Maurice Payne is set to become the first printer in the world to own two 12-colour Heidelberg Speedmasters.


Based in Theale, near Reading, the company, which installed the UKs first 12-colour perfector nine months ago, will take delivery of its second in December.


Managing director Maurice Payne took the decision to buy the second 2m machine due to the productivity of the first. Its our busiest machine. We get a lot of work on there and we cant relieve it, he said.


When we had eight- and six-colour technology everyone wanted to run on the eight-colour press. Now we have 12- and eight-colour capacity, the larger press is securing huge volumes of business, Payne added.


The investment was also driven by pressure on print prices, said Payne. Print prices have dropped considerably in the last two or three years and the only answer is to be more efficient, which we will be with another 12-colour.


Payne has also signed up for a five-colour Speedmaster 74 B2 machine, due for delivery in March 2002, and will install a Muller Martini Acoro perfect binder next month.


Once the new kit is in the press line-up at the 6m-turnover firm (split 60% commercial and 40% trade) will be one eight-colour and two 12-colour 102s, and one five-colour 74. The second 12-colour will replace six- and five-colour B1 presses.


In recognition of his world first Heidelberg UK sales director Jim Todd presented Maurice Payne with two models of the multi-unit machines. So weve got four 12-colours really, said Payne.


[o] The UKs second 12-colour Speedmaster, installed at Westdale Press in Cardiff, will be officially started up by the Welsh national rugby team next week (17 May).


Story by Lauretta Roberts