Kennesaw, Ga.
Impressions Tell the Tale at Benchemark Printing
"Heidelberg is the only multicolor press we've ever owned,"
said Brian Kosineski, Vice President of Benchemark Printing in
Schenectady, NY. That's hardly surprising, given that little more
than one month since it commenced production on a new Speedmaster
CD 102 6-color press with coating unit, the company has logged more
than 1.5 million impressions and gained the ability to perform
high-quality commercial sheetfed, POP and display work at faster
speeds and with a greater degree of flexibility and color accuracy
than ever before. The new press, which replaces a 1995 7-color
Speedmaster SM 102 with 220 million impressions, joins the
company's existing pressroom lineup, including a Heidelberg
Speedmaster SM 102 color press and a Speedmaster SM 102 8-color
perfector with coater installed in February 2008, on which the
company has accumulated more than 42 million impressions in the
first 21 months of operation. The company also has a 1995 2-color
SM 102 perfecting press on which the company does a lot of
black/black printing.
"Board work is our biggest challenge," Kosinesksi said. "We
used to run 10,000 sheets per hour on the older press with the
24-pt. board we use for POP and display signage," said Brian
Kosineski, "Now we run the same jobs at 13,000-15,000 sheets per
hour, we're up to color within 100 sheets for a typical four-color
job, and our makereadies are down by at least 10 percent across the
board."
Elsewhere in the shop, Benchemark operates a pair of
Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 270 6-pocket saddlestitchers, two 54"
POLAR guillotine cutters, and Heidelberg Printmaster QM-DI press
for small-format work. Run lengths fall anywhere from 500 to
500,000, with most jobs averaging around 25,000 pieces.
Ninety-five percent of Benchemark's clientele are located in
New York State and the Northeast generally; customers include
corporations, agencies, design firms, local schools and healthcare
concerns. Since 1990, the company has operated American Hospital
Publishing Group, Int'l, which designs and distributes patient
information guides to 250 hospitals nationwide, with printing
services provided by Benchemark. The company will celebrate a
quarter-century in business in June 2010.
The company runs its fleet of Heidelberg presses hard,
allowing 2-3 hours every Monday for routine maintenance to make
sure the machines continue to perform as expected. "You know a
Heidelberg press is going to last and last," Kosineski said, citing
his company's longtime reliance on the brand. In the event a
problem arises, he adds, Heidelberg's comprehensive Systemservice
36plus kicks in to resolve it. In short, said Kosineski,
"Heidelberg service, support and parts availability could not be
better."
Heidelberg's
Speedmaster
CD 102 delivers enhanced performance.
FetterGroup Selects POLAR DC-M To Grow Label Business
FetterGroup is on a roll. Last month, the Louisville,
KY-based company opened a new, 12,000-square-foot facility in Reno,
Nevada, aiming to better serve its California clients and further
expand its market reach on the West Coast. Closer to home, Fetter
has been working steadily to expand its product and service
offerings, especially on the label side. The company is extending
its longstanding traditional expertise in square cut-and-stack
labels for the paint and coating industries to highly specialized,
highly decorative labels for makers of distilled spirits and wines.
In continuous operation since its founding in 1888, Fetter
knows which tools work best to accomplish its production goals.
Along the way, the company has gained a strong reputation for
quality, service, and innovation using state-of-the-art technology.
To accelerate its latest venture, the company's label division,
FetterLabel, recently purchased and installed a Heidelberg POLAR
Label Cutting System with automatic in-line bander to cut and stack
the intricate die-cut, embossed and uniquely sized labels it turns
out in average quantities of 6,000-plus for a growing list of
clients in the distilled spirits business.
Installed in early November, "The POLAR die cutter was a
necessary addition to our equipment lineup to service this market,"
said Dayna Neumann, Vice President of Marketing Strategy for
FetterGroup. "We now exercise more end-to-end control over
projects, and we gain the benefits of speed, accuracy, and
incredible ease of use. While we have trained several operators on
the POLAR system, typically one operator can run the machine, and
the process of moving from installation to training to full
production was seamless and smooth."
Like Heidelberg, Fetter also is committed to helping its
customers lower costs, reduce cycle times, and increase
speed-to-market, and that is why, in terms of equipment suppliers,
Fetter learned a long time ago to separate the wheat from the
chaff. The company's pressroom boasts an impressive lineup of
Heidelberg firepower, including an 8-color Heidelberg Speedmaster
CD 102 with UV coater, a Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 6-color
press with coater, a 6-color Heidelberg Speedmaster 102S, a 2-color
Heidelberg MOZH with UV coater, and a Printmaster QM 46 2-color
press, along with a Heidelberg saddlestitcher and POLAR guillotine
paper-cutting system. Along with the POLAR DC-M label system with
automatic in-line banding, the company also installed a Stahl USA B
26 16-page continuous-feed folder.
"Our relationship with Heidelberg is very important to us.
Over the years, we've found that Heidelberg-like Fetter-strives to
make a better product that suits the user. We like to do business
with companies that share our ambition and our values, and we pride
ourselves on being a Heidelberg shop because the association
reflects our shared commitment to quality and to the customers we
serve."
The company is on track to realize a 15-20% increase in
sales this year, with an additional $2 million budgeted for
infrastructure growth in 2010.
POLAR
DC-M Label Systems, available for both automated and
semi-automated in-line operation.
Bartel Printing Ensures Integrity of Long-Distance Shipments
with POLAR Bander
Over the past year, Bartel Printing has vastly streamlined
its workflow with the addition of a Heidelberg 2-color Printmaster
GTO 52 perfector and a Heidelberg Suprasetter A52 CtP device with
workflow. Things now run faster and more smoothly in Bartel's
cutting department, too, since the company added a POLAR
Single-Head BT Bander for in-line banding from its POLAR 92X
guillotine cutters.
Established in 1970 and employing a staff of six, Warsaw,
IN-based Bartel provides commercially printed products to a local
clientele, including a number or orthopedic manufacturers and
suppliers concentrated in the area. Because the company ships
internationally, however, it needed a more durable means of
securing products-typically, orthopedic patient information
booklets or IFUs-for long-distance travel. The new POLAR BT bander
provides an extra measure of protection Bartel lacked while it
relied on traditional string-tying techniques.
"We wanted something faster that would hold our products
together better during shipping," said company president Penny
Bartel. "The POLAR BT bander not only saves time and spares labor,
but it also lends our products a more professional finish. Like all
our Heidelberg equipment, of course, it is extremely reliable."
When Bartel needs to step up its technology with the best
quality equipment, Heidelberg always seems to have what Bartel is
looking for. The company's relationship with its primary supplier
dates back to the 1970s for a reason. "All of our employees love
the machines they work on, and nothing trumps the peace of mind
that comes from knowing that you can count on the equipment you are
using and the first-rate service to back it up."
Bartel also operates a Stahl USA B 20 folder with flat pile
feeder and right angle unit, a Eurobind 1200 perfect binder and a
10x15" Windmill letterpress. It also uses assorted Heidelberg
Saphira consumables, including Perfect Dot blankets and inks.
The
POLAR
Single-Head Bander BT bands label stacks supplied by the
cutting machine.
Delta Graphics Cuts Waste, Boosts Efficiency with Printmaster 52
GTO
Delta Graphics, West Los Angeles, CA, is a small commercial
print shop with an emphasis on custom work for ad agencies and
design studios both here and abroad. Since the company's founding
in 1959, it has established an enviable reputation for consistent
quality and reliability, as well as for environmentally responsible
printing practices. To keep more of its small-format work in-house,
Delta recently purchased and installed a Heidelberg Printmaster 52
GTO 2-color perfecting press, and in so doing realized significant
improvement in efficiency and reductions in waste on a growing
volume of small-format, short-order work.
"We used to outsource many of our print short-run,
small-format jobs-typically, fancy stationery systems, envelopes
and the like-or produce them on our 28" machine, which needs 150
sheets to come up to color," said Sean McCollough, owner,
"Obviously, we had a lot more waste. With the new Printmaster 52
GTO, not only are we up to color within five sheets, but we also
gain the flexibility to process a variety of formats and stocks,
along with enhanced efficiency and ease-of-use. We also retain
better control over the job. Customers tend to like the smaller
sheet, especially since we also do a lot of die cutting and foil
stamping on those orders. The Printmaster 52 GTO is a perfect match
for the kind of work we do and the quality standards we strive to
maintain."
Elsewhere in the shop, Delta Graphics utilizes a Heidelberg
drum scanner, Topsetter P74 platesetter, RIP system and workflow,
as well as a Stahlfolder USA B 20 pile-fed folder, a POLAR 92E
programmable paper cutter, and assorted Heidelberg Saphira
consumables, including plates. Established in 1959, the $2 million,
family run company employs a staff of 12.
"We've been very happy with our Heidelberg purchases,"
McCollough said. "Not only are they are a reliable partner, but the
service is also terrific."
The
Printmaster GTO 52: Proven technology with high reliability in
production.
Lead Concepts Sees Vivid Results with Saphira Bio Consumable
Products
Lead Concepts, Inc., a direct mail marketer in Grapevine,
Texas, provides in-house mailing and printing services for a roster
of clients engaged in the financial services, healthcare, real
estate and automobile industries, among many others.
"In today's quick turn time market we find ourselves
constantly searching for new products that improve our quality and
maintain a performance level that meets our requirements," said
Leonard Cannatella, Production Manager. At Lead Concepts, most mail
pieces require tight, two- to three-day turnarounds. As a result,
Cannatella explained, "We are pulling jobs right off the press and
taking them to bindery for cutting, folding, addressing and
inserting," a process that requires the company to utilize ink and
chemicals that maintain quality and help the company achieve its
stated goals efficiently and cost-effectively.
Heidelberg Saphira Bio consumables are a mainstay of Lead
Concepts' highly productive operation. "As soon as we switched to
Heidelberg Saphira products, we noticed that our color sharpness
and print quality were much better than with our previous inks,"
Cannatella said. "We also found that we were able to lower our ink
settings and maintain the same color, thus increasing our ink
mileage."
Along with finding consumable products that meet its own
strict quality standards, Lead Concepts is pleased to be using inks
and chemicals that are safer for the environment. These include
Heidelberg Saphira Bio Press Wash, a vegetable ester-based product
that contains less than 10 percent VOCs, and Saphira Bio Ink, which
combines outstanding lithographic performance, press productivity,
and print quality with ultra-low VOC content to deliver robust
performance across a broad range of substrates and running
conditions. Since making the switch to Heidelberg Saphira Bio
consumables products, said Cannatella, "This has become one of our
points we use when promoting printed products and mail pieces to
our customers."
Ultra-low-VOC
Saphira BIO press wash and vegetable-based Saphira BIO inks
help print shops run lean and green.
Atlanta's Preprint Accepts Challenge of A Changing Market
Since its founding as a small graphics and prepress agency
in 1990, Preprint has steadily broadened its focus and deepened its
expertise to become a total solutions provider for its many
satisfied clients. Over the years, the Atlanta-based, woman-owned
commercial and quick printer has built a fine reputation for
quality and customer service with the help of Heidelberg, its
primary prepress, press and postpress supplier.
The company acquired its first small-format Heidelberg
press, the 2-color GTO-52, in the late 1990s, and followed up with
a 4-color Heidelberg QMDI, plus assorted pre- and postpress
installations, including a Prosetter violet laser platesetter with
Heidelberg workflow, a POLAR 52 cutter, in addition to a late-model
Stahlfolder TD 154 with right-angle attachment. Most recently,
Preprint replaced the original GTO with a Printmaster QM 46-2. Thus
equipped, confirmed Timmi Verma, who owns and operates Preprint
with husband Sanjeev,
"We're not afraid to challenge ourselves. We're always
pushing the envelope in terms of speed, quality and technical
mastery because we know we have the right tools for the job."
Of the new QM 46-2, said Verma, "It has made life so much
easier around here. Not only is the press extremely fast, but the
registration is excellent, and we no longer have trouble
maintaining solids. It's small but effective, and it prints like a
much bigger press." Furthermore, said Verma, should a 4-color job
require the addition of a fifth color, such as a metallic, "We can
take it off the QMDI and put it right on the QM 46."
The company protects all of its Heidelberg purchases with
the full range of Heidelberg pressroom and prepress consumables,
including Saphira Violet plates. The company also protects its new
press with Heidelberg's comprehensive, 36-month Systemservice
36plus service package.
The $1.2 million shop boasts a loyal clientele made up of
regional local arts organizations, designers, Atlanta city
government, Atlanta public schools, and a host of ad agencies and
design firms.
Not surprisingly, Preprint's relationship with Heidelberg is
rooted in the reliability of Heidelberg equipment and the quality
of its service. While the company's service needs are few, "I
firmly believe you get what you pay for in this business," Verma
said. "Early experience with competitive products taught us that
the level of support we receive from Heidelberg is unmatched in the
industry. I think that's key."
Productivity and flexibility in tandem:
Heidelberg's
stalwart Printmaster QM 46
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen
A technology provider and partner in the print media industry
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is with its
sheetfed offset printing machines one of the leading solution
providers for the print media industry. All over the world, the
name Heidelberg is synonymous with state-of-the art technology, top
quality, and closeness to the customer. The core business of this
technology group covers the whole value-added and process chain for
the 35 x 50 cm (13.78 x 19.69 in) to 121 x 162 cm (47.64 x 63.78
in) format classes in the sheetfed offset sector.
Heidelberg develops and produces precision printing presses,
platesetters, postpress equipment, and software for integrating all
the printshop processes. Environmental protection has an enduring
importance in this regard. Solutions for the development,
production, and utilization of presses help to conserve resources,
reduce emissions, and cut wastage. The Heidelberg portfolio also
provides general and consulting services ranging from spare parts
and consumables to the sale of remarketed equipment, and training
at the Print Media Academy.
Based in Heidelberg, Germany, with development and production
sites in seven countries and around 250 sales offices across the
globe, the company supports around 200,000 customers worldwide. All
Heidelberg presses destined for the world market are manufactured
at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site in line with strict quality
standards. Standardized presses in all standard format classes and
folding machines for the Chinese market are produced by Heidelberg
in Qingpu near Shanghai.
Heidelberg presses worldwide produce high-quality print
products such as business cards, brochures, posters, and folding
cartons.
In financial year 2008/2009, Heidelberg recorded sales of EUR
2.999 billion. As at March 31, 2009, the Heidelberg Group had a
workforce of 18,926 worldwide, including 707 trainees.
Media contacts:
Tim Henschel
Manager, Public Relations Heidelberg USA, Inc.
+1-770-419-6554
timothy.henschel@heidelberg.com