A Safer Cutter at Winona State University

For 33 years, Winona State University’s Print Shop had been using the same 30˝ power cutter. But when the shop upgraded its prepress and press operations last summer, Supervisor Greg Johnson decided that a new cutter was the next logical step.

“With a constant turnover of student employees, we not only needed a dependable machine, but one that was safe and easy to operate,” says Johnson.

So in January the Winona, Minn.-based shop installed a new Heidelberg POLAR 78X cutter. The staff was using it within days of delivery.

“The old cutter...did not have all the safety features that the POLAR has,” Johnson says. “With safety as our first priority, we decided on the POLAR 78 as the right machine for the Print Shop’s needs. It is small enough for students to feel comfortable operating, but large enough for the Print Shop’s growing need of a quality power cutter. The electronic eye makes it nearly impossible for an operator to subject themselves to injury during cutting operations. We also make it mandatory that all operators be trained with safety as the number one concern.”

Johnson, who has been at the shop for 30 years, is part of a combined publications office staff of five full-time employees and eight part-time student workers. Last summer, the in-plant added a Heidelberg Quicksetter 300E platesetter, along with a two-color Heidelberg Printmaster QM 46 press. The shop uses Heidelberg Saphira perfect dot blankets on the press, plus Heidelberg Saphira chemistry and plates.

The in-plant prints brochures, pamphlets, posters and promotional items for the university, as well as lab manuals, letterhead and envelopes.

Johnson says the new POLAR cutter is working out well for the Print Shop.

“So far, I love it,” Johnson says. “It’s exactly what we needed.”