New In-plant Expands Again

It’s been just over a year since Franklin University Printing Services opened for business and began saving money for the 111-year-old private university, based in Columbus, Ohio. In its first 12 months, the three-employee operation has saved nearly $110,000 over what it would have cost to outsource that work.

Recently, to further improve its efficiency and cost savings, the shop installed three new pieces of equipment: a Morgana Auto­Creaser Pro 33, a Morgana AutoFold Pro and a Neopost AS-950C color inkjet printer, powered by Memjet technology.

Though the operation already had a Duplo DC-645 slitter/cutter/creaser, Robert Donahue, director of purchasing, felt that the quality of the crease was better on the Morgana AutoCreaser Pro 33, particularly on heavier-stock items like cards. This has increased opportunities to insource additional work from non-profits.

Donahue likes that the AutoCreaser can work independently from the AutoFold, but can also connect to it for greater efficiency.

“If I connect the two together...the two ‘talk’ to each other, and then [the AutoFold] will fold where I creased it at the same rate of speed,” he enthuses. “It created a lot of flexibility for me. By having them separate, I can do one function or the other, or both.”

The Neopost AS-950C improves the in-plant’s ability to print envelopes. For the past year, the shop has been using a PSI LM 3655 envelope printer, but found that the heat from the printer warped the plastic on window envelopes, causing jams when they reached the folder and inserter, and requiring more expensive, laser-quality envelopes. Also, the PSI printer couldn’t print full bleed.

“The Memjet technology was where I needed to go,” Donahue declares. Memjet uses a completely new printhead design that shoots millions of ink drops per second, resulting in radically faster printing. The new AS-950C can print full bleed with no warping of the window. The shop has been using it to print small runs of envelopes as needed, reducing inventory costs.

“It’s been quite cost effective,” praises Donahue. “It continues to help the cost reduction in the print process. Every piece that I can do in-house just keeps chipping away at the cost per unit as opposed to outsourcing.”

Another impending change at the in-plant will be the launch of EDU Business Solutions’ Print Shop Pro print management solution. Due to be introduced very soon, the software will add capabilities like real-time quotes, job status and inventory tracking. Donahue says it will enable the in-plant to take on more work, bringing additional savings to Franklin University.