New Digs, New Gear for South Dakota In-plant

When Regional Health Printing Services moved into its new facility on the eastern edge of Rapid City, S.D., in October, the in-plant got more than just larger quarters; it gained a much smoother workflow, which has been paying dividends in increased productivity.

"Our turnaround time has improved by probably 10 percent, just because of the workflow," remarks Larry Mills, operations supervisor. With impressions on the rise and a growing demand for new services from the largest health care provider in western South Dakota, the in-plant accompanied its move with several new pieces of equipment:

• A Xerox Color J75 Press with a high-capacity stacker, square fold booklet trimmer and GBC punch.
• A six-color 64˝ Roland VersaCAMM VS-640 wide-format eco solvent printer/cutter.
• A 65˝ Seal cold laminator.
• A Foster Keencut Evolution-E2 84˝ trimmer.
• A Foster Keencut Big Bench.
• A Rhinotuff HD7700 punch.
• A Tec Lighting 21˝ UV coater with feeder.
• An Ikeuchi dry fog humidification system.

Mills says that, since 2010, his shop's impressions have increased by 104 percent. As requests for medical forms have dropped off, that work has been replaced by marketing materials, patient education materials, annual reports and operational items for Regional Health's 48 facilities, such as letterhead, envelopes, business cards, patient care forms and tamper resistant prescription slips.

Wide-format printing is also a hot item at Regional Health. The in-plant's new Roland VersaCAMM VS-640—which replaces a 42˝ HP printer—is helping meet the demand for posters, roll-up display banners and signage to help patients find their way through Regional Health's expanding facilities. The shop also uses the VS-640 to print multiple-up items like stickers, which the device automatically contour cuts. The in-plant has printed window clings too and has gotten requests for floor graphics. The new UV coater comes in handy for protecting patient room signage from fingerprints and allowing these items to be easily wiped clean without damaging the printing.

Upper Management Support

For Printing Services, the recent move not only allowed it to expand and gear up for its increasing workload, it also served as an affirmation that the three-employee in-plant has the respect and trust of upper management. Not long ago, that support seemed uncertain when Mills' plans for the move were put on hold, while some in management pondered whether it made sense to keep the operation. The vice president of finance embarked on an in-depth study of the in-plant's costs and pricing structure.

Mills passed this test, showing that his operation saves $1.3 million annually over what outside printers would charge—enough to cover the cost of the move and the new equipment in just two years' time. This, and the support of Regional Health's president and CEO, who toured the in-plant and was impressed, were enough to give Mills the green light to proceed with the move.

The in-plant shut down for a week while its equipment was broken down, moved three miles into the new plant in an industrial park and reassembled. Making the move were a Xerox 700, a Presstek 9920 with a color head, a two-color Itek 3985 and a Ryobi 3200PFA perfecter, along with prepress and bindery equipment.

Smoother Workflow

Production is much smoother in the new 7,300-square-foot facility than it was in the former 3,100-square-foot space.

"Our production area was upstairs, and our paper storage was actually in the basement," remarks Mills. "It was a very poor workflow before."

In the new facility, everything is on one floor, with the office area on one end and delivery on the opposite end. In between, the shop floor is set up so work flows from prepress into printing and bindery. Paper is stored in the same room, and the new Ikeuchi dry fog humidification system keeps sheets acclimated in South Dakota's dry climate.

"It's a night-and-day difference," says Mills, who spotted the Ikeuchi system at Graph Expo 2012. "The equipment just runs so much better. The frequency of the jamming is really reduced."

He's especially pleased with the new 75-ppm Xerox Color J75, which features resolutions of 2,400x2,400 dpi and an in-line high-capacity stacker, square fold booklet trimmer and GBC punch.

"The J75 will run at rated speed, where the 700 would slow down for heavier sheets of paper," he notes. "To some extent you can just set it and walk away. It allows you to work on other things."

With capabilities like this and its new wide-format equipment, Printing Services looks forward to a successful future in its new location, providing departments at Regional Health with the materials they need, when they need them, so they can concentrate on their jobs.