Offset Printing
Wincanton gains print price benefit with double XL 75 investment
Monday 12. May 2008 - Wincanton Print has swapped out 15 B2 printing units for ten, an exchange that will give it a net increase in capacity of about 20%. This is the power it attributes to the new Speedmaster XL 75 technology.
To date the company has operated with three Speedmasters – a CD 74-5+L, an SM 74-10P and an SM 74-5. It retains the CD and adds two XL75-5+L presses. The first is being installed now with the second being commissioned in the next month.
“The XL 75s will allow us to be more aggressive on price,” says managing director Steve Taylor. “Price still dominates in todays market.
“We fit between the digital and B1 markets, focusing on 1-50,000 run work required overnight for the agency, trade and financial and banking customer base. Work comes in from all parts south of Birmingham.
“We were finding the majority of our work queuing for the CD. Eight out of ten jobs werent suitable for perfecting. So the makereadies and stock flexibility of the XL 75 was very appealing and the five-colour with coat is the ideal configuration.”
The company is impressed with the new Print Center and Intellistart software and it is installing ImageControl across all three presses. This it believes will give it closed loop spectral control with the speed of makeready and waste reduction advantages that go with that.
Each of the presses will be run by a single operator on a Continental shift basis, giving the company 24 hour cover, six days a week. CtP and finishing equipment is currently able to keep pace with the production requirements but the companys production director will visit Drupa “with at least enough budget for a beer!”
Wincanton Print is ISO9001 accredited and is hoping to complete its ISO14001 and FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody qualifications by the year end.