Finishing & Screen Printing

ESP Colour further fires up its finishing

Thursday 28. April 2011 - The productivity of the Stitchmaster ST 450 means that ESP Colour has clocked up 140 million cycles in just over four years and has returned to Heidelberg for a replica replacement saddle-stitcher and a fully automated TH 56.

“We have had to review our whole investment programme in light of the productivity of modern press and finishing equipment and are now depreciating the machines over four years,” says Anthony Thirlby, managing director.
“This allows us to ensure we embrace the most up to date technology available for our strategy to move towards “one touch manufacturing” and keeps all our manufacturing output devices in line with our JDF requirements.”
The Swindon based company has just commissioned the replacement ST450 with five stations and a cover feeder. It is also adding the new CHA stacker to increase throughput on two up production.
“We have found the ST 450 absolutely fantastic. The make-readies are extremely productive and we are moving from job to job in just over ten minutes and over the lifespan of the first machine we averaged a net speed of over 7,500 units an hour,” says Mr Thirlby.
ESP has also replaced a Stahlfolder TH 66 with a fully automated single unit TH 56, which it says will take the four bindery apprenctices forward a year in their training an increase throughput for the same overhead by 30%.
“With modern technology the skill lies in learning about the automation and technology and not necessarily being a folder operator. The apprentices have already embraced this machine. There are still people in the department who know who to fold paper but the skills required moving forward are different,” says Mr Thirlby.
The post press equipment is operating 24/6. The company employs 60 staff and runs B1 Speedmaster SM 102 and B2 Speedmaster XL technology to generate £11.7m sales a year in the quality commercial sector.