Clays has installed its first Heidelberg Speedmaster, a five-colour plus coater XL106, after its B1 Komori Lithrone was written off by its insurance company.
The press was sourced through Exel Printing Machinery from a company in Switzerland. The 2014 press was low mileage, looks like new according to Exel sales director Ian Bendy, and has been installed without a hitch.
With the busy season about to break over the book printing business, there was no time for the niceties of purchasing a new press. “Clays were looking for a specific machine to replace the Komori. They wanted a fairly young machine with a low impression count that was fitted with full UV drying and were happy to consider any manufacturer,” says Bendy.
A team from Clays flew to Switzerland to inspect the press and make sure it was suitable before Exel arranged shipment from Switzerland to Clays’ Bungay factory. “Exel have been great to work with,” says Clays operations director Ian Smith. “We were fortunate that there was a press like the one we were looking for available.”
The company has until now been an all Komori house with B2 and SRA1 Komori’s, as well as the now defunct Lithrone 40. The damage was caused when water found its way into the lubrication system leading to the seizing up of the machine and rendering it ‘beyond economic repair’.
Following installation the Heidelberg press was commissioned by Exel’s engineers and on site training was carried out on the press. “We still have Exel demonstrators here on site while we become accustomed to the machine, but the press has been in partial production for two weeks and we are very happy with the choice we have made,” says Smith.
The press will be used for producing covers, jackets and colour sections for the UK’s largest book plant. This led to the requirement for the fifth colour and to be able to run UV inks and coatings with both end of press and inter deck positions for UV lamps. There is also a Wallscreen display dominating the control desk, new to Clays’ operators.
While the press is a replacement for the failed machine, it will provide extra capacity through easier makeready and faster running speed. And it becomes part of an ongoing investment that has been underway since the acquisition of the book printer by the Elcograf Group. This will culminate next year with the installation of a Manroland Lithoman web press. This summer the company has installed a further Muller Martini Allegro perfect binding line and new case making equipment. It is also considering further sheetfed press investment, says Smith.
While this is the first Heidelberg for Clays, its parent company operates a long perfecting Speedmaster in Italy.
