Offset Printing
Page Brothers secures closed loop colour with latest press purchase
Friday 06. June 2014 - Dedicated Heidelberg user Page Brothers has invested in the Speedmaster CX 102-5+L after an analysis of its B1 options. It likes the high running speed and short makereadies of this model which it believes will be the perfect press for the academic journal and educational markets it serves nationally and internationally.
“We were torn between the CX 102 and the XL 106 so we took our minders to the demonstration. We wanted them to be part of the investment process. They felt we would be up and running faster with a move from the SM 102 to CX 102 and it also means we are more efficient as we retain the same plate size and consumables. We liked the fact that a lot of XL 106 technology has been transferred to the CX 102 and we have highly specified it with Autoplate Pro and Axis Control,” says Simon Conway, manufacturing director.
He was part of the management buy-in team which acquired Page Brothers three years ago and committed to on-going investment to strengthen the company moving forward. This press shows it has not lost sight of that pledge.
The company retains two SM 102-2 two colour presses, used primarily for black and white books. But the company has seen a continual increase in colour work in recent years and so this press will replace a SM 102-6 to give them a productivity boost.
“We believe this will give us a 50%, and possibly even a 70%, lift in output,” says Mr Conway. “We needed a quicker makeready, faster speed press with colour management and automated plate-changing to free up the operators for other tasks. We tested substrates on the press. We can handle 60gsm to 400gsm stocks but we do a lot of work in the lightweight 60 to 70gsm sector. The press handled these well and at speed.”
A move from six colour units to five with a dedicated coater means the company will now be able to apply water-based sealers as well as varnish. This has aesthetic and production benefits, allowing work to be finished speedily. With AxisControl and Prinect Pressroom Manager being added the company will also have closed loop colour in place for the first time.
Heidelberg has agreed to monitor the productivity performance of the new press and to help Page Brothers make improvements to ensure the company attains its goal of sub five minute makereadies.
The company handles a high volume of contract work (typically two to three year deals) and in recent years it has seen quite a number of jobs return from the Far East. Page Brothers has an Indigo 7600 and Indigo 5500 to cover off the shortest runs but says that typically work from 250-300 run, depending on extent and colour, would be sent the litho route.
The press is due for delivery to the Norwich plant this week and will be commissioned by the month end. It will immediately go to 24 hour operation.