Cyphers said. "The machine impressed me, and now that we’ve installed it, the XL 105 has lived up to everything I saw in the past," said Cyphers, who added that as part of the decision-making process, he talked to other printers who had installed the XL 105 in their shops and were very pleased with the press’ performance. Founded in 1900 by a printer, an engraver and a book binder, Reed & Witting now employs 38 and specializes in POP and POS printing for customers nationwide. The shop prints on a variety of substrates and generally runs its new XL 105 at full speed. "The productivity improvement has been tremendous," Cyphers said. "We can get more done in a day than we ever did before." In addition to the XL 105, Reed & Witting also runs a four-color Speedmaster SM 102 with perfector from Heidelberg.
Kansas Association of School Boards Shifts into Higher Gear with New Printmaster PM 74 Perfector
The in-plant print shop for the Kansas Association of School Boards reports the recent installation of a fully automated, Heidelberg Printmaster PM 74 2-color perfector to handle increased job volume. The new press replaces a 1965 Heidelberg KORS. Says Print Shop Manager, Roger White, the PM 74 was needed to turn jobs around faster. "We now can print one-sided jobs in half the time and two-sided jobs in a quarter of the time it used to take. We recently printed, folded, trimmed and mailed a job, all in the same day. In the past, we would have needed consecutive days to complete that same job." To ensure the press’ continued top performance, the shop also uses Heidelberg blankets, cylinder packing sheets and ink fountain foils. The installation has also brought other benefits. Because the new press is so fast, White says, "We don’t have to work any overtime - there’s no need. The PM 74 is totally dependable. I had my choice of other equipment, but Heidelberg machines do what the company says they’ll do, and maintenance is next to nothing." Established in 1966, the Kansas Association in-plant is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides information and a wide range of printed matter to Kansas Unified School District members of the shop’s association.
MLI Commits to Heidelberg as Sole Supplier; Installs POLAR Cutting System
MLI Integrated Graphic Solutions (formerly Martin Litho, Inc.), Tampa, FL, boasts core capabilities that include hybrid digital printing, 1:1 media, direct mail and fulfillment, Web-based applications and custom software solutions. To improve and upgrade its offerings for the benefit of its customers, the company recently installed a fully automated, CIP3-compatible POLAR 115 X guillotine cutter equipped with Transomat loader, stacker, jogger and scale. "Our productivity on cutting has improved markedly," says company President Martin Saaverda, Sr. "We have also improved the quality of our cuts by eliminating human error. Everything is precision. If a customer wants something specific, we can make sure it goes to the shipping and packaging process correctly." Among the myriad of traditional and digital equipment, the company operates a Speedmaster SM 102 six-color press with aqueous coater, which it plans to update soon, as well as a Quickmaster QM 46 two-color press and a Prosetter MCL platesetter with multi-loader cassette. It also uses press and prepress consumables from Heidelberg. Moreover, notes Saaverda, Heidelberg’s post-sale customer service and support have been "impressive, and phone support is steady. We really haven’t had many problems, but we always get answers to our questions expeditiously." The company prints everything from business cards to 28x40 inch posters, sell sheets, postcards, pocket folders, magazines, catalogs and transpromotionals for national and regional clientele. Founded 38 years ago, MLI recently made a commitment to become totally Heidelberg-supported. "We feel that Heidelberg is a good partner to have," Saaverda says. "We’ve always tried to be on the cutting edge of technology, and Heidelberg equipment best answers the needs of our business by improving our productivity, quality and giving us the kind of automation that will carry us into the future." The company employs 45 and operates on two shifts.
Modern Litho Orders Higher Quality with Top-of-the-Line Speedmaster XL 105 From Heidelberg - Plus A Few Bells And Whistles
Modern Litho Print Co., Jefferson City, MO, is a general commercial printer with a specialty niche in publication and directory work. Late last year, the company installed a five-color Speedmaster XL 105 press with aqueous coater to handle an increased workload and add additional capacity for future growth. Heidelberg equipped the new press with Image Control, Instant Gate, DryStar Advanced and Prepress Interface, and the installation boasts the first CAN (Controller Area Network) operated CutStar peripheral in North America. "Fortunately, our business has grown sufficiently to keep the new press running around the clock, six days a week," says Assistant Plant Superintendent Jim Tomblinson. "We run all our quality work - heavy coverages, difficult substrates, anything with quality issues - on that press. The XL 105 has raised the standard of quality in our shop significantly. It also produces more work faster, thanks to quicker makereadies and lower waste. The crews who work on this press are running three shifts instead of two, so it has opened up plenty of production capacity. All of our pressmen love to run it." Among the features Tomblinson likes best about the XL 105 are the built-in color control and pre-inking capability. "Color bars and densitometers are great and have their place, but the ability to pre-ink quickly and accurately without manual adjustment is critical. We run 200-line screens day in and day out on coated or uncoated stock, and with heavy or light ink coverage. The XL 105 eats it up. We definitely enjoy printing with this press." The new XL 105 joins a semi-automated, six-color Speedmaster 102 and a pair of four-color 40 inch Speedmaster perfectors for 1/1 and 2/2 perfecting jobs. In the bindery, a fully automated POLAR 137 XT cutter and Stahlfolder RFH-82 folder round out Modern Litho’s Heidelberg lineup. A Heidelberg customer for at least 25 years, Modern Litho sticks with what works, and its relationship with Heidelberg does exactly that. "We want a partner that will respond and react quickly when there is a need," Tomblinson says, "That’s why we partner with Heidelberg."
Memphis Printer Adds Heidelberg Folder to Bindery
Paulsen Printing Co., a general commercial printer in Memphis, TN, recently added a Heidelberg Stahlfolder B25 folder to its postpress lineup. With faster setup and run times, the new Stahlfolder has increased productivity and made life easier for Paulsen’s 40 employees. "It’s a good folder and it runs great," said Jim Paulsen, President. "All of our bindery equipment is Heidelberg. We like it and we’ve been using it since I’ve been in business." Paulsen’s Stahlfolder folds at speeds up to 28,000 folds per hour and includes a glue attachment to allow certain signatures to be glued and not stitched with wire. Other Heidelberg equipment in the bindery includes a Stitchmaster ST 90 saddlestitcher and a POLAR cutter. In the pressroom, Paulsen runs several machines including a Heidelberg two-color Speedmaster SM 74. "The engineering on Heidelberg equipment is outstanding," he said. "When it comes to bindery equipment, it’s like buying a car - if you get a good one and you like it, you keep going back for the same thing."
Printpoint Inc. Upgrades Speed and Capacity with New Heidelberg Press
Printpoint Printing in Dayton, OH, needed to increase speed and production capacity in order to get more work out of each shift - so it added a four-color Printmaster PM 52 press from Heidelberg to accomplish that goal. "We’re running a lot more impressions per hour than before," General Manager Mike Munch said. "On the longer runs, we’re more competitive in our pricing." In addition to enabling Printpoint to be more competitive in the marketplace, the addition of the Printmaster PM 52 also has improved the quality of life for the shop’s staff. "We’re working shorter hours and getting more jobs out,” Munch said. A family-owned shop founded in 1974, Printpoint recently moved to a new 6,000 square-foot building and currently has eight employees. The shop runs "a little bit of everything," from envelopes to general commercial, Munch said. In addition to the new Printmaster PM 52, Printpoint also runs a two-color Printmaster PM 46 and a one-color Quickmaster. Munch has used Heidelberg presses for at least a decade and is pleased with their reliability and performance. "We rarely ever need to call on service," he said. "I’d say we’ve only called Heidelberg service once or twice. Heidelberg’s technical support over the phone is good, too. Sometimes we’d take on maintenance and repairs we didn’t think we could because they would walk us through it on the phone."
Tri-State Printing Delivers Products that are a Cut Above, Thanks to New POLAR 92X Cutting System from Heidelberg
Tri-State Printing, North Charleston, SC, recently took delivery of a POLAR 92X high-speed programmable cutting system from Heidelberg to cope with growing volume throughout the shop. General Manager Randall Shull ascribes the higher productivity of the new cutter across a single eight-hour shift to the accompanying air tables and user-friendly electronics. Established in 1968 and currently with 35 employees, Tri-State is a division of Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co. Tri-State serves Piggly Wiggly’s 108 grocery stores in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina as well as a wide range of regional commercial customers. The company operates both web and sheetfed offset presses, and products include, but are not limited to, advertising circulars, direct mail catalogs for national wholesale companies, newsletters, course schedules for high schools and colleges, and newspapers and brochures for many local businesses.
Wayne High School Aims for Skills USA Gold Using Heidelberg Press as Secret Weapon
The Graphic Communications Program at Wayne High School in Wayne, WV is thinking strategically. Having won silver in the West Virginia state Skills USA competition on two previous occasions, the program now has its eye on winning the top national prize next time out, now that it has installed a fully automated Printmaster QM 46 two-color press of its very own. According to Mark Ross, instructor with the program since its inception 11 years ago, the new press has become the focal point of the classroom. "Our students love the fast setup and the many automated features of the QM 46-2. They fight for the right to work on it," he jokes, "and only the strongest survive." The program at Wayne High School is itself a focal point for the 21 schools comprising the Wayne County school district, for which it serves as the in-plant print shop, as well as for the surrounding community. Its 47 students have regular contact with local business leaders throughout the school year, and met recently with the governor of the state for a roundtable discussion about the future of the graphic communications industry in West Virginia. The shop also does silk screening of t-shirts and other items for local sports events and other community outreach projects. Internships are available to the best and the brightest, says Ross, with most graduates achieving placement at a commercial print shop or post-graduate programs offering a print management degree.
Corporate Electronic Stationary Triples Cutting Station Productivity with POLAR Cutter from Heidelberg
Corporate Electronic Stationery in Troy, MI recently added a new POLAR 137 XT cutter from Heidelberg - and saw productivity triple over its previous cutter. Service, value and automation factored in company President Jim McDonald’s decision to go with the POLAR. "We knew we could rely on Heidelberg service, and we also liked the fact that the POLAR held its resale better," he said. "We liked the automation features that enhanced productivity." The cutter is a high-speed programmable model, able to process paper, paperboard, cardboard and plastic at sizes with diagonals of up to 137 centimeters. With knife speeds of up to 45 cycles per minute, the POLAR 137 XT features OptiKnife, with an extended operating life and greater cutting accuracy than its predecessors, while offering advanced safety features. Corporate Electronic Stationery, founded in 1996, specializes in e-commerce orders and has about 70 employees. In addition to two POLAR cutters and a Stahlfolder from Heidelberg in the bindery, CES also runs a Heidelberg Quickmaster 46 press and an old Heidelberg Windmill in the pressroom. "Compared with the old cutter, we think we’ve tripled our productivity, which has allowed us to reduce costs." McDonald said. "We’re actually hoping to quadruple our productivity over the old cutting station."
Speedmaster SM 52 Helps White House Custom Colour Meet Demand for Particular Product - and Then Some
White House Custom Colour, a high-end photo lab located in Eagan, MN, recently took its first step into computer-to-plate with the installation of a Speedmaster SM 52 four-color press with aqueous coater and Suprasetter A52 platesetter with Meta Dimension RIP, Hybrid Screening and ColorProof Pro. The company also added a pair of POLAR 78X high-speed, programmable paper cutters to upgrade its cutting department. Production Manager Dave Thompson explains that the company’s print business is "exploding," particularly the demand for double-sided photo cards, as opposed to traditional single-sided photographic cards. "We were turning down large-volume orders since our existing digital equipment is short-run based," Thompson explains. "The SM 52 from Heidelberg has enabled us to generate these orders and will allow us to offer more variety to our clients in the future." As for the new cutters, WHCC keeps them producing "all day every day," with high-quality results. The company uses both Heidelberg press and prepress consumables. According to Thompson, not only did the equipment installations progress smoothly, but they also feel confident that Heidelberg service and support will be available when and if the need arises. Established 30 years ago, WHCC serves a national customer base comprised primarily of professional portrait and wedding photographers. The company currently employs approximately 140 staff members.
Editorial Contact:
Manning Selvage & Lee
Rebecca Harbin
404-870-6825
E-mail:
rebecca.harbin@mslpr.com
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