Basildon printer ThreeFiveFour has become a single-press operation with installation of a 2017 five-colour plus coater Speedmaster CX102, replacing a six-colour CD102 and a B2 Komori Lithrone. And thanks to a full suite of Push to Stop automation tools, the business has increased capacity, reduced energy consumption and improved speed of response.
“We have moved to single-machine operation and we do not need the six minders that we used to have,” says director Ian Drew. “We had been looking for a new press for a number of years, preferably an XL. Then Heidelberg came up with this machine with only 90 million impressions and all the toys we could need.”
The press was supplied through Heidelberg’s remarked equipment programme, designed to provide access to recent machines to customers that want this sort of press, with full back up from the manufacturer. This includes knowledge and the ability to service high tech elements on the machines that dealers might struggle with. “It was an offer we simply could not refuse,” says Drew.
“We have worked with dealers before and they have been very good, but the level of technology on this press meant that, as a business, we needed the backup of the manufacturer.” All consumables are being supplied by Heidelberg cutting further any risks should production issues arise.
The press connects to Heidelberg’s cloud for data analytics to help with servicing and identifying any production issues. While it remains early days and the press is only now bedded in fully, the benefits are becoming clear.
Drew says: “We expect the machine to give us 100% more productivity. We are currently running in half the time, with half the number of minders, while achieving the same turnover – purely because of the efficiencies built into the machine itself.”
Makeready times have been cut to six minutes and because every sheet is coated, work can be turned and run back through the press or passed to finishing without further waiting.
The arrival of the press is being followed this week by the switch on of a roof top solar array which will cut the energy bill and improve the company’s carbon footprint.
The move from a two-press to a single-press operation frees up storage space which is much needed at Christmas when the company backs up with direct mail work to go out over the holiday and early in the new year says Drew.
The next step is looking at efficiency improvements in the prepress side he says.
