New Heidelberg Installations at U.S. Printing Operations
KENNESAW, GA—Feb. 26, 2010—Heidelberg USA announces the following new product installations:
F.P. Horak Advances Print Resource Management with New Speedmaster XL 75
F.P. Horak Co. is a $30 million, full-service print provider located in Bay City, MI. The company recently installed a 6-color Speedmaster XL 75 high-performance press with aqueous coater and extended delivery to improve productivity and speed turnaround times. The new press replaces an aging 5-color press, and the difference is like night from day. According to company President Tim Dust, the XL 75’s 18,000 sph running speed and significantly faster makereadies “permit us to pound out the work more quickly. As a result, we have reduced pricing in some product categories and improved delivery in all categories.” Since the new press was installed, the company also has noted a bigger crossover with its digital capabilities, such that the all-Heidelberg sheetfed division is steadily picking up a greater range of short-run sizes.
Compared with the older press it replaced, the Speedmaster XL 75’s extensive automation has been “a revelation,” Dust said. From the high-performance Prinect Press Center with Intellistart to the AutoPlate plate changer, to the Prinect Axis Control color measuring system, the capabilities of the XL 75 dovetail perfectly with F.P. Horak’s stated mission to provide comprehensive print and marketing solutions that build long-term, value-driven relationships. “We have made a proactive business decision to use our technologies to help marketers get a better return on their dollar spend,” Dust explained.
The company’s sheetfed division also operates a 6-color Speedmaster SM 102, a 2-color Heidelberg SORKZ, a pair of Printmaster QM 46 2-color presses, in addition to two programmable POLAR 115 paper cutters with Transomat and Speedbander, Stahl B20 and B26 folders, and a Heidelberg ST 270 saddlestitcher. Personnel not only received on-site post-installation training on the XL 75, but the company also sent two pressmen and a foreman for additional training at Heidelberg’s Print Media Demonstration Center in Kennesaw, Ga. “Service and support after the sale have been outstanding,” Dust confirmed, “especially the three-year Systemservice 36plus extended warranty package with Remote Service.”
A longtime Heidelberg customer, F.P. Horak embarked on a program to “reinvent” itself in the early 1990s, after establishing its reputation as a business forms printer since 1946. Shortly thereafter, the company expanded into the digital printing, mailing and fulfillment. “About 70 percent of our total revenue is tied to promotional spending rather than transactional print,” Dust said. The company currently employs 200 in two Bay City locations.
Leading technology for your business success: Speedmaster XL 75 .
If You Build It, They Will Come: Harper College Installs Speedmaster SM 52
The Graphic Arts and Technology Department at Harper College in Palatine, IL, has just added a Heidelberg Speedmaster 52 4-color press to help attract, educate and train its students by introducing them to the newest print capabilities. According to Patricia Bruner, Graphic Arts Coordinator, this simple strategy already has yielded an “incredible” 40 percent increase in enrollment for the current semester.
“We’re not teaching pressmen here,” Bruner said. Rather, the Graphic Arts and Technology program at Harper is targeted to creative design, photography, prepress and production, and sales and marketing students who will need to understand the best practices associated with print manufacturing in order to be effective in their jobs after graduation.
“We could have bought a cheaper, 2-color press, but opted for the Speedmaster SM 52 because we wanted to be able to demonstrate the versatility and force of 4-color process work,” Bruner said. “The Speedmaster 52 gives us the flexibility in a compact platform that suits our needs perfectly.” As a bonus, the Graphic Arts Department recently began taking on some jobs for the college, which previously outsourced its 4-color work. These days, however, “We can print most 8.5x11” brochure work on the Speedmaster SM 52,” Bruner said, saving time and money for the institution.
As for the Department’s choice of a Heidelberg press, “We need only one press and we need it to last a long, long time,” Bruner said. “Heidelberg is the king of press manufacturing, a great staple of the industry, and is well known for its unwavering support of industry education. Why would we choose anything else?”
Established in 2005, the Graphic Arts and Technology Department at Harper College serves a current enrollment of 531 students taught by two full-time and 10 adjunct instructors.
The customized concept for all your requirements: Speedmaster SM 52 .
Winchester Printers Removes Prepress Bottlenecks with Suprasetter 105
Winchester Printers, Inc., Winchester, VA, recently installed a Heidelberg Suprasetter 105 SCL with Prepress Manager workflow, replacing a Heidelberg Prosetter, to take advantage of the efficiencies made possible by the automated features of the new thermal platesetting system.
The management team of Winchester Printers said, “This automation has enabled us to eliminate the bottlenecks that use to impede our production. The daylight load Suprasetter with its Saphira Chemfree thermal plates and automatic plate stacker enables the unit to run virtually unattended, which has lowered our operating costs.”
Winchester Printers, Inc. is a family owned and operated full-service commercial printer having served the needs of businesses, universities, organizations, and associations throughout northern Virginia and parts of Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania for more than half a century. In addition to its Prinect-based prepress workflow, the company also operates a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 102 2-color perfector, a 6-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 perfecting press with in-line coating tower, a 4-color SM 74 perfecting press and a pair of Heidelberg Printmaster QM 46 2-color machines, as well as a Heidelberg Windmill letterpress. The bindery hosts a POLAR 45” programmable guillotine cutter with paper handling capabilities, and a Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 100 8-pocket plus cover feeder saddlestitcher with Rima stacker. Given its robust capabilities and commitment to superior customer service, it’s no wonder Winchester Printers prides itself on exemplifying “Old Fashioned Values with Today’s Technologies.”
“In our experience, it is easy to partner with Heidelberg,” Hottle said. “Heidelberg has always supported us with fast, efficient service and high quality equipment. We do not see a reason to go anywhere else.”
High performance for medium formats: Suprasetter 105 .
Operators Applaud as Senate Print Shop Selects Muscular Cutting Solution from POLAR
The Printing, Graphics and Direct Mail Department of the U.S. Senate in Washington, DC, recently took delivery of a POLAR 92X high-speed programmable paper cutter with jogger and scale to shoulder the cutting load previously handled by a 15-year-old competitive cutter.
As a former independent electrical contractor with experience installing and servicing all kind of printing equipment, Buddy Pritchett—like his colleagues in the Bindery department—not only considered POLAR cutters to be top-of-the-line, but also had enough field experience to confirm that POLAR cutters seldom broke down and had minimal service requirements. The POLAR 92X is also equipped with OptiKnife knife-changing system, automatic graphic programming, and the major functions for an automated working sequence.
“In terms of the production work we do on paper and card stock materials, the new POLAR is every bit as capable as any of our other production cutters—and then some,” said Reprographics specialist Buddy Pritchett, who cites the new cutter’s superior mechanical strength as a big plus for the heavier work it will be called upon to perform. “With this particular application,” Pritchett said, “Strength and cycling were major issues. Given the POLAR’s mechanical drive, we knew we wouldn’t have to deal with jams when handling heavier stocks like chipboard. It’s just more capable.” He gets no argument from his operators, all of whom are “glad we chose POLAR.” The print shop bindery also operates three hardworking Stahlfolders.
With a staff of 40, the Senate print shop produces a wide variety of printed materials for United States Senators and their committees.
Programmable, efficient cutting in medium-sized formats: POLAR 92X .
Ry-Gan Printing Opts for Green Automation with Suprasetter 75
Ry-Gan Printing, Inc., a self-described custom trade printer in Rochester, NY, boasts an all-Heidelberg lineup of software and equipment from its Prinect-based prepress workflow to its pressroom and bindery. The company recently replaced its Heidelberg Prosetter violet platesetter with a thermal Suprasetter 75 CtP system with automatic plate-loading to take advantage of the opportunity to “get greener” by using less chemistry and fewer consumables, as well as to manage its personnel more effectively.
“Don’t get me wrong, we loved our Prosetter,” said Craig Schinsing, the company’s president, “but it made good sense for us to upgrade from a manual to an automated system that would free the operator for other tasks. We also realize significant savings in terms of our chemistry and consumables usage, as well as in employee time management.”
The company produces between 500 and 600 plates each month for its four hardworking presses, which include 2- and 4-color Speedmaster SM 52s, and a Speedmaster SM 74 4-color press with high-pile delivery, dryer and coater.
The company’s long-term relationship with Heidelberg guarantees access to “service when we need it,” Schinsing said. “We do our own maintenance, but Heidelberg technicians are always available to keep us running day in and day out, when necessary. That’s the kind of assurance that makes Heidelberg technology worth the extra price in the long run.”
Founded in 1996 and with annual sales revenue of $2 million, Ry-Gan Printing’s staff of 10 produces newsletters, envelopes, postcards, posters, brochures, pocket folders, mailers, and static-cling, foil, plastic and vinyl printed products for a primarily regional clientele.
Outstanding performance with a compact, space-saving footprint: Suprasetter A75 .
Print Harmony Installs Printmaster QM 46: ‘Automation Is Where the Money Is’
Jason Gabay, manager of Print Harmony LLC, a trade printer in Clearwater, FL, reports the installation of a Heidelberg Printmaster QM 46 2-color press to answer customer demand for fast, high-quality 1- and 2-color printing, primarily business forms, letterheads and envelopes.
“We are the first trade-only printer in the U.S. to offer quick printing to the trade,” Gabay said. “Most trade printers do strictly 4-color work and are gang-run operations. We did our market research and turned up a niche, which the small-format QM 46-2 enables us to serve.”
Gabay praises the many automated features of the new press, including AutoPlate, electronic sheet monitoring and arrival control, on-the-fly register adjustment, and rapid-response inking unit for superior print quality.
“Thanks to the automation on the QM 46, we can make ready in less than five minutes,” he said, “and keep our promise to deliver everything in 24 hours at no additional charge. You can buy a cheaper machine, but the quality and productivity just aren’t there. Automation is where the money is. With the Printmaster QM 46, we can produce jobs even more quickly and cheaply than our customers can!”
Established in 2002, Print Harmony also operates Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74 presses, as well as multiple POLAR cutters and Stahlfolders. From a service standpoint, said Gabay, support from Heidelberg has been invaluable in keeping his equipment up and running for the benefit of his customers. “We specialize in fast turnaround and have smaller printers depending on us,” he said. “Heidelberg understands that we can’t afford the downtime, and they’ve been there for us every step of the way.”
Good things come in small packages: Printmaster QM 46.
Martino-White Printing Chooses POLAR for Speed and Durability
Martino-White Printing of Hapeville, GA, recently installed a POLAR 92X guillotine paper cutter from Heidelberg to increase the speed and productivity of its cutting operation, as well as to take advantage of POLAR’s “built for the ages” reliability and durability. The new cutter replaces a competitive model and is chiefly deployed to cut large parent sheets to printable size—an operation previously performed by the paper company but brought in-house by Martino-White as a time- and cost-saving measure.
“We wanted a heavier-duty cutter than we had,” said company General Manager and Vice President Dennis Martino, a past chairman of the Printing and Imaging Association of Georgia, also citing the POLAR machine’s high-speed, frequency-controlled backgauge, hydraulic clutch, and advance speed of 20 cm/sec. “Based on its performance thus far and because the POLAR 92X is built so well, it should be the last cutter we buy in my lifetime,” Martino said.
Elsewhere in the shop Martino-White operates three Printmaster QM 46 2-color presses and a Heidelberg die cutter. To help maintain its Heidelberg presses, the company uses a selection of Heidelberg Saphira consumables, including blankets, press wash and fountain solution.
Established in 1973, Martino-White Printing is a medium–sized commercial print shop and WBENC-Certified Woman-Owned Business serving a variety of local, regional, national clients, primarily in the hospitality and travel industries. The company employs a staff of 24.
State-of-the art technology for precise, efficient cutting: POLAR 92X.
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