Winston-Salem, North Carolina — Salem Printing Company has added a second six-color ROLAND 300 with coater to its full-service workflow. The company reports that the press hit the ground running last fall, taking on a full workload of packaging, commercial, labeling and Point-of-Sale work. “Our new ROLAND 300 was almost fully utilized before we bought it,” says Philip D. Kelley Sr., Vice President of the firm. “We expand our overtime and split shifts as much as possible to see if growth is sustained enough to commit to new investments. We don't buy and hope to fill it up. We are presently working on our next Roland.” Both of Salem’s ROLAND 300s are standard equipped with 2/4 perfecting. The printer uses the feature on a variety of commercial and packaging work, but finds it particularly useful for tag and label work. The press’ “three-quarter size” 23” X 29” sheet is also a plus there. “Tags and labels are very efficient on the 23” x 29” format,” Kelley says. “Long runs may justify one-pass black over four-color process plus coating on C1S litho. The pressure-sensitive coated tag for kiss-cut labels has been good for us. We have printed display labels for many Fortune 500 companies.” Salem Printing is also pleased with the ROLAND 300’s capabilities as a package printing press. Half of throughput involves printing on board, ranging in weight from 10 to 24 point. “We have seen a real surge in the folding carton market,” Kelley comments. “The 40" presses have a slightly higher productivity than our ROLAND 300, but at a much higher investment cost. We can be competitive at jobs up to about 800,000 press sheets. That's equivalent to 16,000,000 cartons or inserts, when we are running 20 out.” Low-to-medium volume point-of-sale posters are another Salem mainstay. Here again the ROLAND 300’s format gives it a competitive edge in producing the 22” X 28” pieces. The reason: 40” shops are forced to run the posters one-up on a much larger sheet, resulting in high waste rates. The in-line coating units on both of Salem’s ROLAND 300s are kept continuously busy, for improved product appearance and durability, and for their ability to seal the ink. Thanks to aqueous coating’s quick-dry capabilities, Salem has eliminated the use of spray powder, keeping both its printed products and its equipment cleaner and its clients happier. “We can run a sheet back through the press within minutes with coating,” Kelley declares. “Our employees are pushing for a drive-through window with a pickup at the dock for rush jobs.” Salem’s just in time (JIT) manufacturing capabilities are driven by the versatility of its workflow. In addition to the two ROLAND 300s and several other sheetfed presses, it includes computer-to-plate prepress, a flexo system, and a complete bindery, featuring five die cutting machines, a saddle stitcher and a perfect binder. “Our customers have accepted calibrated digital proofing, CTP and CCI (Computer Controlled Inking) technology because it lets them meet their response requirements for JIT manufacturing,” Kelley says. “Having everything under one roof, although it’s rather a small roof, gives us a level of control that specialty shops cannot achieve.” Responsive makereadies are another must at Salem, which attributes its prowess in that area to a blend of top-notch technology and a highly motivated workforce. “We are fortunate that some of the best operators in the world have chosen to work here. They make it look easy,” notes Kelley. “And it always helps to have high-tech equipment and highly-skilled people qualified to run it.” Salem’s packaging customers are turning to shorter runs to better target their markets and to reduce their storage costs. So the company’s new ROLAND 300 routinely handles five or six jobs a day. Here again, technology saves the day, according to Kelley: “The combination of Presstek CTP and Roland is phenomenal. Plates are in perfect register when mounted 99% of the time, and 300’s console adjustments are quick and accurate.” To further accelerate its workflow, Salem is considering implementation of MAN Roland’s PECOM press operating and automation system in its pressroom in a year or two. The modular innovation can be retrofitted to late model MAN Roland presses to equip a facility for full-fledged computer integrated manufacturing. Kelley is not ready to connect his workflow to a Management Information System (MIS), but he does leave the option open: “We have more computers than an insurance office. We use many different applications and some of them do not use common databases. We know we need to upgrade this system, but our commitment is to grow profitably, and every expenditure has to be justified.” Salem is not averse to investing in higher print quality whenever it can. “Roland and CTP have pushed the envelope for quality,” Kelley observes. “This is a low-dot-gain press. Everything is sharp and consistent. Our customers notice the difference.” The versatility of the ROLAND 300 is also receiving rave reviews from the Salem Vice President. “Our customers vary greatly,” he explains. “We do not intend to focus on only one customer type. We specialize in service. The Roland lets us serve a regional market of customers with very different needs.” Kelley also has praise for the company behind the equipment: “There are several other brands that can give good value for the investment. But the people from MAN Roland are more sincerely dedicated to our satisfaction and to our productivity than any we have dealt with. Their philosophy closely parallels our own. We often go the extra mile to help our customers in ways that do not bring in revenue. Most of the time the return on that investment comes back in the form of loyalty and growth.”