Hershey Kisses Old Gear Good-bye

The chocolate king's in-plant has done away with its DocuTechs in favor of clustered printers—and added a new folder and wide-format printer to boot.

Hershey Foods Corp. is always moving forward. Whether increasing the size of its Kit Kat bar or expanding its visitors' center, Hershey's Chocolate World, the 118-year-old company never stops looking ahead.

Its in-plant shares this philosophy. In recent years the 10-employee shop has acquired a five-color Shinohara press and an Encad wide-format printer, to name just a few additions. Now the Hershey, Pa.-based in-plant is at it again. The operation recently installed a new T/R Systems Micropress cluster printing system, featuring four black-and-white, 70-ppm Hitachi printers. The Micropress replaces two Xerox DocuTechs.

"We liked the modular system, which would allow us to grow," explains Bob Wamsher, manager of Printing Services. The MicroPress can send several jobs to several different printers on the system or one job to several printers—providing Hershey the equivalent of 280-ppm productivity. This has been a big help with the large manuals and sales guides the in-plant produces.

Other advantages, Wamsher says, are the lower cost of the Micropress and an easier upgrade path. The system also takes up less space than the DocuTechs. Plus, if one engine breaks down, the other three can still print, he says.

"You're always going to have something running," he affirms.

The system is networked, and Wamsher is encouraging customers to send jobs digitally, though there is a scanner for hard copy submissions.

New Computerized Folder

The Micropress isn't all Hershey Printing Services has added. Several months ago, Hershey acquired a new Mathias Bäuerle CAS SetMATIC computer-controlled folding machine, which has helped the shop reduce outsourcing costs.

"We use the folder for odd jobs that require quick turnaround," says Wamsher. "Previously we had to send those jobs outside for finishing, which was close to a couple of million pieces a month. We've reduced our costs for producing a piece because we can keep it inside now."

Computer-controlled folding or CAS (computer automated system) means the most important settings and adjustments are no longer made manually but via a central operator control panel. The operator selects the fold type, enters the sheet length and hits the setup button. The fold plates automatically move into position according to the data entered. Up to 60 fold types are saved in memory, and the fold plates are set automatically once the job number is recalled.

Hershey purchased its CAS SetMATIC folder from Signature Printing of Harrisburg, Pa., a dealer for GBR Systems. Wamsher says his shop changes folds two to three times a day with runs of about 50,000 each on average.

"It used to take us 30 minutes in setup time on a manual folder," he says. "Now we can set up a job in a minute."

Wamsher also likes the folder's ability to handle a variety of paper sizes and stocks.

Karen Carvell, the operator of the computer-controlled folder, says the new device provides more consistent folds. When working with people who are not skilled in folding, it used to take a few days of training on a manual folder. With the computer-controlled folder, training can be done in one day.

"We have produced enough savings with the folder that we can pay it off in eight months." Wamsher says. "That is a pretty good return on investment."

Hershey Printing Services hasn't stopped upgrading yet, either. Wamsher says he recently added a Hewlett-Packard wide-format printer to join the shop's Encad NovaJet Pro. The new printer is connected to a PC and the old one to a Mac.

"We don't have to try to convert files any more," he explains.

Wamsher also plans to add a two-color Shinohara perfector to help the shop with the approximately 10 million impressions it outputs per month.

Other equipment at Printing Services includes: one five-color Shinohara sheetfed press, one Solna two-color sheetfed press, two A.B.Dick 11x17˝ single-color presses, one Didde five-color web press, two Xerox DocuTech digital printers, two Prism cutters, two C.P. Bourg collators and a Baum folder—in addition to the new Mathias Bäuerle folder and T/R Systems Micropress.