Heidelberg Solutions Drive Productivity for Printers Large and Small

“It’s like a huge jigsaw puzzle,” said company owner Dan Banakis. “Before we had Compucut, it would take us anywhere from six to 10 hours at night to lay out those sheets, compared with the few minutes per form it takes now. It’s a huge work- and time-saver, especially since we specialize in run lengths between 1,000 and 5,000 pieces and provide 24-hour turnaround on most projects.” Not surprisingly, Banakis views autoprogramming with Compucut and waste removal via Autotrim as vital to M13’s campaign to build efficiency and trim costs.

The decision to in-source its printing and cutting work will enable M13 to more closely control the quality of the work itself, and to realize a greater profit in the bargain, Banakis explains. “Outsourcing the kind of work we do often meant that our jobs would get pushed to the end of the queue and compromise our ability to provide next-day service.”

M13 Graphics, which had been operating from a temporary facility in nearby Morton Grove, IL, commenced business in its new manufacturing mode from its expanded headquarters in Schaumburg on Sept. 1.

One sharp cookie: the POLAR 115 XT with Autotrim

Western Robidoux Adds Second Printmaster QM 46

With a history of customer service that stretches back more than 100 years, Western Robidoux, a family-owned commercial printer in St. Joseph, MO knows what works. When the time came to replace its aging Printmaster QM 46-2 small-format press, therefore, the company bought another one. The new press joins a lineup of Heidelberg equipment that includes a 5-color Speedmaster 52 with aqueous coater, a Stahlfolder USA B20 folder and a POLAR 78X paper cutter. As for the new QM 46, the company loads up the press with a variety of commercial 2-color work in various format sizes, including brochures, business cards, fliers, and other materials, making efficient use of the new machine’s central format settings, ability to handle a wide range of printing stocks and perform accelerated job changes. The company also utilizes a small-format accessory that permits the more efficient feeding of A2 envelopes.

“You know,” said plant manager Peter Burri, “The only time we’ve been less than satisfied in terms of investment is when we didn’t buy a piece of Heidelberg equipment. Heidelberg is a company that does what it says.” Western Robidoux employs a staff of 22 and serves a diverse client base located in northwest MO.