Offset Printing
Sarah Bond to run Making Impressions Anicolor
Thursday 03. April 2008 - Making Impressions is aiming to ease loading on its B2 press and win back work from digitial technology with the installation of an Anicolor which will be run by minder Sarah Bond when it is installed at the end of this month.
The Yateley company, which was set up six years ago, is already achieving sales of £2.7m but with the new press anticipates an increase to £3.5-4m next year. It has focused on handling agency rather than end user work and operating in partnership, helping them at concept stage, offering production training etc
“Some of the agencies who use digital are not entirely happy with it finding that in some instances the paper cracks or the finishing is not up to litho standard,” says managing director Richard Bond. “We also wanted a bridge between our Printmaster QM 46-2 and Speedmaster SM 74-5LX. These factors are behind our decision to buy the SM 52-4+L Anicolor. Having the coater will enable us to meet todays stringent deadlines.”
Already the SM 74 is running 24/7 and Making Impressions believes 10-15% of its load could transfer to the Anicolor. It will also promote it as a short run press, believing it will win 200+ contracts from the start and ultimately 50-100+ when agencies see the quality and acquire the habit of ordering short runs in litho.
“This is the first press I have seen with a real Wow! factor for a very long time,” says Mr Bond. “I am seriously impressed by its speed and the fact it can markeready with only seven or eight waste sheets. My sister Sarahis really excited about transferring from the QM 46 to the Anicolor.”
She has undertaken two days training at Heidelbergs Brentford headquarters prior to the press delivery and demonstration.
The Anicolor also fits Making Impressions environmental quest. The company is working towards ISO 14001 accreditation and needs to demonstrate it is continuing to improve. The Anicolor will show its efforts to reduce waste and a new Suprasetter S74 with multi-cassette loading will run with Saphira Chem-Free plates, cutting out unnecessary chemistry from production.
Mr Bond saw the Suprasetter in Germany and was impressed by the cooling system it uses and the fact that it is Heidelberg developed and manufactured. The multi-cassette loader means that plates for all three press formats can be produced automatically, even unmanned overnight, to maximise efficiency.
This increases plate output at the factory and the companys cutting, creasing, folding and stitching facilities in-house are comprehensive enough to cope with the higher volumes. The folders include a Stahlfolder TH 78 buckle machine with continuous pile feeder for maximum productivity.
Making Impresions is currently beefing up its Tharstern MIS system in readiness to extend its JDF workflow beyond the existing Printready prepress link. It envisages all areas of production, including finishing, being connected in a single closed loop.