Heidelberg USA Helps Printers Across the Nation Go High Tech |
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| 05/02/2008 |
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations:
Heidelberg Long Associated with Quality for Veteran Colorado Springs Printer
Few printers know offset printing like Werner Thanner, a Swiss émigré who worked as an instructor at the International Typographical Union retraining hot metal typesetters on how to use new "cold type" and offset equipment during the 1960s. Thanner founded LT Litho in Colorado Springs in 1987 after over four decades of printing experience, from his apprenticeship days in Switzerland in the 1940s to running (then later selling) his first print shop in the 1970s - and he has worked with Heidelberg equipment throughout his career. "I grew up in Switzerland with Heidelberg presses," Thanner said. Thus, it was an easy decision for him to invest in a new Heidelberg five-color Speedmaster CD 74 press with coater. "We receive extremely good support from Heidelberg. That creates a comfort zone." With 19 full-time employees, plus a few part-time employees, LT Litho runs multi-color sales materials, booklets, pocket folders and other general commercial work. With the addition of the Speedmaster CD 74, Thanner expects to expand into packaging, since the new press can handle heavier board than his old one, and can do it all at higher speeds. "The CD 74 is running exceptionally well," he said. "It’s printing beautifully. The word is out that we have this wonderful Heidelberg press, and it has helped business already. We’re trying to sell quality, and I think we have a reputation of being the best in town, especially now with the new CD 74." LT Litho also recently installed a new POLAR cutter to keep up with the new press. The shop uses Heidelberg blankets and other consumables to ensure top output quality and performance on its new Speedmaster press. "I’m proud of the equipment and I think we will make our mark in the industry locally," Thanner said. "At my age, people ask why I don’t retire. But I like the printing business and I like to see a good product come off the end of the press. It’s gratifying."
American Greetings Upgrades Custom Printing and Thermography Capability with New Heidelberg Press
Greeting-card giant American Greetings recently added a one-color Speedmaster SM 52 from Heidelberg to its plant in Osceola, Ark. and saw productivity more than double over its old press. "The primary reason we went with Heidelberg was because of how robust the equipment is," said Production Engineer Trung Nguyen. "That press really is a heavy duty machine. None of the other small-format printing equipment on the market comes close." American Greetings uses the unusual one-color configuration to add text to pre-printed cards; the company also uses its new Speedmaster SM 52 to print adhesive onto cards, which then go through the thermography process. "The new Heidelberg press is working really well," Nguyen said. "Everyone in the department is happy with it, including the operator - the equipment is very operator friendly." To ensure continued top performance from its new press, American Greetings uses Heidelberg Perfect Dot blankets and wash-up solution. The company also receives free maintenance and support for three years through Heidelberg’s systemservice 36plus. "The new SM 52 runs at twice the speed of our old press," Nguyen said.
Heidelberg’s Quick Actions and Prosetter P52 Save the Day at Q’s Printing and Design
When her platesetter stopped working one day, Q’s Printing and Design Owner Suzi Marshall began frantically searching for a company that could process their plates overnight to keep the business running. She turned to Heidelberg Sales Representative Jack Kasper for help. "Jack was able to find someone to process our plates and have our business going in no time," Marshall said. "He went out of his way to help me without trying to sell me equipment." Based on her experience with Heidelberg and what she’d already learned about Heidelberg platesetters and other prepress offerings, however, Marshall was already sold on the new prepress equipment she wanted for her shop. In about four weeks, her new Prosetter P52 was up and running at Q’s Printing and Design, along with new Prinect software. "The program that Heidelberg offered was superior," Marshall said. "The quality of the Prosetter P52 is better than other platesetters I’ve seen, the speed is wonderful…it takes only one-third of the time it used to take us to make a plate." As the only four-color print shop in town, Q’s Printing and Design does trade printing and short-run color printing for regional customers near San Angelo, Texas. Marshall started the company more than 25 years ago on her own, and has grown the company to its current size, with five additional employees. The company also operates Heidelberg bindery equipment, including a POLAR cutter and Stitchmaster saddlestitcher.
RBC Ministries Invests in Heidelberg Technology, Purchases New Stitchmaster ST 350
Kendell Martin, director of plant and distribution operations at RBC Ministries, does not take investment decisions lightly. When it came time to look at new stitching equipment for the bindery, a few members of the RBC staff traveled to Kennesaw, Ga. to visit Heidelberg’s Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC), one of the largest print demonstration centers in North America, which offers year-round training classes and showcases the latest printing technology. Armed with some of their toughest print jobs, the team from RBC tested Heidelberg’s stitching equipment, and became quickly enamored. "We decided to replace our existing stitcher with Heidelberg’s Stitchmaster ST 350 when we experienced first-hand the advanced technology that clearly is head and shoulders above the competition," Martin said. "We also received great counsel from our Heidelberg contacts, who helped us find the best fit for our needs and organization." The Stitchmaster ST 350 has been in production at RBC Ministries for more than a month now, and already the output exceeds expectations. "We had planned for a 28 percent increase in productivity over the previous stitcher and trimmer, but have achieved closer to 40 percent," Martin said. "This was the smoothest equipment install in my 25 years in the business. I was impressed with the entire process from start to finish. The install was completed on a Friday and we were in full production mode the following Sunday night." Martin reports that his entire team has adapted nicely to the easy-to-use computer interface, which is in keeping with RBC’s goal of going "hands free" by 2011. "The ability to detect incorrect signatures and out-of-square booklets are huge quality control features that we did not have on our previous unit," Martin said. Grand Rapids, Mich.-based RBC Ministries says it will continue to work with Heidelberg to match future shop needs with the best solutions.
Rapid City Shop Stays Competitive with New Six-Color Speedmaster SM 74 from Heidelberg
Dan Simpson put Heidelberg’s Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC) in Kennesaw, Ga. to the test when deciding how to upgrade his shop, Simpson’s Creative Printers in Rapid City, S.D. "We created four pretty difficult jobs for the demo room to run for us," he said, as he evaluated a new Heidelberg six-color Speedmaster SM 74 press with perfector and aqueous coater. "Once we saw the press in action, we were satisfied that it was the press for us." Simpson especially liked the perfecting system on the SM 74. "It’s a great tool," he said. "It’s easy to use and I felt really comfortable with the perfecting unit Heidelberg has on this press - a feeling that has proven true, post-installation." The technical capabilities of the press were outstanding - but in the end, it was service, workflow integration and Simpson’s relationship with Heidelberg that made his decision easy. "When you add up the total - the cost of the press, our relationship, print quality, features - it just made sense," Simpson said. "We are far from a large city. Heidelberg has invested pretty heavily in the Rocky Mountain region, and they have people in Denver who can easily get here and keep us running. That was also a big consideration." Simpson opted for systemservice 36plus, which includes all repair services, parts and 24/7 support for three years. In addition to the new Speedmaster SM 74, the shop also runs a host of prepress, press and postpress Heidelberg equipment, including a Prosetter violet platesetter, a two-color Printmaster QM 46, two POLAR cutters, a Stahlfolder B26 folder and a 6-pocket Stitchmaster saddlestitcher. Simpson has noticed an increase in sales since upgrading his shop. "I believe March was the largest month we’ve ever had," he said.
Louisville Envelope Manufacturer Upgrades In-Plant Capabilities with Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102
At Papercone, a specialty envelope manufacturer in Louisville, Ky., purchasing a new Heidelberg five-color Speedmaster SM 102 with perfector was a "no brainer" for Chairman and CEO Brooks Bower. "We’ve always had Heidelberg presses," he said. "They’re very reliable, dependable and we receive good support and service." Papercone often prints on Tyvek, laminated sheets or other unusual materials. "We’ve always had good luck with Heidelberg on all of the different substrates we use." Founded in 1964 and now employing 160, the shop has complete internal printing capabilities for the envelopes it manufactures. In addition to the new Speedmaster SM 102, which replaced three older presses, Papercone also runs two POLAR cutters from Heidelberg. "The automation on the new press is amazing," Bower said. "Our productivity on the SM 102 has doubled due to automation and fast setup times."
CDS Publications Masters Bindery Efficiency with Cutter, Folder from Heidelberg
After 25 years in the printing and bindery business, Randy Moreno has experienced first-hand what works and what does not. Experience has taught him that he prefers Heidelberg’s POLAR cutting equipment for its reliability and quality. Now as the bindery manager for CDS Publications in Medford, Ore., Moreno recently chose to install a POLAR 137 XT cutter to upgrade his postpress capabilities. "We still have a competitive cutter, but our bindery operators prefer the POLAR, hands down," Moreno said. "Throughput is huge for us - the automatic jogger, stack lift and counting scale are key, and the ergonomics keep the fatigue factor low for our operators." Reducing waste with the cutter’s unloading system has already helped CDS become more efficient after just a few months of operation. "We actually got rid of one of our cutters, because the POLAR can handle the work that used to require two cutters," Moreno said. The company is also seeing great results from the recent addition of a Heidelberg Stahlfolder USA B 30 folder to its bindery. "The Stahlfolder B 30 folder has really opened up some opportunities for us to do many different kinds of folds than we had capability to do before, and we can also handle larger-format work," Moreno said. He credits the delivery of the folder to creating flatter, perfectly folded boxes. "I wish I had the delivery on every one of our folders," Moreno said. Overall, CDS Publications has seen greater efficiencies in the bindery and throughout the shop with the addition of Heidelberg technology. They have lowered overtime costs and created a more efficient workflow. Founded in 1906, CDS Publications specializes in bound publications, including books, catalogs, magazines, brochures and instructional literature. The company is owned by CGX, which owns more than 70 companies nationwide.
American Printing Doubles Productivity with New Printmaster PM 52 from Heidelberg
A new five-color Printmaster PM 52 press from Heidelberg was recently installed at American Printing in Kalispell, Mont. The population of Kalispell has grown about 40 percent in the past seven years, and American Printing is staying ahead of the game with its own growth strategy. Owner Shawn Tucker decided to upgrade his production line with the new press from Heidelberg because of his experience with Heidelberg’s older model GTO presses. "We have a second location that had used the GTO 52 press, and at the first location we had been running a four-color GTO press since 1994," Tucker said. "We wanted to upgrade, and the decision was simple - we wanted to go with Heidelberg. We got a faster machine, and the five-color option gave us the coating unit we wanted." Since the beginning of 2008, American Printing has doubled its production capabilities because of the Printmaster PM 52 press. "Our color is more consistent, we have much shorter make-ready times, and the machine is very easy to use," Tucker said. All consumables for the press come from Heidelberg. American Printing serves high-end graphic arts clients in the region, producing publications, magazines, bulk mailings and advertising. American Printing and its sister company, Towne Printer, have a combined 23 employees. The shop continues to grow and expand along with the city that surrounds it.
Sergio’s Printing Creates a Stir with New Prepress, Postpress Equipment from Heidelberg
Sergio’s Printing of Miami, FL. has caused a stir in the Miami printing market by installing a new Heidelberg Suprasetter A52 platesetter and a Stahlfolder USA B 20 folder. According to Owner Sergio Fernandez, the results of installing the new equipment are "big time." The Suprasetter A52 "is amazing new technology, and we have the first one installed in Miami," Fernandez said. "The direct-to-plate capability is incredible. This is the best equipment I’ve ever had in my life." He reports faster speeds and better quality with the Suprasetter, which can mount a 100-page book in seven minutes - what used to take three days. The company also installed Prinect prepress software to increase workflow efficiency in production. The new Stahlfolder is also up and running, helping the company produce magazines, folders and trifold point-of-purchase materials. "The folder is excellent, period," Fernandez said. "It’s the best one on the market. When we run four-color jobs, the end product is perfect - quality from start to finish." Because of his new Heidelberg purchases, Fernandez credits Heidelberg with helping his business grow. "We have printers that want to buy us out all the time now, but we are sticking with it," Fernandez said. "Heidelberg has really taken care of us." Sergio's Printing Inc. is a family-owned and operated printing company that has been in operation since 1998.
Digital Shop Enters Offset Market with Heidelberg
MJA Graphics, previously an all-digital shop in Troy, Mich., recently installed a two-color Printmaster QM 46 from Heidelberg for its first foray into offset. "We had heard nothing but good things about the press," Owner Rob Delaurier said. "And now that we’ve installed it, it’s working great. We checked this morning and we’re at 89,000 impressions in four months." Over the last eight years of operation, MJA has grown to ten employees and a plant with more than 11,000 square feet of space. In addition to the new press, the shop also runs a POLAR cutter from Heidelberg. Delaurier uses Perfect Dot blankets on his press and other consumables from Heidelberg. "As an all-digital shop with no offset capabilities, the Printmaster QM 46 lets us get into letterhead, business cards, envelopes and other short to medium-run offset two-color work we had previously been outsourcing."
Wax Family Printing Grows with Heidelberg Printmaster Press
Wax Family Printing in Murfreesboro, Tenn. began quite literally as a mom-and-pop operation. Current Owner and General Manager Kevin Wax’s parents started the shop in 1966 in the family’s garage. When deciding how to best meet the needs of his growing customer base, Wax turned to CPrint for recommendations and settled on a two-color Printmaster QM 46 press from Heidelberg. "Several other members of CPrint had spoken highly of this particular press," he said. "It’s been a tremendous addition to our shop. The quick turnarounds and fast make-ready times are just awesome." A general commercial printer, Wax Family Printing also offers in-house design and mailing capabilities. "We help our customers from concept to completion," Wax said. "We have been blessed to survive and then thrive in this market." Indeed, the operation is in the midst of a major expansion, which should be finished within six months, more than doubling the size of the existing facility. Wax and his staff have enjoyed the speed and reliability of their new Heidelberg, which handles jobs large and small with aplomb. "I’ve seen the press run a whole order of 160,000 pieces and not jam," said Press Operator Steve Richardson. "That tells me I have a good press." The shop uses Perfect Dot blankets from Heidelberg to ensure top quality and performance on the new press. "We’ve already put over a million impressions on the QM 46 in less than three months," Wax said. "It runs like a champ."
Editorial Contact:
Manning Selvage & Lee
Rebecca Harbin
+1 404-870-6825
E-mail:
rebecca.harbin@mslpr.com
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