OFFSET PRESSES: The Best Features
ANYONE WHO thinks in-plants are all unplugging their offset presses and going digital should talk to John Sarantakos.
“We run three shifts, 24 hours a day, five days a week, and we can’t get it all done,” remarks Sarantakos, director of University of Oklahoma Printing Services. So heavy is the demand for magazines, books and other four-color work, the 75-employee in-plant has been forced to do the unthinkable: “There’s stuff that we have to turn away because we just can’t get it done,” he confesses.
To remedy that, the in-plant is installing an eight-color, 40? Heidelberg four-over-four perfector this month—to join its existing two five-color presses.
“We’ve more than doubled our capacity just by putting that machine in,” Sarantakos says.
The most important feature on that press, he says, is its four-over-four perfecting capability.
“One time through the press is just huge,” Sarantakos says. This new speed will help his shop tackle the 20 percent increase in color work it has seen over the past couple years.
“We don’t really have any slow times,” he adds.
The press, a pre-owned model, came with all the bells and whistles, Sarantakos says, but one feature stands out.
“The [automated] plate hangers are kind of nice,” he observes. “Everybody we’ve talked to said it speeds up the whole makeready process.”
A few states north of there, South Dakota State University is enjoying its new six-color, 20x28? Akiyama press.
“The press has been a real gift to our work load,” touts Dennis Lundgren, printing production manager. “It has cut down production time on each job tremendously. Jobs that used to take a day are now done in a couple hours. Work we used to spend days on can now be done in a day or less.
“My biggest problem now is, people know we can do wonders and they expect miracles.”
But aren’t miracles every in-plant’s specialty?
These two university in-plants aren’t the only ones that installed offset presses in recent months. IPG asked several others which features they like best on their new presses. Here’s what we learned:
SECURIAN FINANCIAL GROUP
St. Paul, Minn.
TOM NECKVATAL, director of Graphic Services
Press details: Installed a six-color, 40? Heidelberg CD 102 in July, 2007.
Best features: Autoplate. Automated clean up. High speed (15,000 sheets per hour). The ability to print on board stock up to 40 point. Six colors. Aqueous coating. “The most important feature is the total wrenchless operation of the press.”
Benefits: “This press and its capabilities helped us capture larger jobs, reduced our labor costs, and reduced our spoilage.”
Feature wish list: Spot UV coating.
DELAWARE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Dover, Del.
DUSTIN YERKES, shop supervisor
Press details: Installed two two-color Heidelberg Printmaster 46 presses in February, 2007.
Best features: “The automated plate feed, plate eject and blanket cleaner have made a big difference for our shop in minimizing setup time, which, as a result, increases production. For the types and size jobs we run it is important to turn it around quickly.”
Feature wish list: “No other features really needed, but being a compact press it is difficult to do some of the keep up, like changing blankets.”
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
Brookings, S.D.
DENNIS LUNDGREN, printing production manager
Press details: Six-color, 20x28? Akiyama with a coater, installed June, 2007.
Best Features: “The most important issue was the multiple color units. Six color was the combination we bought. Five color was a must because our school colors are 109 yellow and 287 blue. What we use the extra units for are special colors, and we can leave cyan, magenta, yellow and black in the middle units ready to run all the time.
“Two key features of the Akiyama are the large transfer cylinder and the limited number of transfer points. The large back cylinder keeps the sheet flatter in the pass through the press and the fewer transfer points aides in registration and sheet control. Also the color control council and scanner aid us in accurate color control during the press run. The automatic plate mounting speeds up press setup, and also we are able to cock plates to bring them into register.”
Benefits: “Our work load kept in house in these past six months has increased greatly. In this time we have gone through over 1,500 plates, which tells me we are doing a lot of multiple color work. Short turnaround time is still a major problem but this press has allowed us to meet about every delivery date, with some adjustments in our production schedule.
“The production speed of the press allows us to grab several jobs in one day. With minor changes for paper weight or size, we run a multi-color job and jump onto another. Some days we can knock out three or four short-run color jobs as just part of our workflow.
“With this press, jobs that might have been done on the color copier for longer runs and turnaround can now be run through our CTP, plated, sent to press and done just as fast. And because we run them multiple-up, we can be as efficient cost wise.”
Feature wish list: “The only feature I could really think of would have been a turn unit between units four and five so we could perfect four-over-two or quickly run black/black jobs. The color perfecting would have required at least a 4/4 configuration, and cost was prohibitive as well as space. Ideally, we would have liked to have a 23x29?, but we have adapted our work very well. The speed makes up for the smaller size.”
WHITESBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
Huntsville, Ala.
RON SNYDER, publications coordinator
Press details: Two-color, 13.99x17.75? A.B.Dick (Presstek) 9995A (same as a Ryobi 3302), bought used in 2004. “Our press purchase was a case of divine intervention. Though our church is pretty large, I really didn’t expect to ever run process here. However, our leadership is visionary and willing to support ‘out-of-the-box’ concepts. I presented the purchase to our administrative pastor who informed the senior pastor and other finance committee leaders who approved the purchase in just two days.”
Best features: “The register board and ability to precisely adjust the paper feed was a big improvement, as was the plate/blanket adjustments.”
Benefits: “Without the improved quality this press gave us, we wouldn’t be here now.”
Feature wish list: “An ink control system linked to a scanner or densitometer to give us even more accurate output control. The other feature would be larger sheet capability (15x20?) and probably in a landscape format.”
IOWA BANKERS ASSOCIATION
Johnston, Iowa
TODD PALMER, print shop coordinator
Press details: Installed a four-color, 13x17.75? Ryobi 3304 on November 4, 2006
Best features: Setup button for setting side guides and delivery. Infrared drier. Blanket wash.
Benefits: “The setup button makes for faster setup. The IR drier helps for fast turnaround on coated stocks.”
Feature wish list: “Wish I had auto plate loading and auto cocking of the plates. Wish we had a little bit bigger press.” And in landscape format. IPG
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
