Heidelberg Technology Helps Printers Nationwide Expand Business, Improve Quality |
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| 05/30/2008 |
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Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations:
Dual Graphics Expanding Into Package Printing With Heidelberg
Dual Graphics, a general commercial shop catering to higher-end clients in Brea, Calif., was looking for a dual solution when it purchased a new Speedmaster XL 105 press from Heidelberg. The company wanted to increase efficiencies through updates to its pressroom while also expanding into the packaging market. With its new XL 105 press, Dual Graphics has done both. "I felt comfortable with Heidelberg and felt they had the most efficient machine on the market," said Sales Manager Bill Cooper. "The XL 105 is driving the staff to higher efficiency and changing our culture." The shop, which has been in operation since 1972, has grown over the last three decades to 103 employees. "We do a better job than the average printing company," President and CEO Jim Joyce said. "Our customers are fairly demanding of us, and we aim to exceed their needs." The new XL 105 has enabled Dual Graphics to expand into the packaging market, with its ability to run a variety of heavy and unusual substrates. "It really sets us apart from our competitors," Cooper said. "A couple of our sales reps were looking to expand their business in this tough economy. We found some package printing opportunities and figured out how to purchase materials. The efficient makeready along with the fast run speed of the XL 105 are allowing us to compete in the competitive packaging market."
New York Print Shop Boosts Bindery Output with Stahlfolder Installation
Ryan Printing in Blauvelt, N.Y. has just replaced an older model folder by adding Heidelberg's new Stahlfolder TH 82 folder to its all-Heidelberg bindery. Owner Al Ryan looked for a folder that would be able to score long and oblong six-page covers both with and against the grain and score them in-line, and only the Stahlfolder TH 82 fit the description. "We are an all-Heidelberg shop, from prepress through the bindery, so I wanted to ensure that the bindery would still be automated and we would continue to save time throughout our shop processes," Ryan said. "The folder has been installed just under two months, and we love the results." Speed and quality of the finished product have both been enhanced for Ryan Printing with the addition of the new folder, and Ryan plans to add a Heidelberg VSA presser-stacker in the near future to ensure quality control of the final product. The transition of the new folder into the shop was an easy one; just two days after installation began, the folder was up and running smoothly. "The TH 82 just seems to speed up the whole folding process," Ryan said. Ryan Printing currently runs Heidelberg CtP equipment, including a Prosetter, and four Heidelberg presses: a 5-color Speedmaster CD 74 with coating unit, a 4-color Speedmaster SM 74, a 2-color Printmaster QM 46, and a Heidelberg DI press. The bindery includes a Heidelberg POLAR 115 cutting system, a continuous fed Stahlfolder B-20 and a Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 90 saddlestitcher - a full suite of postpress equipment options. Founded in 1992, Ryan Printing serves local and regional clientele producing brochures, newsletters, slipcovers, postcards, catalogs, stationery and direct mail pieces. The shop currently employs 12.
Heidelberg Helps Miami-Dade In-Plant Enhance Quality, Sustainability
Steve Schmuger, graphic services manager for the Miami-Dade County General Services Administration (GSA), oversees an in-plant that produces a variety of materials for the local government. From forms and promotional pieces to bills, ballots and everything in between, the shop runs a wide variety of materials and substrates. To keep up with the work, the GSA recently installed a new 4-color Speedmaster CD 74 with perfector and coater from Heidelberg. "The capabilities of the press and our experience working with Heidelberg were big factors in our decision to go with the CD 74," Schmuger said. "It's working out well." To prepare the shop for the new press, the GSA upgraded its prepress operation about six months ago with a Suprasetter A74 platesetter, which runs Saphira Chemfree thermal plates. The Chemfree thermal platesetter system eliminates the need for traditional processing chemistry and reduces wastewater, which is helping the GSA achieve its goal of "going green" and becoming certified as an environmentally-friendly printer. The shop has also recently installed two POLAR cutters and a Stahlfolder TH 82 folder with a Speedbander delivery and ink jetting system. And to ensure continued top performance, the GSA runs Heidelberg Perfect Dot blankets on its new press. "The pressmen are really excited about the CD 74," Schmuger said. "We've already seen a big increase in quality, even though the full calibration is still underway."
Austin Print Shop Takes the Plunge, Installs Speedmaster CD 102 from Heidelberg
Building a strong customer base in Austin, Texas is hard - so hard that John Eastty, president/owner of Aus-Tex Printing and Mailing, occasionally brings out his red boxing gloves to show his competition that he plans to win the fight. "We must constantly stay competitive in this market, and we didn't want to be the only company in Austin left without coating capabilities," Eastty said. As a loyal Heidelberg customer for years, Aus-Tex was already running four- and five-color presses, so the logical next step was to incorporate a new 6-color Speedmaster CD 102 with coater. "We were sharing some of our customers with other local printers, but now that we have coating capabilities, we can handle all our customers' needs in-house," Eastty said. This is a key component to the growth strategy that Eastty sees advancing over the next few months. "When paired with the existing 5-color Speedmaster SM 102 with perfector, the new 6-color model is a great matchup," Eastty said. "We feel much more prepared to attack the workload with ease, quality and speed." Aus-Tex also boasts the complete Prinect workflow system from Heidelberg, which has been running for about two years. "Prinect has simplified everything in our entire structure," Eastty said. "It allows us to have one complete pass, from the customer's file to the finished product. Prinect is a great way to manage business for us." Everything at Aus-Tex is color calibrated, including its digital copy equipment. Representatives from Aus-Tex even go directly to customers to ensure that their own computer screens are calibrated to match the system, so whether the proof is on the customer's screen, the printer's screen or the press proof, the color is perfect. Aux-Tex has expanded to serve customers on a national and even an international basis, and has been in operation in Austin since 1946. The company still runs two Heidelberg letterpress machines, including an award-winning 1947 flatbed. The shop also operates POLAR cutters, Stahlfolders, two Printmaster PM 46 presses, and a 5-color Speedmaster SM 52, and all this equipment compliments Aus-Tex's extensive mailing and fulfillment division. "With a new modern facility, new equipment, and the best employees in Texas, we're ready for round Two," Eastty said.
New Heidelberg Stahlfolder Captivates California Print Shop
It may not be magic, but a transformation has occurred at Wizard Graphics in Chico, Calif. in the last several months. Efficiency, quality and customer satisfaction are at an all-time high at Wizard Graphics in the wake of a complete prepress system overhaul and the addition of a new Heidelberg Stahlfolder USA B26 folder. The company's old prepress equipment was replaced in the fall of 2007 with a Heidelberg prepress system, and Owner Merlin Newkirk now boasts about the system's success. "We have been so highly impressed with Heidelberg's prepress system that we wouldn't look to any other company," he said. Now, here is where the real magic happens. Newkirk's son and production manager, Matt Newkirk, attended a print show in Egypt in 2007, where he met with Heidelberg representatives and experienced the Stahlfolder first-hand. After traveling to several shops in Cairo, Newkirk was so impressed with Heidelberg's advanced Stahlfolder technology that he insisted that Wizard Graphics invest in one as soon as possible. When the shop's old folder died a few months later, Newkirk summoned Heidelberg and installed a new Stahlfolder USA B26 in January 2008. "We are very impressed with the folder," Marlin Newkirk said. "The productivity enhancements with continuous feed are incredible. Heidelberg has changed our thinking on feeding short runs - we always were told that pile feeds were best for short runs, but now we are able to just load several jobs at a time onto the continuous feed and the Stahlfolder takes care of them all in succession." Just after the folder arrived, Wizard Graphics put it to the test with a 90,000-piece mailing for the county that was budgeted to take two and a half days. Imagine their surprise when the mailing was complete in less than four hours on the new Stahlfolder. As an Internet-based company, Wizard Graphics is focused on high customer satisfaction. "Our customers want quality results, and with the preslitter on the folder that helps us score on the fly, we can ensure the best results on all kinds of jobs," Newkirk said. Newkirk also praises Heidelberg's service technicians, noting that service experts will stop by their shop, which is well off the beaten path in Chico, Calif., just to ensure that the folder is still in good condition. Wizard Graphics receive orders from around the nation, and the family-run business trusts Heidelberg results to fulfill the wishes of its customers.
Alabama Printer With Reputation for Quality Poised for More Growth With Heidelberg
McQuick Printing, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., was founded in 1991 as an in-plant for a medical association. Bill McGough purchased the shop in 1994 - and after years of steady growth, upgrades and two more acquisitions, McQuick now employs 36 across three locations. The shop has run Heidelberg presses since 1995, and the most recent addition to the floor is a new 5-color Speedmaster CD 74 with coater. "We've always been a Heidelberg shop; I'm a pressman from way back and I've always run Heidelbergs," McGough said. "I'm from Germany. I believe in German equipment, as far as dependability and reliability." That German precision and reliability has helped McQuick become a leader in the community when it comes to output quality. "We built a reputation around doing high quality work and delivering it when we said we would," McGough said. McGough has traditionally bought used presses, but after looking long and hard at the used equipment market - and considering the vintage of the other presses on the floor - he opted to go with a brand new CD 74. "We needed to make a significant jump in the technological curve, so we felt strongly about purchasing a new press," he said. "Plus, the extra help a new press manufacturer gives you has been great. Heidelberg has been really good about training, troubleshooting and helping us grow into this. The CD 74 was one of the smoothest installations we have ever had. It just was an easy transition. We had no hiccups." In addition to the new press, McQuick also runs a Heidelberg Prosetter 74 platesetter in prepress; a 1-color SORK, 2-color Quickmaster 46 and 6-color SM 102 with perfector in the pressroom; and a Stitchmaster ST 270 saddlestitcher and two POLAR cutters in postpress. The shop uses Heidelberg consumables, including Perfect Dot blankets, blanket wash, fountain liners and Saphira plates and chemistry for its Prosetter. McGough is focused on the future and plans to offer Internet-based printing to his customers soon. "I think we are going to be one of the first in the state of Alabama to go Web to print, and this press has given us the capability to do that."
Heidelberg Anicolor Ups the Ante, Produces Green Results at 4-Color Press
After running more than one million impressions per month on two Heidelberg DI presses for almost two years, Andrew Fuld of 4-Color press began looking at options for more quality while maintaining high speeds. The answer? Heidelberg's Speedmaster SM 52 with Anicolor. "With Anicolor, we felt like we could get down to 18-hour production from 24-hour production cycles," Fuld said. "We are able to decrease makeready time significantly, as well as reduce our consumption of materials, including plates and paper. Not only do we save materials, we increase our ability to offer different, better products with the larger format size." The new press was installed with a coating unit, which produces higher quality end results for the Fort Worth, Texas shop. "Anicolor was the perfect step for our business, helping us continually evolve and change ahead of the industry," Fuld said. The company has experienced a big leap in efficiency and technology enhancements with Heidelberg, going from two presses to the one new Anicolor press, as well as transferring completely to Heidelberg Saphira Chemfree plates. "Makeready has gone down to 15 sheets on the new press, thus we are experiencing so many results in efficiency that we didn't even expect," Fuld said. 4-Color Press began as a small shop with one DI press, one POLAR cutter and a Quickfolder. Throughout the newest phase of its growing process, the company has resurfaced stronger than ever, while still keeping with its core business focus. 4-Color Press prides itself on customer satisfaction and long-term relationship building with both customers and partners. "These new technologies and enhancements by Heidelberg have really allowed us to focus on our priorities, while continuing to produce the results our customers want," Fuld said. The company has 15 employees and serves its customers with full-color general commercial printing.
Steward Printing Celebrates 25 Years With New Heidelberg Press
After 25 successful years of business in Dallas, Texas, Steward Printing is celebrating with the installation of a new 5-color Speedmaster CD 74 from Heidelberg. "As a small company that depends on one half-size press, we cannot afford to be down," said owner Missy Steward. "Heidelberg takes care of us, and we know that we can depend on their equipment. They are the Cadillac and the Rolls Royce of printing presses." The press is the third Heidelberg for the company, which offers full-color general commercial printing for clients in the Dallas area. Since it was installed in mid-March, the new Speedmaster CD 74 has been running at full-speed without a hiccup. Steward Printing chose to install the new press with perfecting and coating units for maximum end-results, ensuring that their reputation for high customer satisfaction soars above expectations. "I kept saying we had to go with the best," Steward said. "Our Heidelberg sales rep, Jon O'Day, is great at helping us pinpoint our business needs and offering us the best solution possible, and we couldn't be happier." Steward Printing & Advertising currently houses 10 employees.
Scan Group Adds New Speedmaster Press from Heidelberg to Lineup
Dave Dec, print manager for The Scan Group based in Waukesha, Wis., knew what he was looking for when evaluating a new press. He wanted a machine with variable dampening to eliminate hickeys, a press with no marking issues and a color bar reader to save time. He got all that and more in his new 6-color Speedmaster CD 74 with coater from Heidelberg. "Heidelberg is great when it comes to service," Dec said. "There is no other choice for a press." Dec should know - he's been working with Heidelberg equipment for 22 years. The Scan Group started in the early 1980s as a film and prepress house, but has since expanded into a full service creative and production group and general commercial printer. In addition to its new CD 74, the shop also runs a 5-color GTO and 2-color perfecting MOZP from Heidelberg, a Heidelberg Prosetter 74 platesetter in prepress, plus two Stahlfolders, two POLAR cutters, a Stitchmaster ST-455 8-pocket stitcher with cover deck and rim stacker, and a Heidelberg 20x30 cylinder die cutter in postpress. Dec uses Heidelberg Perfect Dot blankets and washup chemistry. When asked about his new press' performance so far, Dec says results from the CD 74 have been "excellent."
Editorial Contact:
Manning Selvage & Lee
Rebecca Harbin
404-870-6825
rebecca.harbin@mslpr.com
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