Describe your business
We’re a B1 printer based in Swindon.
Why did you choose this particular machine?
It came down purely to the numbers. We evaluated the previous three months’ work from the CD 102 and ran it through a formula to see the net outcome. The result was the business gained 12% more on sellable hours, due to the short-run, medium-pagination work that the 102 was doing. Couple that with the fact that the paper waste saving alone was in excess of £30,000 per year and it became an easy decision to make.
Did you look at any other similar machines?
No. From the field analysis we had done, none of the other manufacturers’ equipment could deliver what we required.
Why did you make the purchase?
The market in commercial print was moving towards shorter-run requirements, coupled with the additional value-added it gave us for the same overhead.
What features do you particularly like?
Inpress Control – it is as simple as that. We achieve five minutes makeready with this function, which has allowed us to over return daily on the press. We are getting to saleable print after just 100 sheets on this press.
Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t?
Autoplate XL.
How fast is it?
It’s specified at 15,000sph because of the perfecting device on the press and we achieve an average of 12,600sph net across all substrates from 70gsm offset to 400gsm board.
How reliable is it?
In year one, we achieved 55m impressions, with two call-outs.
What’s the quality like?
First rate because the rolling power is great. It can handle a range of stocks and we have closed-loop colour. We have ISO 9001 and ISO 12647 quality and colour accreditations, so it’s important to us that our quality is top of the range.
How easy is it to use?
There is a cultural leap to make in adapting to Inpress Control, but once the operators know they can trust it they love it. The new Press Center is very user-friendly. Current utilisation of the press is 125% with the utilisation record being 66 makereadies and 39,000 sheets in a 12-hour shift.
How much time or money has it saved?
In the first year, it has produced on like-for-like sales an additional £400,000 against the CD 102 – this year it will be £500,000. So we have generated an extra £1m of capacity.
Has it won you any new work?
From existing customers, we have achieved around £350,000 of new sales on B2 work, but we have also produced jobs that previously would have been printed B1.
Who do you think the machine is right for?
This is a press no business can afford to ignore. It crosses borders into B1 because of its high productivity and into B3 because of its very fast makeready.
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
We just have. After seeing the numbers coming out of the press against the SM102-5-P it sat alongside, the numbers pointed clearly towards another investment.
Conclusion
User’s verdict
Speed 5/5
Quality 5/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s response
Matt Rockley, B2 and B3 product manager at Heidelberg UK, says: The fact that ESP returned for a second Speedmaster XL 75 speaks for itself. The first in one year achieved paper savings of £20,000 in start-up sheets, produced sellable print after an average of 104 sheets, averaged 1m impressions a week with an average 54 four-colour plate changes a day and with an average makeready of five minutes. It is proving a very valuable asset for more and more printers.
Price Four-colour Speedmaster XL 75: from £642,000
Contact Heidelberg UK
020 8490 3500
