IL-Based Bloomington Offset Process (bopi) Does Much More Than Produce Pocket Folders
Having the cameras shoot a full picture of a sheet that the operator can visually inspect while the press is running creates a process that leans more toward press management as opposed to problem solving the entire run.
The elder Mercier notes another advantage offered by bopi's Rapida 106 is its capability to perfect HR-UV inks on dull or gloss coated stock, without marking, for an appearance he feels is superior to conventional inks.
The state of Illinois offered a graphic arts sales tax exemption that expired at the end of August 2014, which meant the new machine had to be unloaded and completely installed in order for bopi to reap the savings. While Illinois has been in the news recently for the business migration out of the state, the capital-intensive nature of the printing industry has bopi entrenched in its current locale. Thus, Tom Mercier points out that key variables such as the Rapida 106 are going to enable his company to maintain a point of differentiation in a shrinking business landscape.
A Kluge pocket folder/gluer and an MBO B30-S 644 Perfection automated continuous-feed, high-speed folder bolstered the bindery and provided the kind of computer-controlled operation to the back end that bopi had been enjoying in the pressroom. A second die-cutter and EFI Monarch MIS software also highlight the major acquisitions of the past few years.
Another high-impact piece in the current capex generation is an HP Indigo 5600, a digital press very familiar to the folks at bopi, who previously leased an Indigo 5500 and 3050. The 5600 brings white ink capabilities to the table, along with substrate thicknesses up to 18-pt. stock, the latter of which makes it friendlier for printing on plastics. The press does a heavy amount of variable data postcards, as well as POP work.
