Finishing & Screen Printing
ROLLEM PROVIDES RAPID RESPONSE
Wednesday 04. November 2009 - Family run business Rapid Print, managed today by husband and wife team David and Angela Risley, has installed a UK first in finishing equipment following a request for help to Sheffield manufacturer Rollem.
The Sudbury based litho printer specialises in the production of draw and raffle tickets and had been using outworkers to staple booklets together. However, the company needed to automate the process and, if possible, switch from stapling to the less expensive option of gluing.
“Draw tickets account for about 90 per cent of our work, with the remainder made up of commercial work,” says managing director David Risley, whose grandfather started the business shortly after the First World War. “Although we have A3 presses we print tickets three-up on A4 stock, which we find more cost effective.
“When we decided to automate the finishing side of production we spoke to the companies that have supplied us with post press equipment in the past, but none of them could provide the tailored solution we needed. Then we contacted Rollem and although it had not built a machine to this specification before, the company was immediately willing to listen to our needs and create a bespoke product.”
Rapid Print numbers tickets while they are still three-up and an A4 sheet could consist of similar or varying tickets, which means that subsequent gluing and stacking requires careful and accurate control. Glue patterns and frequency can be altered so that the top sheet of each set of booklets does not have glue applied.
“The response and support from Rollem has been first class,” says David Risley. “The company built the machine within the agreed timeframe and installed it at the end of September. Rollem was also quick to rectify the small teething issues we encountered, which you would expect with any first model, and was very willing to listen to our suggestions once the equipment was up and running. This resulted in an oscillating facility subsequently being added to the delivery table.
“Weve received the service from Rollem that we, as a long standing family business, give to our customers and this gave us a great deal of confidence at every stage. We ensure that all our dealings are clear and open, which is why our customers are never presented with hidden costs or charges that are so often encountered in this area of print. Rollem has been the same with us, keeping us regularly informed of developments and providing a well built machine that has performed superbly.”
Rollem is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of bespoke finishing systems and supplies equipment that ranges from standalone numbering, perforating, scoring and slitting facilities to sophisticated lines that may require extremely accurate slitting, gluing, folding and wrapping. The company exports around 85 per cent of the output of its Ecclesfield factory.