The first machine of the three H-UV press order for Walsh Colour Print that Komori secured at Drupa is now in operation at the 9,300m2 plant in the west of Ireland.
That machine is the eight-unit GLX-840RP dedicated perfector, taken from the Drupa stand to the plant at Castleisland where Tony Walsh and Patricia Walsh have built up Ireland’s largest trade print operation and its largest sheetfed printer.
It has been a steadfast Komori customer for the last 17 years with five sheetfed machines and a 16pp web at the start of this year. There was one B1 machine, an eight-colour Lithrone 840P perfecting press, surrounded by two Lithrone 426, a Lithrone 1028P and Lithrone 529C. They combined to print a huge array of trade work and educational books for Ireland’s school system under the Educate.ie banner.
Ahead of Drupa Tony Walsh had been discussing the potential of H-UV. He says: I arrived at Drupa to sign up for an H-UV Lithrone G540 and coater. I left having ordered three new H-UV equipped Lithrones – the G540, the four-over-four GLX-840RP fixed perfector which was on the Komori stand and the newly launched Lithrone GL529 with coater.”
He also ordered a new 62-plates-an-hour capacity platesetter from Kodak and one of Heidelberg’s new TH82 folders which will replace a multitude of highly mechanical machines. The Komoris will be fitted with Technotrans systems to ensure consistency of water, of temperature and the cleanliness of the fount solution. The filtration unit will save 60% of the chemistry bill, says Walsh.
The largest machine is now in full production with installation on the the GL540 due to start in November and the new B2 machine to arrive in January. The company intends to improve on service levels which already include next day delivery to anywhere in Ireland with a dispatch deadline from the plant of 7pm.
There is also a call off service for the education arm and stock items. It needs storage for up to 3,000 pallets of paper to cope with the variety of work it might receive. In the early days after the business was launched in 1991, the focus was on business stationery. That has now exploded into all kinds of product, hence the need for the range of papers and for the new machines.
Walsh explains: “To say that turnround time is of the essence at Walsh is something of an understatement. It’s fundamental, which is why the unique H-UV curing system will be so beneficial for us. It’s well established, well proven and brings with it several additional benefits, especially the flexibility to dry the ink instantly on all substrates and the ability to produce, with inline coating, a gloss which is not too far away from a laminated finish.
“Everyone at Walsh Colour will welcome the elimination of spray powder around the factory and our customers will be impressed with the improved look and feel of the finished jobs. The green characteristics of H-UV are important to us, too: no ozone, clean air and lower power consumption included.”
The presses also include the full array of fast make ready features including PDC-SX spectral control of print density and PQA-S, its inline print quality inspection tool which provides a closed loop control for consistent colour through the print run.
In demonstration at Drupa these functions, with simultaneous plate changing, cut job to job changeover to two minutes, with fewer than 50 sheets lost at each makeready. It means that Walsh Colour reckons to be competitive at very low runs, even on the large press. “We’ll be passing jobs requiring as few as 250 sheets to the eight-unit RP – possibly even lower run lengths to the new GL540 or GL529 – in the knowledge that whichever machine we use, every job will return a margin to us,” he says.
The breakeven with the System 38S web press, which is equally automated, he reckons will be 3,000 sheets. The web was installed for the educational books market which had been moribund and very expensive for schools before Pat and Tony Walsh spotted the opportunity, which has become a €5 million business.
Pat Walsh explains: “We’re giving teachers the interesting, well designed books they need to help them meet the challenges they face in today’s classrooms. Our aim is to produce books which help capture students’ attention through the quality of their content, expression and design. What’s more, we are dedicated to producing books at prices that parents can afford.
“Our role is to create books which provide a platform for classroom interaction and they’re commissioned and written by highly experienced educationalists to match continually developing primary and post primary curricula. Through Educate.ie, we’re playing our part in keeping educational book shops alive, and, now, with a revival in the recognition of the power of print by teachers and parents alike, there’s reason and potential for us to expand our products further.”
Once all the machines are in full operation and running to their 18,000sph speed, the company reckons it will have increased capacity from 800,000 sheets a day to 1 million sheets a day.
Ian Murphy, managing director of Portman Graphics, agent for Komori UK in Ireland, says that print capacity is predicted to shrink in the next few years, and that although demand will also fall, it will not be proportionate. “Walsh Colour Print has geared up for the obvious business opportunities this is creating. The three new Lithrones give the company exceptionally flexible capacity with the addition of coaters for added value options, which will attract print designers.”
Investment in three H-UV Komoris is transformational for Walsh Colour Print, Ireland’s largest trade printer. The first machine, the GLX840RP dedicated perfector which prints four colours on one side before printing on the reverse of the sheet without turning it, is in place. Next comes a five-colour B1 machine and a B2 at the turn of the year.
Tony Walsh also ordered a new 62-plates-an-hour capacity Magnus 800 platesetter from Kodak and one of Heidelberg’s new TH82 folders which will replace a multitude of highly mechanical machines.
