Offset Printing
W.B. Druckerei Goes XXL
Sunday 08. June 2008 - Bender buys drupa press and moves into large format with a ROLAND 900, XXL
“Is the entrance into large format worth it?” Many 3B printers ask themselves this question. To ensure that the dive into large format does not become a belly flop, the technology and the company strategy, must be coherent. The Bender printing house in Hochheim, Germany, demonstrates this by converting successful technological innovations into customer advantages. In the future, all format classes will be produced on the presses. The printing house is investing in its first large format press, a ROLAND 900, XXL in 7B plus format.
Only 20 years old and already one of the biggest printing houses in the Rhine-Main printing sector, W.B. Druckerei GmbH (in the Hessian city of Hochheim am Main, Germany) continues to write success stories. Originally established in 1988 in the middle of the Hochheim vineyards, the companys new premises in the industrial part of the city now include an administrative building and three production halls where approximately 100 employees work.
Sustainably successful
Managing Director Winfried Bender explains how his company imbues the popular term “sustainability” with meaning: “To us, sustainable action means orienting ourselves towards the future from a solid foundation. We utilize industry innovations as the developmental basis for strengthening our company. Investments in innovations, their implementation in daily production, and identifying customer benefits have always been important for positive company development.”
Todays special: everything
The managing director and his employees demonstrate a secure feel for the market. One result of this is entrance into large format. “We have stiff competition with eight- and ten-color printers in 0B (50 x 70 centimeters) and 3B (70 x 100 centimeters) formats that are often able to offer more favorable prices. With the large format press, we are taking a step to challenge this competition,” reports Winfried Bender. The number of requests for commercial jobs of up to 300 pages – often including DIN A4 format orders – has also increased recently, making the 7B plus format an especially good match.
With the ROLAND 900, XXL, Bender would like both to expand existing business segments and open up new ones. Cardboard boxes, displays, and books will be printed increasingly, and the calendar business of the in-house online calendar shop will also be intensified.
Broad spectrum as business card
Investment measures are important for the printing house and enable it to better fulfill customer demands. “Very quick, cheap, and good quality. Then the customers are happy.” – Winfried Bender speaks from experience. Production is PSO certified according to ISO 12642-2, and the printing house has made an excellent name for itself with customers when it comes to promptness. State-of-the-art technology also stands for production flexibility. “Our broad spectrum of presses is unique and provides an outstanding business card,” recognizes Bender. The two digital presses, Pico and 3B formats, and the planned large format make the printing house something of a functional showroom for sheetfed offset printing. With the ROLAND 900, XXL, eight presses will be fed in the prepress stage via two Signa stations. The finishing room equipment is just as impressive as that of the pressroom with state-of-the-art cutters and automated folding box erector.
Groundbreaking XXL technology
For large formats, Bender trusts market-proven technology by using the five-color ROLAND 900, XXL with coating module. The InlineSlitter, which optimizes large format sheets by separating for finishing, is especially advantageous. Bender would not be Bender without the two promising new features ordered to assure quality and time improvement. The printing house is the first company worldwide to use the fully-automated APL (Automatic Plate Loading) technology from manroland in large format. Plates are changed without operator intervention.
Implementation of the InlineColorPilot is a further cost-reducing and time-saving benefit. Installed in the press after the last printing couple, the inline ink density measurement and control system primarily ensures consistent print quality throughout the entire run length. In addition to the improved quality, there are time savings, as well – the printer no longer needs to pull signatures for measuring and control. This is especially advantageous for 126 x 162 centimeters sheetfed maximum formals and slitted (inline trimmed) signatures. The InlineColorPilots speed and low cleaning requirements make it a more convincing product compared to other inline ink density measurement and control systems on the market.