November 20, 2007 - McLean Packaging — a box, container and display manufacturer with a heritage of over 46 years of innovation — had two key reasons for moving one of its manufacturing facilities from Philadelphia to a 100.000 sq ft new plant in Moorestown, New Jersey. The first was to optimize and streamline its manufacturing workflow. The second was to accommodate a new ROLAND 700 Ultima. The custom-built sheetfed press is equipped with seven printing units and three flexo coating units in a configuration designed to deliver maximum application opportunities.
McLean's new Moorestown plant is also built for performance. "Our Philadelphia facility was on three floors," explains Joe Fenkel, CEO of McLean Packaging. "Now we have 100,000 sq ft on one level, with humidity control, air conditioning, and the whole nine yards. It's a beautiful building that is the perfect environment for our new press. That's important because the ROLAND 700 Ultima is already a key part of our business."
The Power of Three
The move to Moorestown was initiated over the summer, with both plants running throughout the transition to ensure an overlap in coverage for McLean's customers. By September, production had shifted entirely to Moorestown. In addition to the new facility, the company runs a 125,000 sq ft corrugated plant in Pennsauken, New Jersey. And it operates a set-up box plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, that with its warehouse, measures 195,000 sq ft.
Fenkel describes the overall operation from the product prospective: "We are the only independent manufacturer in the nation that designs and manufactures this combination of products: rigid paper boxes, plastic folding boxes, cardboard folding boxes, corrugated displays and corrugated boxes. The Ultima completes that circle, allowing us to produce all of these applications more efficiently."
Efficiency was the watchword throughout the installation process, which was handled by MAN Roland's printservices team. "They did a fabulous job managing the project and making sure all of the details were taken care of," says Fenkel. "The installation was a real success. The professionals at MAN Roland were excellent."
The Ultima started its career at McLean producing cardboard folding boxes and plastic folding boxes. It is further demonstrating its substrate versatility by printing the paper wraps for McLean's rigid box division. 
"Ultima can handle plastics as thin as two or three mils, all the way up to 40 pt. board, and everything in between," notes Fenkel. "That gives us a tremendous range in which to produce applications for our customers."
Flexo, Change-O
But McLean's CEO is most enthused about the special effects Ultima can create inline with its unique combination of offset and flexo printing units.
"It enables us to do a lot of things other packaging people can't accomplish," he says. "The first flexo unit allows us to put down whites, or golds, or silvers, then print on top of them and coat the job, all in one pass. That makes our clients' printing pop and their packaging stand out in the stores."
Ultima's versatility also means that McLean will not have to farm out packaging that requires special effects. It can all be done in-house. "That gives as total control over every job," Fenkel declares. "That's important for making sure every customer is fully satisfied."
One-Stop Shopping
McLean has also installed die cutting equipment, stamping equipment, and die tooling equipment, configured to Ultima's 41-inch sheet size, so it can complete all finishing steps in-house as well. One of the newest additions is the latest Bobst die cutter/blanker.
"When it comes to purchasing their packaging, our customers want the convenience of one-stop shopping. And now more than ever, McLean can provide it," Fenkel says.
McLean's 700 Ultima is equipped with the latest automation from MAN Roland. Its printnet operating system speeds makereadies and streamlines the operation of the press. Meanwhile, ColorPilot and Computer Controlled Inking (CCI) ensure that the color of the package precisely projects the color the brand, and that the match is achieved quickly.
Ultima represents all new capacity for McLean. In fact, the company hired new managers, operators, and prepress specialists to staff the new system, expanding its work force in conjunction with the move from Philadelphia to Moorestown.
Joe Fenkel says it's all well worthwhile: "Ultima makes us much more efficient and offers our customers the convenience of one-stop shopping and the productivity of one-pass printing. They come down, they provide press approval and we get the job done."
UV Completely
McLean will be printing all UV coatings and inks all the time on the new press. Ultima sports the latest interdeck UV dryers to make the process clean and quick.
Meanwhile, the McLean sales force is using new press as an advanced technology demonstration device, letting Ultima put an exclamation point on their marketing pitches. "Once package purchasers see what this press can do, they want their jobs printed on it," Fenkel says.