Finishing & Screen Printing
Green-minded McLays buys Heidelbergs ST 450 saddle-stitcher
Wednesday 07. May 2008 - A Cardiff company which has recently attained ISO 14001 and is on the brink of gaining FSC Chain of Custody status says its investment in Heidelbergs Stitchmaster ST450 will bring green benefits as well as productivity bonuses.
A McLay & Companys manufacturing manager Richard Kyte says: “The ST450 is more power efficient and, with its shorter makeready and higher running speeds, we will output more product in less time, thus reducing our energy use.”
Its existing and potential customers increasingly require ISO 14001 status as a prerequisite to placing work. The emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility will only increase the pressure on printers to be green in their production methods.
Delivery of the new Stitchmaster is expected later this month with full production coming on stream from the start of June. The ST450 replaces two older Pacesetter machines, a 455 and a 705, which are both about 11 years old. It will run alongside an ST400 which has proved robust and reliable over the last four years.
The existing ST400 has four stations, the new ST450 will have six but the modular build means the additional units will be interchangeable. The ST450 is easy to operate and is a JDF-compatible product which makes it future-proof and safeguards its resale value.
“In-house finishing provides the flexibility required by todays market,” says Mr Kyte. “The ST 450 with its six stations allows us to handle all the main stitching jobs we receive over a year, a wide range of work for a UK market requiring quality commercial print.”
Having the right equipment enables a company to provide the right quality, turnrounds and price competitiveness and more and more printers are electing to bring finishing in-house to attain that control. Finishers meantime are evolving more niche or specialist services.
McLays is a B1 printer, including Heidelbergs XL105-6, SM102 Perfector and a five-color CD.