Heidelberg Technology Proves Addictive as Customers Nationwide Upgrade Equipment, Speed Ahead |
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| 03/31/2008 |
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Kennesaw, Ga. - March 31, 2008 - Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations:
Lake County Press Offers Total Package with New Heidelberg UV Speedmaster XL 105
The press operators at Lake County Press who famously donned shirts claiming "Speed Limit - 18,000 IPH!" after the installation of the company's first Speedmaster XL 105 have something new to be excited about. Lake County Press has recently installed a second Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 press - this time an 8-color model with coater and enviable UV capabilities. "The XL 105 is wonderful for our packaging applications, and we are already using it on a variety of plastic substrates," said Plant Supervisor Dan Murphy. "Not only does it print great on plastic materials, but it also does wonders for our high-end commercial work. We love the trick techniques such as spot UV." The XL 105 press was installed on a 20-inch elevation kit, designed to allow for higher loads at the feeder and at the delivery. "The speed at which the XL 105 runs is so fast that we wanted to create a way to reduce changeover time," Murphy said. That speed is the primary reason that Lake County Press chose Heidelberg. "We are simply able to run both plastic and paper substrates at much higher speeds, and we can trust that the work will come out perfectly because of the new roller configuration and increased color control," Murphy said. This new installation marks the 10th Heidelberg offset press that Lake County Press has inaugurated into its pressroom, which includes the previously mentioned 6-color Speedmaster XL 105 with coater and an 8-color Speedmaster CD 102 with coater and full UV/hybrid capabilities. Lake County Press also trusts Heidelberg postpress technology to care for its packaging customers, evident in last year's introduction of a new Heidelberg Dymatrix 106 CSB diecutter. Clients range from graphic design agencies to packaging designers to advertising agencies nationwide, and Lake County Press is up to the challenge of producing innovative, eye-catching results with the Speedmaster XL 105 from Heidelberg.
Universal Printing Adds Heidelberg Press, Folders, Churns Out Materials for Presidential Campaign
Universal Printing Company in Scranton, Pa. recently added a 4-color Printmaster PM 52 with perfector and two Stahlfolder B30s from Heidelberg to its 80,000-sq.-foot facility. Bill McGrath, husband of Universal's owner Margi McGrath, said the shop chose the new Heidelberg press because of its flexibility, productivity and quality. "We replaced three competitive presses with the purchase of the new Printmaster PM 52," McGrath said. "My pressmen are very happy. They don't have to struggle anymore to achieve consistent color as they did on the other presses. All the pressmen fight over the PM 52 because it is the easiest press to run and the quality is great." As one of the main direct mail printers for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, Universal has been especially busy this election cycle. Leading up to the Ohio primary, the shop printed, folded and mailed 1.5 million pieces in just four days. "Without the new Stahlfolders, we would not have been able to keep up with the folding," McGrath said. In addition to its new Stahlfolders and PM 52, Universal also runs an 8-color Speedmaster 74 with coater and perfector and a 6-color Speedmaster 74 with perfector from Heidelberg. The shop has been pleased with Heidelberg service, as well. "Every type of work we do is very time sensitive - you can't wait," McGrath said. "All of the service people are very responsive and know the equipment." With 100 full-time employees, Universal runs general commercial work and specializes in healthcare, financial and direct mail materials.
Fourth-Generation Print Shop Continues Legacy of Excellence with New Bindery Technology from Heidelberg
For a family-owned company that is more than 112 years old and in its fourth generation, Snyder Printer is progressive in its approach to printing, customer service and corporate responsibility. The company chose a new Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 350 saddlestitcher to add to its all-Heidelberg bindery and pressroom, and the new stitcher has produced flawless results for Snyder Printer since its installation in January. "The ease of makeready, increased productivity and automation that it now brings to our bindery is remarkable," company President Dona Snyder-Reardon said. "We chose to install our first Heidelberg press about eight years ago, and have been adding to our collection ever since, replacing any inefficient equipment with Heidelberg equipment. We feel it absolutely necessary to purchase the best equipment backed by a solid company and service organization which is why we chose to partner with Heidelberg - it was the best investment we ever made." Snyder Printer runs three Heidelberg sheetfed presses, including 2-color and 5-color Speedmaster SM 102 presses, and a newly-added 6-color Speedmaster CD 102 with coater. The bindery includes a Heidelberg Stahlfolder TD 78, a POLAR 137 cutter and a Baumfolder series 726B folder. "The Stitchmaster ST 350 complements the presses and bindery equipment so well," Reardon said. "The quality of the high-end work that we produce with our Heidelberg equipment amazes me, which is why I say that once you go Heidelberg, you never go back." Snyder Printer has been OSHA SHARP certified for more than ten years, is proudly Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and practices environmentally-friendly plans such as an internal recycling program and a no paper products policy, and a 100 percent renewable electricity alternative is in the works. Reardon and her brother and business partner, Dean Snyder, also point out the environmental advantages of using Heidelberg equipment, such as eliminating waste and reducing make-ready time, which keep the riverside shop as efficient as possible. The Troy, N.Y. shop employs 24 and produces high-end brochures, annual reports, pocket folders and marketing materials for a wide array of customers.
Adams Litho Welcomes a New Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102
Adams Litho, a general commercial printer in Chattanooga, Tenn., prides itself on making things happen quickly and efficiently for its customers. Needless to say, press downtime is out of the question. The company recently bought an "insurance policy" in the form of a new Speedmaster CD 102 6-color press with aqueous coater and extended delivery to make sure its customers are never disappointed. The new CD 102 is equipped with Prepress Interface and Axis Control spectrophotometric closed-loop color monitoring software. It is also is covered under Heidelberg's systemservice 36plus, which provides three years of repair services and repair parts in addition to Web-based remote service and 24/7 expert access to protect Adams' new investment. "From what we’ve seen thus far, we're running jobs 30 to 40 percent more efficiently, says company Vice President Wyatt Hogue. "Not only do we run the new CD at its top-rated speed of 15,000 impressions per hour around the clock, but we've eliminated overtime and the need to work on weekends." Hogue says the thing he likes best about the press is the Axis Control color monitoring system: "We run at 15,000 and we makeready at 15,000," thanks to Axis Control's ability to read ink densities on-the-fly and make color adjustments throughout the print run. "It's a huge time-saver. I couldn't imagine doing without it." He also appreciates the substrate flexibility of the new press, since "we bounce between weights and thicknesses all the time" without difficulty. Installation was flawless with the firm already running live jobs in the second and third week of training. Serving as backup to the new press is an existing Speedmaster CD-102-6 LYL with two coaters and extended delivery. Established in 1886 and currently with 38 employees, FSC- and SFI-certified Adams Litho produces commercially printed products - catalogs, POP displays, postcards, labels and packaging - for a regional clientele comprised primarily of manufacturing and retail customers.
Heidelberg Stahlfolder Helps Ease Growing Pains for Dot Generation
Despite recession fears and industry setbacks, Dot Generation is defying industry trends and is achieving success through acquisition and growth. However, success always comes with a few growing pains, and Dot Generation has turned to Heidelberg to help smooth the transition. "When we combined equipment from two plants, we ended up with some duplicate equipment," Owner Frank Leone said. "We needed a folder that could handle the size of work off our new 5-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 press with coater, which we installed six months ago." Leone chose to install Heidelberg's Stahlfolder B 26 to handle the larger size of work and capacity that is now constantly pumped into the bindery. "In the past, we were forced to send out some of our scoring work, but with the new Stahlfolder's preslitter shaft option, we can handle the channel scoring in-house," Leone said. Dot Generation produces some significant book work, and because of the continuous feed of the Stahlfolder B 26 folder, the company now boasts a more productive workflow. "The larger capacity and size, combined with the speed of the folder, just makes our lives so much easier," Leone said. In business since 1988, Dot Generation works with high-end fashion and interior design companies, and produces general commercial work on a national level. Most of the employees at Dot Generation have been with the company for more than ten years. That dedication is replicated in the customer service and high-quality work that Dot Generation is producing for its clients with its new press and postpress solutions from Heidelberg.
Fulton Press Installs State-of-the-Art Speedmaster SM 102 Perfecting Press
Fulton Press, a commercial printer in Lititz, Pa. recently replaced a pair of aging presses with a new Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 6-color perfector with aqueous coater, and the company could not be more pleased with its latest addition. "We replaced the older presses for several reasons: to increase our productivity because of our increased workload; to improve our quality; and to decrease some of our costs by becoming more productive," reports Donald Horst, president. "Although we’ve been up and running for only a month, the new Speedmaster SM 102 is on track to exceed our expectations in each regard." The new press is being used to produce a broad spectrum of products - "flyers, posters, catalogs, postcards - you name it," Horst says. Of the many automated features of the new press, the most dramatic upgrade for his company has been the AutoPlate automatic plate changing system, an improvement he estimates saves Fulton an average of 45 minutes per makeready. Established as a single-color letterpress shop in 1958, Fulton Press has evolved to become a round-the-clock operation whose 32 employees produce a wide variety of printed materials for a diverse client base both in the U.S. and abroad. Customers include many Fortune 500 companies, including industrial manufacturers, distributors, service industries, creative agencies, educational institutions, and not-for-profit organizations. The company has been a Heidelberg customer since it installed a used Heidelberg in the early 1990s. Since then, Horst says, "We've always been very happy with Heidelberg quality. Heidelberg sales and service personnel consistently go the extra mile to make sure we’re satisfied, and that the equipment is up and running smoothly and on time." Fulton Press also operates a second Speedmaster SM 102 6-color with coater, in addition to a pair of POLAR guillotine cutters. Heidelberg pressroom consumables, including Perfect Dot blankets and Wash Up and Go system, complete the new press and its positive impact on productivity.
Hospital In-Plant Adds Heidelberg Platesetter
St. John's Health System serves the southeast Michigan area with over 125 medical facilities, including eight hospitals. The system's in-plant print shop, located just outside Detroit in Warren, Mich., recently upgraded its prepress equipment with a new Suprasetter A52 platesetter from Heidelberg. The shop runs marketing pieces for the healthcare system and handles any other offset printing needs. St. John's new Suprasetter uses Saphira chemfree thermal plates from Heidelberg. "The plate quality is a lot better than the polyester plates we were using," said Printing Service Coordinator Ross Klovski. "It's actually quite impressive for it to be chemical free." The shop installed several Prinect components to support prepress workflow, including Printready P, MetaDimension and Signa Station. "We can set jobs up more efficiently with Signa Station," Klovski said. St. John's upgrades in prepress soon will be followed with changes in the pressroom - a Printmaster PM 52 is on order from Heidelberg and scheduled to be installed in May 2008. In addition to its new Suprasetter, the shop also runs a Stahlfolder B20 folder and a Quickmaster DI press from Heidelberg.
Postcard Press Installs POLAR 137 XT to Keep Up with Growing Demand
Postcard Press, Inc., located in Rancho Dominguez, Calif., recently added a POLAR 137 XT high-speed, programmable cutter with Autotrim and Doerner conveyor to its equipment lineup. The new cutter was needed to keep up with the company's growing production demand. "We had too much work for our existing machine," Owner David Handmaker says. "We have a large demand for cutting, and we also needed to build in redundancy to be sure we met our turn-around time commitments." Since it was installed, the POLAR 137 XT has impressed the staff with its reliability and precision: "It sets up quickly, is very accurate and very fast, and installation was problem-free," Handmaker adds. "I would definitely recommend this piece of equipment." Postcard Press also operates a Heidelberg Speedmaster press, Heidelberg prepress workflow and CtP. Established in 1998, the company has been a Heidelberg customer since 2001.
Colonial Colour Installs Fourth Stahlfolder from Heidelberg
After signing a one-year contract with a new direct-mail customer, Colonial Colour Owner Joe D'Errico chose to install a new Heidelberg Stahlfolder TH 82 folder to expand the capacity of his all-Heidelberg shop. "We now have eight jobs a week going out in direct mail alone, and I needed a folder that could keep up," D'Errico said. The Stahlfolder TH 82 fits perfectly with Colonial Colour's three other Stahlfolders, so the bindery is now equipped for high customer demand at the Guilford, Conn. shop. D'Errico cites the speed of the Stahlfolders as his reason for choosing to install his fourth folder. Changeover steps and makeready operations are all automated on the Stahlfolder TH 82, increasing speed and efficiency. Two Heidelberg presses - a 5-color Speedmaster SM 102 with coater and a 6-color Speedmaster SM 74 - produce all of the shop's high-end materials. "I have been a Heidelberg advocate ever since we opened in 1996," D'Errico said. "There is no other company that makes equipment with the same level of quality and sheer longevity as Heidelberg. I am a firm believer in Heidelberg technology." The family-owned, family-run shop prides itself on personal customer service for its local and national clients, and relies on Heidelberg to help fulfill its promises of fast turnaround and great results. D'Errico’s son Robert works side-by-side with his father, acting as the vice president of the company. Colonial Colour currently employs 18 staff, whom D’Errico calls, "the most professional and dedicated employees who are committed to our company."
Everything Is Up To Date at Wichita, Kansas-Based City Print, Inc., Thanks to Heidelberg Technology
When the time came to equip its expanded commercial printing and direct mail facility in Wichita, Kansas, City Print, Inc. left nothing to chance. That's why the company recently installed its fourth Printmaster QM 46 2-color press, and enhanced its bindery with a Stahlfolder B20 folder and a POLAR 78 X high-speed programmable cutter. Given City Print's rapidly growing client list, "Turnaround time is critical for us," says Press and Bindery Manager Jason Harshbarger. "Our direct mail clients want quality and they want it fast. The more equipment we have, the better we'll be able to meet our growing demand. The fact that we have Heidelberg equipment means we can keep our promises reliably and efficiently." The new programmable cutter can memorize jobs, which is a tremendous asset, given that "we couldn't get the work done" without it, Harshbarger says, and the same goes for the new Stahlfolder, of which he says, simply, "We love it." The company also operates three existing Printmaster QM 46 2-color presses, a Speedmaster SM 52 4-color press, and a CtP system anchored by a violet Prosetter 52 platesetter. Established as an arm of Wichita-based City Blueprint in 1952, City Print now operates as a separate entity. The company employs 25.
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Editorial Contacts:
Manning Selvage & Lee
Rebecca Harbin
404-870-6825
E-mail:
rebecca.harbin@mslpr.com
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