Offset Printing
Fairprint makes its B2 debut with a long perfector
Tuesday 11. May 2010 - Expanding Scottish printer Fairprint has returned to Heidelberg to order a Speedmaster SM 74-10-P and a Polar 115XT Autotrim with comprehensive materials handling. The company said it was offered multiple bank support at low rates. This it puts down to on-going sales growth, trebled over the last four years.
Only seven months ago the company installed a SM 52 Anicolor and a second Suprasetter 75 and this has significantly driven up sales. The Anicolor has drained off the short run 500 to 1,000 run jobs from the B3 long perfector and higher runs and ability to “tile up” different format jobs and then cut them down has steered the company towards the SM 74-10-P. It is equipped with Intellistart, a large screen display and AxisControl spectrophotometry.
“Other manufacturers were keen to get the order but one of the deciding factors was that after the cutbacks during the recession Heidelberg is now head and shoulders better than anyone else on support and back up,” says Paul Anderson, managing director.
The press was to have replaced the SM52-8-P but having extended its factory from 13,000 sq ft to 16,000 sq ft, it is now considering retaining this press. Likewise the Polar 115XT Autotrim with stacker, jogger and Transomat lifting gear is additional to a Polar 78XT and Polar 115X the company already has in place. The first Polar 115X was bought from a collapsed company and although the width at the time had seemed like overkill it proved fantastically productive.
“Autotrim with multi fomats makes logical sense. It will handle the tiled work with simpler work going onto the other cutting equipment. The 78XT is retained because it can be handled by the less skilled staff,” says Mr Anderson.
Workflow for faster set up and for production feedback has been beefed up with upgrades to Prepress Manager.
“We are doing very well but we dont imagine weve got a magic wand to wave. We realise we have to concentrate on doing the basics well to be successful. We havent reached the end of the road and we are continually looking at the detail and trying to improve our processes and performance,” says Mr Anderson.
This latest round of investment will create five new jobs. Fairprint currently employs 32 staff. The company also takes an Autobond TPH 75 laminator in ten weeks and it is considering adding a folder and saddle-stitcher as well in the next six months.